What Fascia Has To Do With Old Injuries That Still Hurt

Written By Kai McCoy

Many of us have experienced lingering pain after an injury and just as many of us wonder: where does the pain end?

Well, the answer can lie in your fascia and it is often overlooked when finding the source of chronic pain.

WHAT IS FASCIA, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The fascia is a matrix of connective tissue that surrounds and supports every muscle, bone, and organ in your body.

It is a sheathe beneath the skin that holds these things together and allows you to move smoothly and functionally.

Although this is the case, fascia is sensitive and is prone to dysfunction after trauma.


OLD INJURIES LEAVE A MARK

 When you get injured, like a muscle tear, broken bone, etc. or simply overusing the muscle, it can cause the surrounding fascia to tighten and restrict the whole fascia chain, causing continuing problems.

So, even if the injury itself heals, the fascia is still in a restricted state, causing a butterfly effect of problems to continue. Because the fascia has a multitude of nerves, these restrictions can send nagging signals to the brain, which contribute to chronic discomfort that seems disconnected from the original injury.

This can look like:

  • Limited range of motion in the joints even after the injury has healed.

  • Chronic inflammation within the area of the injury

  • A pulling sensation or stiffness around joints


More severely, since fascia is a single continuous web, the damage doesn’t always stay localized to the original area.

Tight fascia in one area can pull on another, creating new pain patterns in seemingly unrelated parts of your body.


WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS

This is where myofascial deep tissue massage and trigger point work can help. According to a study performed in 2011 to assess the effectiveness of trigger point therapy and chronic shoulder pain, it was revealed that a miraculous 55% of clients saw their pain go from slightly improved to completely recovered from their old injury after 12 weeks. 

Myofascial and trigger point therapy can help restore the function of the fascia completely, encouraging natural fascial alignment and mobility to return after an injury. 


WHEN TO SEEK HELP

At this point you may be thinking, how do I know my old injury is the thing causing me to live in chronic pain? This is what you look out for:

  • Persistent tightness or stiffness that does not improve with rest or stretching

  • Recurring pain in the same area of the old injury

  • Limited range of motion (i.e not being able to turn your head or lift your arm fully)

  • Pain that shifts to other areas of your body

  • Tingling, numbness or sensitivity in the area

  • A feeling of being “stuck” in your body

  • FInding relief after a regular massage, but symptoms reappearing later

READY TO FINALLY HEAL?

If it feels like your body is holding onto an injury long after it occured and you have tried countless therapies and remedies with no avail, it is time for a deeper, hands on approach.

Ready to return to pain-free living? Dmitri at Pinnacle Therapeutics Massage has seen clients walk in with pain they’ve had for years, and walk out weeks later finally moving freely again.

Click here to book your appointment and leave your past injuries in the past.

Kai McCoy