It's good to connect: New touch therapy relieves pain
Movement aids the web of tissue that holds our bones and organs together, and looking after it can help manage conditions like osteoarthritis, writes .
WHILE we are commonly advised to keep moving as we age — in order to keep dem bones in good shape — what we rarely hear about is how movement benefits the hidden three-dimensional web of connective tissue inside us all, that encases everything within our body. It’s called fascia.
Fascia is like a clingfilm protective coating wrapped around every part of us at every level — including our organs, bones, ligaments and muscles — and because it connects everything to everything else, when one part gets damaged, our whole system goes out of balance.
To imagine it, think of that almost invisible filmy white surface membrane of a chicken breast that gets snagged and wrinkled as you handle the meat — that is fascia.
Without the sticky structural support of fascia, “living skeletons would be no more than a pile of bones on the floor,” says Amanda Oswald, who is highlighting its importance as a major contributing factor towards control of chronic pain and maintaining health.
Oswald is a myofascial release therapist, who uses a gentle non-invasive bodywork technique that works on the connective tissue to release physical restrictions and pain patterns. Coming from a mind-body approach, she recognises that emotional experiences and trauma can play an important part in our experiences of pain.
She discovered the role of fascia after her own journey through chronic pain and surgery. Now aged 57, she has helped heal many older chronic pain sufferers at her Harley Street clinic in London.
She recently published a book offering an easy-to-read fascinating insight into the role of fascia, with effective self-care techniques, stretches and exercises. And she says she has converted her 86-year-old mother to doing her own self-myofascial release exercises which has helped her to manage vertigo, night cramps, and osteoarthritis.
“I think the first thing to recognise is that a lot of the changes to our bodies that we think of as ageing, are not,” Oswald tells Feelgood. “Of course the body changes as we grow older and, for example, we start to lose muscle mass. However many of the chronic pain issues that older people suffer from are mainly due to the fact that they have stopped moving.
“Fascia is a fluid tissue and it responds to the demands we make on it. Therefore, if we exercise, stretch, and move a lot, our fascia will respond by staying fluid and mobile. However, if we stop moving and instead sit still for prolonged periods, then our fascia will respond accordingly and become dehydrated and stuck.”
As an example, she says one of the very common complaints her older clients have, and which they don’t expect her to be able to help with, is osteoarthritis.
“Osteoarthritis is where the bones in a joint have damaged to the point where the cartilage that protects the ends has become worn away. Bones that form a joint should not actually touch directly, but where they have been pushed together for long periods of time, they rub against each other until the damage occurs, which results in pain and deformed joints.
“The bones are pushed together because the tissues that support the joint, in particular, the fascia, has become restricted and stuck over time. So, although myofascial release therapy and self-myofascial release exercises can’t repair the damage of osteoarthritis, they can take the pressure off the joint and create more space for the bones, which reduces the pain.
“I have worked with many clients whose osteoarthritis pain has reduced significantly or gone altogether, allowing them to continue doing the things they enjoy,” she says.
And make it movement that you like, because that means you will be more likely to do it regularly. This could be walking, swimming, yoga, tai chi etc, or activities that you enjoy such as gardening.
Fascia likes being stretched gently and responds to regular stretching. Even just a few minutes of fascial stretching a day can make a big difference over time. The more you stretch, the more your body will regain its balance, which helps to improve posture.
Everyone has good and bad days, sometimes days where you just don’t feel like doing much. Respect this and don’t give yourself a hard time. Maybe do something to motivate your mind instead, such as meditation or listening to a relaxation download.
Most adults don’t drink enough water, and older people tend to be more dehydrated than most. Aiming for 1.5 litres a day is a good start. This might make you go to the loo more at first but, combined with regular stretching which allows your fascia to loosen and become more elastic, this means that it can gradually retain more water naturally.
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