Understanding the role of fascia in keeping the body healthy | Fitness

Your article (The Secret to Fascia: How It Affects Your Health – and Should You Soften It With a Foam Roller?, November 24) was enlightening. In addition to the movement and exercise approaches you’ve highlighted, a wide range of strategies to support healthy fascia are being researched by the Fascia Research Group at the University of Ulm in Germany, led by Professor Robert Schleip. Fascia research is still in its infancy, but the implications for health care are far-reaching. As early as 2015, a conference at Harvard Medical School examined the links between fascia, acupuncture and oncology; The lectures remain available online and highlight how we need to better understand the role of fascia in medicine.

Manual therapists have long recognized the importance of working with fascia. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, emphasized its importance, and more recent approaches such as the Bowen technique aim to improve hydration, proprioception and flexibility by gently but directly engaging the fascia. One of the most underappreciated aspects of fascia is its extraordinary sensitivity: it provides a constant feedback loop to the central and autonomic nervous systems, constantly responding to internal and external stimuli.

It is often gentler therapeutic methods such as the Bowen technique, the Feldenkrais method or slower forms of yoga that have the greatest influence on this remarkable network, which underpins the healthy functioning of the entire body.
John Wilks
Compton Dundon, Somerset

I was excited to read your recent article on the body’s fascia network. As a teacher of yin yoga, a style focused on stretching the fascia, I find this topic particularly interesting. Yin Yoga uses a set of deep stretches developed in alignment with traditional Chinese medicine’s meridians, the energy pathways connecting the body’s essential organs.

In our practice, we use a yoga mat, props and supports to work with gravity, allowing us to achieve a deep stretch. The stillness is then maintained for an extended period of time, usually between three and five minutes, allowing the body to completely release tension and surrender.

The benefits of this practice are significant. By resting deeply and grounding the mind, the nervous system shifts into parasympathetic (rest and digest) mode. This allows the body and mind to truly rest and initiate regeneration. Additionally, by training the body and mind to sit with slight discomfort in a sustained and mindful way, we promote a sense of confidence.

Long-term results include a noticeable reduction in chronic pain, tension and stiffness. This approach makes yin yoga very effective and suitable for all experience levels.
Rachel Parry
Rugby, Warwickshire

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 21 or 20 years ago. I tried all the therapeutic and pharmaceutical treatments, without much success, until I started treating the fascia rather than the muscles. The massages left me with bruises. Osteopathy could help, but only for a few hours. The game changer for me was a series of Rolfing sessions. These permanently altered some of the fascia around my trigger points. I now have occasional myofascial release sessions when my pain gets worse. The benefit of each session lasts for weeks. I also added specific stretches to soften and warm up the fascia, rather than the muscles themselves. Doing reformative Pilates regularly keeps the fascia supple. A memory foam mattress also helps my fascia not feel stiff and “crunchy” in the morning. I hope this helps anyone struggling with their fibro pain.
Maxine Lewis
Auckland, New Zealand

Joel Snape’s article fails to mention that traditional acupuncture is based on the subtle flows of energy through the fascia. The network of meridians and points is located inside the fascia. Acupuncture point treatment affects the entire system because fascia is a continuous “organ.” As Joel says, “we” (Western researchers) have only just stopped throwing away fascia, and there is still a lot of research to be done. I have been practicing traditional acupuncture for 34 years and am well aware that most people are unaware of the existence of fascia.

The most common experience reported by patients after acupuncture treatment is deep relaxation and a feeling of reconnection with their whole being. We need it more than ever.
Teja Entwistle
Pentraeth, Ynys Mon