That is the question.
There is still a lot of ignorance about the fascia and how it works. However, scientific advances in different fields of biology and medicine already give us clues about the possible physiological basis of the body’s response to treatment with Myofascial Induction.
Fascia is basically composed of cells (among others, fibroblasts), and extracellular matrix formed by fibers (collagen and elastin), which connect the cells to each other and to other tissues. , soaked in a mixture of water, sugars and proteins of a mucous consistency. The more hydrated the matrix is, the better the tissues move.
Myofascial dysfunction basically consists of some area of the fascia being more rigid and sticky than normal, which compromises the movement of that area, and by extension of the rest of the body. This happens as a consequence of an inflammatory process of any origin (trauma, infections, surgeries…). These dysfunctional areas have a greater number of fibers and a greater proportion of rigid fibers than elastic ones. Its cells are thickened and in a state of maximum mechanical stress. And her womb is dehydrated.
When doing Myofascial Induction we apply more or less gentle forces, slowly, and maintained over time. The stimulus must be intense enough to provoke a response, but not so intense as to provoke a defensive reaction of the musculoskeletal system. And it must be so slow that it lasts as long as necessary to obtain the desired response. It could be several minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even longer.
It has been shown that the cellular matrix has viscoelastic properties, that is, the slower the force applied to it, the more plastic its behavior is, and the lower its elastic tendency. That is, the slow forces are those that generate the mechanical changes that remain. But in addition, any mechanical change in a medium saturated with water causes movement of water from the areas subject to the most pressure towards the most relaxed ones; Rehydration would in turn make the extracellular matrix more fluid and less sticky.
There are also numerous studies that show that the level of stress to which cells are subjected (we are talking about fibroblasts, but this happens with many other types of cells) can cause them to change their behavior. Cells adjust the tension of their cytoskeleton to the existing demands, and also modify their activity: they generate more or less rigid fibers, or undo the fibers that exist in their environment, depending on the mechanical requirements. That is, if we manage to change the level of tension in the cellular environment, in the medium term the fibroblasts will relax the tissue and modify its fibrous structure to make it more elastic.
Furthermore, it has recently been revealed that the fascia is one of the most profusely innervated tissues with terminals sensitive to mechanical stimulation, the so-called free terminals. Some studies suggest that these nerve receptors inform the brain of the state of local blood circulation, at the capillary level. A constant tension such as that applied with induction techniques could trigger an alarm signal due to a local blockage of venous return, which would have a response from the autonomic nervous system such as that observed during our treatment sessions.
Finally, myofascial induction stimulation also provokes an involuntary muscle response, which probably seeks to resolve these local tension conflicts using the body’s most effective mechanical tool: joint movement. This type of response is very variable from one person to another, it can range from small shakes, coughs or changes in posture, to very large movements.
These movements are the most striking reaction to the therapy, and yet they are surely only the tip of the iceberg of a whole set of physiological mechanisms that aim to ensure that all parts of the body remain sufficiently elastic and relaxed to allow blood flow. and optimal cellular function. The myofascial network could thus be considered the body system responsible for maintaining the body’s mechanical balance, the long ignored mechanical homeostasis.
How does Myofascial Induction work?
