STRETCHING ADHESED FASCIA
CAN BE A TRIGGER FOR PAIN
 Gordon Johnson - USA - Pixabay |  Gordon Johnson - USA - Pixabay |
We always think of stretching as beneficial, and in most cases it is. For instance, I cannot begin to tell you the numbers of my patients who start doing yoga stretches or similar, that have improved. However, there have been lots of recent studies (the past five years) showing that stretching prior to exercise not only provides no real benefit, but can actually be harmful. This is not what we are covering today, as the internet is absolutely chocked full of those sorts of articles for you to read. Today we are going to cover stretching as it pertains to Chronic Pain and Tissue Remodeling.
I deal with lots of people from AROUND THE COUNTRY, and even AROUND THE WORLD that are struggling with some degree of CHRONIC PAIN that limits their ability to live life normally. The standard medical fare for these people is, of course, drugs --- PAIN MEDS, NSAIDS, MUSCLE RELAXERS, CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS, ANTIDEPRESSANTS, and who-knows-what else. And if these individuals end up in therapy, they will undoubtedly go through intensive stretching and exercise protocols. While this is certainly fine for the average person, for the person dealing with severe FASCIAL ADHESIONS and MICROSCOPIC SCAR TISSUE, it can prove devastating --- particularly when it comes to stretches of the pelvic girdle (i.e. for problems such as PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME). The three pictures below will help you understand why.
I deal with lots of people from AROUND THE COUNTRY, and even AROUND THE WORLD that are struggling with some degree of CHRONIC PAIN that limits their ability to live life normally. The standard medical fare for these people is, of course, drugs --- PAIN MEDS, NSAIDS, MUSCLE RELAXERS, CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS, ANTIDEPRESSANTS, and who-knows-what else. And if these individuals end up in therapy, they will undoubtedly go through intensive stretching and exercise protocols. While this is certainly fine for the average person, for the person dealing with severe FASCIAL ADHESIONS and MICROSCOPIC SCAR TISSUE, it can prove devastating --- particularly when it comes to stretches of the pelvic girdle (i.e. for problems such as PIRIFORMIS SYNDROME). The three pictures below will help you understand why.
 Chris Huh |  Stina |
Tissue (in this case, we are talking about FASCIA) is represented by the ropes above, right, and left. Good, healthy tissue is going to line up in a parallel fashion that not only provides strength, but flexibility as well (left pic). INJURED, ADHESED, FIBROTIC, or DENSIFIED Fascia, tends to be MORE TANGLED microscopically (pic on right and top). Stretching unhealthy Fascia can sometimes be likened to pulling on the ends of the loosely knotted rope above. You might gain a bit of ROM, but ultimately you are not only not getting rid of the adhesion, you could actually be making it worse by tightening it.
Sometimes, it takes some 'umph' to break fouled up tissue (HERE). Our goal is to BREAK UP THE PROBLEMATIC TISSUE, then give you a stretching protocol to pull the tissue apart (make it more like the pic on the left) before it can re-heal in its previous state (clump / wad / tangle). For things like SHOULDER PROBLEMS, NECK PAIN, etc, overstretching is rarely a problem. However, when it comes to problems of the pelvic girdle area (I mentioned BUTT PAIN / PS earlier) the stretching can, in some people, fire up the SCIATIC NERVE or bony attachment points (most commonly the Ischial Tuberosities or "sits" bones --- the knobs of bone underneath your gluteal muscles). This is why we want you to do your stretches often for the first few days, but not with any real intensity.
Make sure to come back and read the next post as it will be something along the lines of Scar Tissue Remodeling and its relationship to CENTRAL SENSITIZATION.
Sometimes, it takes some 'umph' to break fouled up tissue (HERE). Our goal is to BREAK UP THE PROBLEMATIC TISSUE, then give you a stretching protocol to pull the tissue apart (make it more like the pic on the left) before it can re-heal in its previous state (clump / wad / tangle). For things like SHOULDER PROBLEMS, NECK PAIN, etc, overstretching is rarely a problem. However, when it comes to problems of the pelvic girdle area (I mentioned BUTT PAIN / PS earlier) the stretching can, in some people, fire up the SCIATIC NERVE or bony attachment points (most commonly the Ischial Tuberosities or "sits" bones --- the knobs of bone underneath your gluteal muscles). This is why we want you to do your stretches often for the first few days, but not with any real intensity.
Make sure to come back and read the next post as it will be something along the lines of Scar Tissue Remodeling and its relationship to CENTRAL SENSITIZATION.
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