Let's first start with the extreme. This extreme condition of flexibility is called the Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This is also commonly referred to as hypermobility Yew et al. We are not going to cover this extreme, but it is worthy of note, as a basic understanding of the topic, collogen and facia are involved with flexibility with facia being the primary player.
So, what is facia? It is a viscoelastic matrix which envelops muscles, bones and organs and is a continuous network throughout the body. Think of it as a chemical spider web that connects the tips of your toes to the top of your head. The tissue does more than provide internal structure; fascia has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin.
When stressed, it tightens up. But there are certain things that cause fascia to thicken and become sticky. What does the anatomy of the fascia look like? Superficial fascia, 2. Deep fascia, 3. Some examples of the impact of life on facia. Let's say you strain a muscle while you are working out. Facia is also involved in the case if you sit too long, say on a long bus ride, car trip, or an overseas flight.
The result is what is termed inflammation aka, you are in many cases just plain stiff. Long term postural positioning which prevents full excursion of the fascia, and possibly some short-term processes may also shorten fascia. When this happens, stretch of the fascia to what was previously a pain free range may cause pain to be felt at distant sensitive areas such as nerves and blood vessels. In this video from Celeste, seriously consider point number four.
In this case fascia is formed via emotional trauma Celeste, Basically, how this works is, basically, your fascia is connected to your brain and your fascia in a way acts as a biological thumb drive. As a personal example, at age 53, a First Nations massage therapist used a deer antler to break up an adhesion in my diaphragm. This adhesion manifested itself as a side stitch when under heavy athletic load.
