What women should know about Fascia
(and its role in healing and building strength)
All humans have fascia. It’s the soft tissue made up of collagen, elastin and bound water that exists from head to toe without interruption, surrounding and connecting every muscle and organ of the body. Think of this tissue as an organ or movement that has 3 major roles: elasticity (jumping), protection and storing stress (both emotional and physical).
Both men and women can benefit from releasing tension in this tissue – it’s why we stretch. (But that’s a conversation for another time).
There are 3 important areas of the body – lumbar spine, achilles heel and pelvic floor – where fascia exists in multiple layers to form a trampoline like structure. For women in particular, the pelvic floor is one of the most under-utilised and misunderstood areas of the female body (which is ironic since it is women who have to STRETCH that tissue to allow for childbirth).
This lack of knowledge is no fault of our own. There is, unfortunately, very little in the way of pelvic floor explanation and demonstration in the hospital system or in the fitness industry, unless you source out a qualified Pilates instructor.
Having become increasingly aware of the importance of fascial tissue in the pelvic floor, I have committed more time to learning about it, and explaining to my clients what it does, and how they can find it on their own.
As you may be aware, part of the abdominal wall is attached to the pelvic floor. Your pelvic floor is responsible for stabilising parts of the pelvis, controlling urinary function, sexual satisfaction and, of course, core strength.
However, most exercises prescribed for building core strength focus mainly on the “abs”, with little or no attention to pelvic floor. Over time, this neglect can become disastrous – it’s like building the framework for a house without laying the concrete slab first. Symptoms such as bladder control, restricted breathing and a lower back pain can be signs of a weak pelvic floor.
The dense formation of fascia means we need to train it differently to how we train muscles. Fascial Stretch Therapy® is a new therapy that focusses on fascia, but is also mindful of how connected the body is. Thus, it not only treats the source of pain, but the underlying cause as well.
In a nutshell, FST® is assisted stretching by a therapist on a massage table which allows you to relax and reach positions that would be near impossible if attempted on your own. As a result, you leave feeling relaxed and more flexible, and will have a significant reduction in pain. This relatively pain-free experience is suitable for people of almost any age, and benefits anyone experiencing short or long-term pain who is ready to try a new approach to healing.
Jesse is owner and operator of Stretch360 and is one of only two advanced Fascial Stretch Specialists in Australia. She can assess whether you need stretching, stabilising or increased space in the joints.
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