Water makes up three quarters of our body. Much of it is inside our cells, or circulates through the blood. Between these two environments is the extracellular matrix, which constitutes the internal medium through which nutrients and oxygen pass from the blood to our cells. Well: the fascia is embedded in extracellular matrix.
Without water, the matrix dries out and becomes sticky. The fascia stops sliding. And this compromises the movement of the body, blood flow, nerve conduction, cellular nutrition… our body weakens, and our defenses lower. Scientific studies show that a poorly hydrated, rigid fascia can not only generate pain, but also facilitates the installation and expansion of infections and tumors. You just have to drink water… and move.
The second key factor is movement. Fascial cells, specifically fibroblasts, generate the fibers that make up fascial tissue. The cells are attached to the network of fibers, and can orient them, tighten them, or disintegrate them. And how do fibroblasts know which fibers to generate, where, and what tension they need? Because they are able to feel body movement, and respond accordingly. They generate harder and denser fibers in the directions that support greater tension, and undo the fibers in the directions that perform greater sliding. If we don’t move we don’t give the fibroblasts the information they need. They generate extra fibers, and in an anarchic way; the tissue becomes stiffer, more tense, less hydrated… and we return to the beginning of the previous paragraph.
Your body is capable of reorganizing itself after overcoming an injury, illness, or surgery, but to do so you have to drink enough water and move. Any sport is good; do what you like best. And if there are still areas that cannot return to normal, that is what Myofascial Induction consists of: helping your fascial system to recover its natural range of motion. It’s that easy.