Posted in Blog.
Water & Fascia
When it comes to hydration and drinking water, everyone knows two things: It is important, and they should be drinking more of it. Over the next few weeks, we will share a series of Hydration posts by Samantha Jacobsen, PT, DPT, inspired by QUENCH by Dr. Dana Cohen, to keep you in the know on the importance and necessity of staying hydrated, especially as athletes!
Our fascial system is a network of tubules that are constantly responding to movement and pressure changes. Fascia is made up of mostly gel water and collagen, allowing spreading, releasing, and rejoining of the different microfascial tubules. Think of fascia as the scaffolding underneath our skin. Fascia is one of the most complex parts of the human body, however, one thing that we definitely know is that it requires hydration to do its job properly and efficiently. Fascia is very responsive to movement patterns or lack of movement altogether.
When fascia becomes matted down and toughened, it loses its ability to move freely and becomes much less flexible and pliable. This loss of elasticity can contribute to many musculoskeletal injuries, restrictions and sources of tension. So with new aches and pains, maybe it is time to dive deeper and analyze if you are adequately feeding and moving your tissues.
Hands on massage and soft tissue work pulses water through the fascia, blood, and lymph creating more systemic hydration. However, movement of any sort (big or small) also works to pump hydration throughout our body. Studies actually show that those who “fidget” or constantly move can exhibit improved circulation in the fidgeting limb. This speaks volumes for little micromovements throughout the day, allowing hydration to get out into our fascia and reach all of our cells.
read Hydration Post #1 – The Function of Water HERE
