Exploring the Depths of Trauma through the Fascia
Fascial Network
The article by Bordoni and Simonelli (2018) offers us an innovative and fascinating view of the fascia, presenting it not only as a simple connective tissue, but as a complex and intelligent network, capable of storing and transmitting information. The fascia, according to the authors, can be considered a sort of “hard disk” of the body, in which our experiences, including traumatic events, are recorded. Tensions and fascial restrictions, often caused by physical or emotional trauma, can create a sort of “memory of trauma”, influencing posture, movement and general well-being.
Myofascial work, through specific manual techniques, aims to release these tensions and restore balance to the fascial system. In this way, action is taken not only at the physical level, but also at the emotional level, helping the patient to free themselves from accumulated tensions and to regain greater body awareness. The approach proposed by the authors, which integrates physiology with quantum physics, invites us to consider the human body as a complex system, in which every cell is in communication with the others. This vision, combined with a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach, opens new perspectives for the understanding and treatment of trauma, offering health professionals a powerful tool to accompany patients on their healing journey.
Emotional Scars
The fascia, often compared to a topographic map of our body, can conceal deep emotional scars. Traumatic events, both physical and psychological, can leave indelible imprints in the connective tissue, creating tensions and adhesions that limit mobility and generate pain. Myofascial massage, acting on fascial restrictions, offers a way to access these bodily memories, allowing for a gradual release of accumulated tensions. Through a conscious and attentive touch, the therapist can help the patient to reconnect with the sensations of their own body, favoring a process of re-elaboration of traumatic experiences. The benefit of this technique lies not only in the symptomatic relief, but also in the promotion of a deep psycho-physical well-being. Myofascial massage, in fact, stimulates the production of endorphins, hormones of well-being, favors the release of oxytocin, the hormone of love and attachment, contributing to re-establish a sense of security and connection with oneself and with others.
Bodily Memories
Let’s imagine the fascia as an intricate network, a sort of “second skin” that envelops every muscle, organ and bone. Thanks to the article by Fede and colleagues, we now know that this network is richly innervated, almost like an alarm system that signals to the brain every tension or alteration. When we suffer a trauma, both physical and emotional, the fascia can “remember” that event, creating tensions and adhesions that manifest as chronic pain. Myofascial manipulation, acting on these restrictions, offers a way to free these “bodily memories” and re-establish a balance in the system. It is as if we were untying a knot that has tightened over time, allowing the body to regain its fluidity and well-being.
Fascial System
The fascia is a connective tissue that forms a complex three-dimensional network extending without interruption from head to toe. Fascial system influences every system and function of our body, musculoskeletal, neurological, metabolic, visceral, etc. The fascia is composed of three parts and is a support organ:
Three Parts
- Elastic fibers: This is the elastic and stretchable part of the complex;
- Collagen fibers: These fibers are extremely resistant and provide support to the structure;
- Fundamental substance/matrix: A gelatinous substance that transports metabolic material throughout the body.
Fascial Health
The well-being and vitality of a person largely depend on the health of the fascial system. The fascial system supports, stabilizes and cushions. Fascia creates separations between blood vessels, organs, bones and muscles and creates space through which delicate bodily structures such as nerves and blood vessels can pass.
Fascial Restrictions
In a healthy state, the collagen fibers wrap around the elastic fibers in a relaxed and wavy configuration. Trauma, repetitive movements, inflammation or incorrect posture can make the fascia more rigid and shortened. These thickened areas are called fascial restrictions. Fascial restrictions have the ability to create up to 900 kg of pressure per square inch in a restricted area. This crushing pressure can compromise any physiological system of the body, causing pain and dysfunction. Fascial restrictions can also pull the body out of its normal alignment, compressing the joint surfaces and swelling the spinal discs, causing pain, loss of movement and weakness.
Interconnected Web
The fascia throughout the body is all interconnected like a complex web. A restriction in one area of the body creates tension throughout this network, involving other distant structures. This explains why some people may have pain that seemingly seems unrelated to their original injury. Furthermore, myofascial restrictions do not appear in the most common tests such as X-rays, MRI or CT scans.
Body Awareness
Fascial restrictions, often caused by trauma or incorrect posture, can limit mobility, generate chronic pain and influence our emotional state. Body awareness, combined with specific techniques such as myofascial release, allows us to restore the elasticity of the fascia, promoting a deep sense of well-being and facilitating the release of emotional tensions. The fascia, therefore, is not only an anatomical tissue, but a key element in the communication between body and mind, offering a new point of view to understand and treat various pathologies.
Bordoni B, Simonelli M. The Awareness of the Fascial System. Cureus. 2018 Oct 1;10(10):e3397. doi:
10.7759/cureus.3397. PMID: 30538897; PMCID: PMC6281443.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6281443/
Fede, C., Petrelli, L., Guidolin, D. et al. Evidence of a new hidden neural network into deep fasciae. Sci
Rep 11, 12623 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92194-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92194-z
