All of the body’s components are wrapped in a form of connective tissue called fascia. Fascia literally holds the various parts of the body together and retains their shape. These wrappings are all interconnected so that the whole body is connected in a three dimensional web of interwoven fascial layers.
In its natural state, fascia facilitates the movement of the body’s different parts. It allows a muscle to slide over an adjoining muscle during movement. As tension and rigidity accumulate, the fascia degenerates. It dehydrates, loses its elasticity and acquires the consistency of glue. A degenerated layer of fascia glues itself to other layers of fascia and thus movement is impeded. Now, when one muscle moves, it must drag along several others. As a result, range of movement deteriorates and becomes painful, and general rigidity sets into the body.
Because the fascia in the body is all interconnected, the tensional quality of fascia at one spot can affect structures far away. As an example, tension in the plantar surface of the foot can create a pull all the way up in the neck resulting in neck misalignment and pain. Treating the pain locally at the neck will not resolve the tensional pull from the foot which in time will bring the neck back into misalignment and pain.
