In this article you will learn:
- What role do fascia play in my health?
- How do fasciae affect my body?
- What are sticky fasciae?
- How do I notice sticky fasciae?
- Why can sticky fasciae lead to abdominal pain?
- Which exercises solve my fasciae on the stomach?
- How can I do good to my fascia in everyday life?
Table of Contents
What are fasciae actually?
Have you ever heard of fascia? The name comes from the Latin word fascia, which means band or bundle. Fasciae are connective tissue , i.e. a tissue that connects and supports everything else in the body.
As a white, fibrous tissue, the fascia runs through your entire body and envelops muscles and organs . They provide support, shape and springiness and thus hold the entire body together.
There are four different types of fascia: structural, intersectoral, visceral, and spinal. When the fasciae are healthy, they are flexible and pliable. But fascia can also harden. For this reason, there are suspicions that fasciae can play a role in some complaints, such as abdominal pain or back pain .
What role do fascia play in my health?
How does this assumption come about? From a medical point of view, fascia were rather uninteresting for a long time. Among other things, this was due to the fact that fasciae were only considered passive tissue for a long time.
It is only for a few years now that some have suggested that fasciae can have a direct influence on physical health . Because fascia do not only exist as collagen and water, but also contain nerve endings – they are therefore anything but passive.
Especially with unclear complaints, such as back pain, there are some researchers who believe that fascia might be the answer to the search for the cause. From this theory, a number of therapeutic approaches have been developed that specifically target the training of fascia.
Since the effectiveness has not yet been sufficiently proven , we are not talking about an evidence-based effective therapy. Fascia training is therefore not a stand-alone form of therapy, but always a supportive measure for the actual treatment or a possible addition to physiotherapy, for example.
How do fasciae affect my body?
Fasciae run through your entire body and connect different body regions with one another. This wide branching seems to ensure that fasciae can have a positive effect on a number of things :
- Body symmetry and alignment
- Blood circulation, which means faster recovery during exercise
- Appearance of stretch marks
- Support in breaking down cellulite and scar tissue
- Lower risk of injury
- Less everyday pain
- Improvement of athletic performance
There are also nerve tracts that connect different parts of the body with one another. One of them is the vagus nerve. This tenth cranial nerve begins in the nucleus of the cranial nerve and runs along the digestive system into the abdomen. By further branching, you can reduce stress with the help of activating the vagus nerve, among other things. Exciting, isn’t it?
Ideally, your fasciae are healthy and elastic enough to move, slide, twist, and bend painlessly. But sometimes fasciae are not completely healthy, but “sticky”.
What are sticky fasciae?
In a healthy state, the fascia has the ability to stretch and move without restriction. When fasciae are hardened , they can no longer do their job 100 percent. Here one speaks of glued fasciae.
There are a few factors that can encourage the fasciae to stick together:
- frequent sitting
- bad posture
- Injuries after accidents or operations
- Dehydration
- Overuse or injury to muscles
- unhealthy eating habits
- poor quality of sleep
- Stress
How do I notice sticky fasciae?
Have you ever been massaged extensively? Then the person who kneaded you may have said something like “you’ve got a knot in there.” Such lumps can be a sign of glued fasciae. Because as soon as the fibers shorten, thicken or stick together, they exert pressure on the adjacent structures .
When that happens, more collagen fibers are formed to ease the strain. Unfortunately, this leads to a higher density of the hard fascia. You can feel this as a “lump” under your skin with your fingers .
Why can sticky fasciae lead to abdominal pain?
Since these fibers are found all over your body, a sticky fascia can become noticeable in any part of the body and be associated with various diseases – including myofascial pain syndrome or fibromyalgia.
In addition, sticky fasciae can cause a variety of pain, including back pain, headache, shoulder pain and abdominal pain . The abdominal fasciae are part of your abdominal region. If these fasciae stick together or harden and thus their mobility is restricted, they can also cause abdominal pain and other pain such as back pain.
Before you see the fasciae as the cause of your abdominal pain, however, you can shed light on other factors :
- Abdominal pain after eating
Do you have stomach ache after eating and don’t even know what the problem is? Maybe the food was too greasy or you ate too fast? You may also have an upset stomach after a large meal. - Stomach Pain from Stress
Your stomach pain may be caused by stress. - Psychosomatic abdominal pain
In some abdominal pain, the cause lies in the psyche, so-called psychosomatic abdominal pain.
And those are just three other causes that can be behind your stomach ache. You can find out more about your stomach and stomach in our stomach pain section.
If you are in pain, it is always good to have it checked medically . Because some serious illnesses also express themselves with abdominal pain. If these occur regularly and you have gas, changes in your bowel movements, and are often sick, you may have what is known as irritable bowel syndrome.
If you are afraid of this, it is very important that you contact your family doctor to clarify this directly. You can find more information about this in our Irritable bowel section.
Exercises to loosen your fasciae in your stomach
Due to the increasing interest in fascia, there are always new offers to specifically train fascia or to treat sticky fascia, i.e. to loosen fascia. But since the proof of effectiveness is still pending, there is also the risk of getting to dubious providers .
Therefore, if you feel that your fasciae are not working properly, it is recommended that you contact your doctor first . Here it can be clarified whether your symptoms such as abdominal pain indicate another disease and whether you can safely do fascia training to loosen the fascia in the abdomen.
Which exercises solve my fasciae on the stomach?
If your doctor agrees, you can try fascia training to relieve your abdominal pain.
When you tense your muscles, you also tense the surrounding fascia. In other words, as soon as you train your muscles, you automatically train the respective fascia. But be careful not to overdo it. The balance between tensing and relaxing is very important here.
You can start by trying simple exercises for yourself first . This is how you can determine whether the fascia training is helping you. Once you start doing these exercises, don’t overdo it. At the beginning it is sufficient if you train ten minutes each time twice a week. So your body can get used to it.
Fascia roll and massage ball
There are some devices specially designed for training the fascia. The best known is the so-called fascia roll . This foam roller is supposed to stimulate your fascia and loosen adhesions. The fascia roll is available in different strengths. Please buy the role from a specialist shop and let us advise you which strengths and sizes are best for you.
Instead of the fascia roll, you can also get a massage ball especially for fascia . The advantage: The ball is so small that you can use it for very specific points. You can also try a tennis ball for a start. It is softer than a special ball for fascia training. However, this will help you get used to the punctual pressure that you are exerting on your tissue.
Beware of sore muscles: Even if the application seems relatively easy, you may feel pain like sore muscles after the first few applications. After all, the training is still relatively unfamiliar and you shouldn’t overdo it, but increase slowly.
Fascia Yoga
The positive effects of yoga on health have been proven by many studies . So it’s not really surprising that some of the yoga directions are ideal for keeping your fasciae flexible.
Yoga especially for the fascia has evolved from Yin Yoga . Yin yoga focuses on stretching and feeling within yourself. So that the fasciae are specifically addressed, the yoga poses are not held for so long, but the body is kept in motion. Therefore, active stretching, twisting and moving are very important. This is how the fascia in the body are stimulated.
In addition, you do not have to perform the individual exercises exactly, but small variations are quite positive for your fascia. This yoga is also a little more strenuous and, due to the many movements, not so well suited to relaxation.
Die Asanas
There are some classic asanas, i.e. exercises that are used in fascia yoga. We present three of them to you here:
THE FORWARD BEND
Manual:
Exhale and step between your hands first with one foot, then with the other. Bend deep here as you exhale. If you want, you can grab your elbows and rock back and forth a bit. Stay here for a few breaths. Important: When you come back up, do it with your inhalation, vertebra by vertebra, with your back straight. The head rises at the end.
THE COBRA
Here you stretch your upper body while your lower body remains on the mat. This stretch affects your stomach and back. You also benefit psychologically from this asana, because you feel open and almost liberated.
Manual:
- Lie on your stomach on your mat, your legs straight, the back of your feet on the mat.
- Place your palms on the mat at shoulder level.
- The next time you exhale, pull your belly button towards the center of your body.
- As you inhale, slowly raise your head and straighten your arms.
- You stand on your straight arms and hold the position for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly sink back onto the mat and relax
CAT AND COW
In this asana, the back of a cat and a slight hollow back alternate. In this way, your stomach and the fasciae are alternately stretched and compressed.
Manual:
- Get into the quadruped position. The hands are under the shoulders, the knees under the hips, the arms are straight. As you inhale, you begin to put your head back and let your back fall into a slightly hollow back. Push the chest up. (That’s the shape of the cow.)
- As you exhale, lower your head, gaze towards the navel, and round your back. Pull your belly button towards your spine. (Now you are in the shape of the cat.)
- Inhale and push yourself back into the cow. Repeat this sequence about ten times. Breathing is essential, it should be deep and calm and guide the movement. This also means that the cat / cow exercise should be performed slowly and without jerky movements.
You can find even more yoga exercises in our yoga section, such as the article These 5 exercises help your bowels.
Attending a course is particularly worthwhile for beginners with little experience in yoga and fascia training . There are now many physiotherapists who integrate yoga elements and fascia training into their applications.
When you are in pain, avoid anything that makes it worse. Therefore, if something hurts or you feel uncomfortable, stop doing the exercises and try something else. Talk to your doctor about this and try to find exercises together that you can do that will help you.
How can I do good to my fascia in everyday life?
Even if you don’t feel any direct pain, you can internalize a few tips for everyday life to keep your fasciae healthy and to make their work easier:
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- Drink enough
Your fasciae need fluids and especially water to stay supple. And not only that, because your body and psyche also suffer if you drink too little. - Get up again and again
Even if you have to sit a lot, you can always get up in between, move or change your sitting position regularly. Because this regular exercise helps you to train your fasciae. Learn from your cat! Regular stretching supports your fasciae. It doesn’t always have to be the complete stretching program. Even regular stretching and lolling can ensure that your fasciae are working well. - Rest of
stress you hurt and it is therefore important to give yourself enough relaxation. For example, your fascia will love it if you regularly take a warm bath. - Sleep well
Sleep your whole body recovers, so good and adequate punch is actually important. Good sleep means that you can sleep long enough and deeply. Of course, we also have some tips for a good night’s sleep. - Eat
a balanced diet A balanced diet is fundamental to your health. This also benefits your fasciae. Our nutrition section provides you with inspiration.
- Drink enough
You will be able to integrate some into your everyday life without much effort. As with many things, balance and your own feelings are also important here. Listen to your own body feeling and try to orient yourself to it.
Loosening fascia in the abdomen: These exercises will help
Fascia are almost the glue that holds your body together. The connective tissue should be elastic to do its job. Since fasciae not only consist of collagen and water, but also have some nerve endings here, fasciae can play a role in some pain in the body.
In recent years, these considerations have given rise to a multitude of methods for training or even treating fascia. But as long as the effect has not been proven by studies , we see fascia training only as an accompanying method to physiotherapy or as a way to train at home.
However, you should only tackle this if your doctor gives you the green light. Because if you actually suffer from abdominal pain, you should first clarify what causes it. Because abdominal pain is a symptom that can indicate many causes as well as diseases .
Did you know that the well-known tip of cola and pretzel sticks for stomach ache is absolute nonsense? It is better if you rely on tea for abdominal pain or other home remedies for abdominal pain.