What is Muscle Fascia?

Fascia is a structure of connective tissue that goes from head to toe, it surrounds and supports all of our internal organs and binds our muscles, blood vessels and nerves together, while permitting other muscles to slide smoothly over each other.

The abdomen has many different layers of fascia which are all inter-connected, so tension here can affect different parts of the body or the underlying tissues.

The skeletal system gives support to the bodies muscles and offer movement and fascia binds everything together and acts as a support system for our internal organs, blood vessels and nerves.

The abdomen has the most dense fascia network and it is here we hold most tension.

What is Deep Fascia?

Deep fascia can contract and relax, much like muscle, and will respond to the same receptors as muscles. With repeated stress or tension in one direction or some patterns, fascia will lay down raw material to become stronger to help facilitate muscle action or protect surrounding tissue.

Can MFIT help with back pain?

Back pain affects millions of people and costs the health industry billions of pounds each year. It has been something which has eluded doctors and therapists alike, even though modern technology has performed wonders.

The cause of most problems with the back come from our holding patterns in our psoas muscle. The psoas has many diverse functions making it a key factor of health. It functions as a hip and thigh flexor, so it is a major walking muscle. In sitting it helps to stabalize and balances the trunk.

The opposing muscle to the psoas is the gluteus. But because of our holding that it becomes weak, so the lower back and hamstrings tend to be the muscles which have to compensate for this.

L4 and L5 are the two lower vertebrae. These are the ones under constant pressure as L2 and L3 are anchored by the crux tendons of the diaphram, so pressure from the psoas is relieved.

Some people whose core is not strong enough to stabilize this are likely to get problems in this area.

How does sitting affect my health?

In the western world sitting is something we tend to do for long periods so the psoas muscle is often in a shorter position.

When standing up from a seated position it can take time to relax but because of this we slightly hold this tension. As this muscle is slightly active we walk or move constantly using this muscle without effectively using the gluteus.

When you look in a busy street most people are walking as if walking up stairs. But this pattern creates tension in the pelvic or abdominal area.