What is a Fascial Injury?

What is a Fascial Injury?

Written by Dr. Chase

Chiropractor

To answer that question we must first describe, “What is fascia?”  Most people will recognize the word fascia with their feet, plantar fascitis.  This is a common injury of the fascia; if you have never had plantar fascitis then count yourself extremely lucky.  Fascia is just not in the feet but  throughout your entire body and does not stop.  It surrounds your muscles, organs, and bones.  It is a complex matrix of connective tissue that helps your body move.  

You have 3 layers of fascia: deep, intermediate, and superficial layers. 

All the white layers represent fascia.

 A fascial injury can occur with any sprain/strain, repetitive motion, or even stress.  The fascial system gets tight and dehydrated over time with trauma and inflammation (stress causes inflammation).  Since the fascia has less blood supply than the muscle, bone, or even ligament, it takes longer to heal.  If the fascia is injured then it needs to be addressed for the injury to heal.  If the issue is not taken care of properly, the complete healing cannot occur and pain or diminished function is the result.   

I have had many patients in my office that have come in after going through different therapies or doctors.  The MRI and X-rays are negative, they have been through 4-6 weeks of physical therapy, and are still not 100%.  They all ask the same question,  “If all the imaging is negative then why do I still hurt?”  The answer may be the fascial system.