In Part 1: What is Fascia?, we discussed the anatomy of the fascial tissue and where it can be found throughout the body. In Part 2, we are going to take a deeper look at the tissue and begin to talk about how fascia can affect function and movement.
Because fascia is so widely dispersed, the network of tissue has neurological, vascular, and musculoskeletal involvement. The superficial fascia houses and supports lymphatic and blood vessels that supply blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout the body.
As you move deeper, the fascia transitions to the organized fibrous network that surrounds bones, reinforces tendons and ligaments and becomes interwoven into the muscle tissues.
What is Myofascial Dysfunction?
Within the fibers of the deep myofascial (muscle + fascia) chains, organs that transmit sensory information to the brain can be found.
These organs, also called muscle spindles, are found near neuromuscular end-plates and golgi tendon organs located within tendons. One of the functions of a muscle spindle is to designate resting tone of the muscle, or how much force is being produced in a resting state.
When the neurological signal becomes dysfunctional, it can cause an increase in tone in part of the fiber and shorten the related fascia. This dysfunctional signal can produce “trigger points” or taut bands in the muscle that may result in fascial adhesions and pain.
What is Fascial Joint Dysfunction?
As mentioned above, fascial chains surround and encompass ligaments in order to provide additional support.
Three types of sensory receptors, Rufini corpuscles (detect tension), Pascinian corpuscles (detect deep pressure), and free nerve endings (detect painful stimuli), are located in the fascia and ligaments that surround the joints.
Stimulation of these receptors provides feedback on joint position and feedback on dysfunctional pathologies such as overstretch, rupture, and imbalance. When this feedback occurs, a non-specific pain response is generated in the tissues surrounding the joint.
Research has also found that when these fascial networks are disrupted via injury, the feedback is less efficient and may cause further damage to the joint itself. This can have long-lasting effects, such as chronic ankle instability, when the tissues are repetitively stressed beyond their limit.
To learn more about fascia, read Part 1: What is Fascia? and Part 3: Treating Fascial Dysfunction in our series.
SetPT’s physical therapists have extensive training in trigger point dry needling and can work with you to help restore your muscle and joints’ natural movement. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an initial movement assessment, contact your local SetPT location today.
