Many of you are exhausted, hurting, dealing with headaches, physiological distress, feelings of internal anxiety, and depression. Many had these symptoms prior to COVID-19 and now, due to the fear and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, these symptoms have magnified significantly.

The Effect of Depression and Anxiety on Our Fascia 

Most people have unrecognized fascial restrictions, and after a period of time, these restrictions begin to affect the circulatory and lymphatic systems, musculature, nerves, osseous structures, and discs, resulting in what we commonly name “symptoms.” Most people’s fascial restrictions go unnoticed prior to symptoms emerging because myofascial restrictions do not show on up on any of the standard tests, like x-rays, myelograms, CAT scans, electromyography, and blood work.

Sometimes, clients who have myofascial restrictions come to massage therapy with general concerns. You might have clients who tell you:  “When I wake up, I am more tired than when I went to sleep!” Or, “I hurt even more after resting.” One reason your clients might be feeling more tired after rest is because of the pressure myofascial restrictions may be putting on various structures and, in turn, disallowing REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is necessary for a body to rejuvenate. In combination with fascial restrictions that cause pain, a lack of sleep throws our bodies into a kind of “flight or fight” response, where our mind and body perceives lack of rest as danger.

How Myofascial Restrictions Work: Getting Down to the Details

Fascial restrictions can create problems at the cellular level. For example, hydration is not achieved when fluid is swallowed, but rather when fluid enters our cells. In the same way, food does not become nutrition until nutrients enter our cells.

Trauma solidifies the ground substance of the fascial system, which is the environment of every cell. Any excessive viscosity will block cells from receiving nutrition, fluids, oxygen, and the biochemistry, hormones, information and energy that every cell needs to survive and thrive! 

In other words, myofascial restrictions may disrupt the mitochondria’s function in breaking down the nutrients and converting them into energy-rich molecules, which can result in pain and exhaustion. 

Fascial Restrictions, Myofascial Release and Finding Relief: One Example 

Most people have a torqued pelvis from a very early age, though many times this condition goes unrecognized even when having negative effects on the body. For example, when the pelvis twists, the sacral base is tilted, which is the foundation of our spine. This causes weakness in the lower extremities since the musculature no longer has a firm foundation to pull against, and sometimes this torque produces a long and a short leg. Your subconscious is now perceiving that the world is not under you, and this feeling of instability, when prolonged, can lead to exhaustion, anxiety and depression.

Many times, the people I work with are not looking for myofascial release to help with depression, anxiety or exhaustion, but after a series of sessions, they’ll indicate that not only is their pain gone, but they feel more like themselves and have experienced a decrease in some of these other symptoms. There is a large structural component to depression, anxiety and exhaustion.

Myofascial release is the ‘missing link’ and when combined with massage can be very powerful to help people reduce pain, gain strength, clarity of mind, and emotional tranquility.  

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