Fasciae are all fibrous connective tissue structures in the body. These include: ligaments (connecting bone to bone to hold a joint), tendons (connecting muscle to bone), muscle connective tissue, joint capsules, and organ capsules. The fasciae are located beneath the subcutaneous layer.
The fasciae can wonderfully adapt to new conditions: with local stress, such as through regular exercise, the network reorganizes and becomes stronger. Unfortunately, this complex network is also exposed to many stresses. Since the connective tissue is not supplied with blood, only movements ensure that lymph fluid transports nutrients to the fasciae and removes waste products. However, if muscle movements are lacking, the fasciae can stick together. This primarily occurs due to the increasingly concentrated fibrinogen in the fluid, which is normally needed to close wounds. It can also clump in the connective tissue if it becomes highly concentrated there because there is not enough exchange. The connective tissue fluid itself also plays a crucial role. The less water it contains, the more concentrated the substances within it are. Accordingly, sticking and hardening of the fasciae can also be attributed to insufficient binding of water. If there is not enough hyaluronic acid in the fasciae, the fluid components decrease, and the connective tissue becomes firmer and less flexible.
Stuck and hardened fasciae cause pain
Joint pain, back problems, and a deterioration in mobility can be the result of stuck and hardened fasciae. Especially pain whose cause cannot be determined even after thorough examination can often be traced back to stuck fasciae. Nerve endings are no longer adequately protected by the fasciae and can be easily compressed. The close interplay of receptors in the fasciae then signals that something is wrong in the body, even though no injuries or inflammations are visible. However, since the fasciae form a dense network, local adhesions may negatively affect the entire organism over time.
Hyaluronic acid makes the fasciae more supple
With age, the fluid content of the fasciae decreases more and more. The connective tissue becomes less mobile because the ratio increasingly shifts towards the rigid collagen fibers, while the proportion of natural hyaluronic acid decreases. From about the age of 25, our body produces less of the polysaccharide. But not only the natural aging process, but also lack of exercise, overweight, stress, and poor nutrition can take a toll on the fasciae. Regular intake of hyaluronic acid-containing preparations can, alongside stretching exercises, massages, and a balanced diet, improve fascia function and simultaneously alleviate many pains in joints, muscles, and tendons.
