How To Release Fascial Adhesions

If you've ever been a patient of mine, you have heard the term fascia or fascial adhesions. Fascial adhesions are one of the most common causes of pain in the body.

The formation of adhesions is the body’s response to injury, trauma, and overuse. These adhesions form in the soft tissues of the body, and over time, can build up to limit mobility, decrease strength, and cause pain.

In my practice, addressing these adhesions is paramount to gain any real progress with resolving back pain, sciatica, neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, or even plantar fasciitis.

In this article, I wanted to share with you how to release fascial adhesions at home.

Dr. Angela Walk

Wellness Physician

Founder of Nashville Organix

What Is Fascia?

Before defining fascial adhesions, let's first look at what is fascia? Fascia is the vast network of connective tissue that runs through your whole body.

It surrounds your muscles, nerves, bones, joints and organs. It turns out that many injuries and loss of flexibility over time, including range of motion, involve the fascia.

Fascia is the connective tissue that wraps and surrounds every single thing inside of our body. When adhesion and scar tissue are present in the fascia, it causes restrictions and may feel like a giant knot in your muscle.

Now that you know what a fascial adhesion is, let's take a look at what causes them.

What Causes Fascial Adhesions?

When the load placed on the body is greater than the capacity of the body's tissues to handle that load, the result is dysfunction and strain.

Any time muscles or fascia is overworked, a repetitive strain occurs in the fascia. These strained/overworked areas endure micro-trauma.

When a microtrauma doesn’t heal completely or properly, the body creates collagen to heal the damaged tissue. The collagen fibers clump together into an unnatural "sticky" state.

The fascia begins to “stick” to other tissues, which creates tension from those tissues pulling on each other. You can think of fascia like cling wrap -- it clings to itself and other tissues until you can flatten it out.

Scar tissue is also referred to as fascial adhesions, fascial restrictions, or simply “knots.” Think of scar tissue as the body’s duct tape.

As these adhesions form, they start to affect the normal function of the muscles and fascia.

In fact, they will often lead to pain, tightness, lack of flexibility, muscle weakness, compromised muscle endurance, restricted joint motion, and diminished blood flow.

Adhesions remain until they are removed. Rest, ice, stretching, and ibuprofen will not make them go away! You may get some temporary relief, but once you resume your activities, the issue will make itself known once again.

How Do You Get Rid Of Fascial Adhesions & Scar Tissue

The goal of Self Fascial Release is to stretch and loosen the fascia so the underlying tissue can move freely, restore blood flow (blood doesn’t flow too well through knots, as you can imagine) and reestablish proper function.

In effect, what we are doing is irritating the tissue to produce a chemical response. The chemicals produced are what begin the healing process; which is why soft tissue work is often painful and can leave you feeling similar to a workout the next day.

The best method to remove fascial adhesions in with a specific instrument. I have used Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) in my practice for many years with great success.

I have extensive training in these techniques including Graston Technique and Gua Sha. It involves the use of a stainless steel instrument or stone to "scrape" away scar tissue adhesions.

These tools greatly assist in soft tissue mobilization and improve blood flow to the affected area and in turn, release adhesions in the muscle tissue and create healing.

How To Break Up Fascial Adhesions At Home

This technique involves the use of a stainless steel instrument or stone to "scrape" away scar tissue adhesions. These tools greatly assist in soft tissue mobilization and improve blood flow to the affected area and in turn, release adhesions in the muscle tissue and create healing.

• Start by applying an emollient such as lotion, coconut oil, or essential oils to each of the soft tissues/muscles you are releasing.

• Apply light pressure with the massage tool to the soft tissues and determine if they are tender, hardened, or feel restricted.