In my last post I discussed distinguishing the wood from the trees and vice versa - how the horse's body is made up of individual parts (bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, etc.) working seamlessly together to form one composite machine (hopefully!). One of the most important pieces of this intricate puzzle is fascia - an incredible part of the anatomy which helps the body to act as one homogenous unit. During lockdown I was lucky enough to learn of a series of webinars with various professionals and experts, hosted by Wendy Murdoch of Surefoot Equine; these can all be found on her YouTube channel and are well worth a watch! Webinar Number 32 hosted Martina Niedhart DVM and her presentation of "Fascinating Fascia" and - wow! Just wow! So this post is about what I already knew about fascia, but more importantly what I've learned. Enjoy!
What exactly is Fascia?
Fascia is a three-dimensional system of stretchy, opaque fibres which runs throughout the entire body in an uninterrupted web of connective tissue, permeating every muscle, bone and organ. Below is an image of the distinct lines which fascia follows through the body (myo meaning 'of or related to' muscle), as confirmed by Elbrond and Schultz in their 2015 study. There is not a little similarity between these and the Chinese Meridian lines.
Fascia is made up of collagen (giving it strength), elastin (for elasticity) and a gel complex which fills cavities between muscle fibres and allows them to slide over each other with minimal friction. Unlike muscles, fascia has no true sites of insertion or origin, although it is widely agreed that all fascia begins at the hooves.
In the above picture, you can clearly see the fascia between two lines of fat in this steak as it is pulled apart. Look closely and you can see blood vessels travelling through the gossamer-like tissue.
Fascia can be divided into distinct types...
Subcutaneous: further divided into...
Superficial: more elastic than other kinds of fascia, this separates muscle from the skin and underlying structures. It provides a pathway for lymph, nerves and blood vessels to enter the muscles. It also reduces heat loss from tissues by creating an insulating layer. Superficial fascia further protects muscles by absorbing any compressive forces and mechanical stresses.
Deep: a dense, irregular tissue that penetrates, surrounds and binds muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, nerves, bones and blood vessels. Whilst more rigid than superficial fascia it holds more nerve endings.
Subserous: found particularly in the body's cavities (such as the ribcage and pelvis) and protects vital organs by essentially suspending them within the bony structures.
What is Fascia for?
Fascia is strong, resilient and EVERYWHERE! It is even present in the ova during pregnancy, surrounding the single cell and acting as a nervous system! We have already discussed how fascia acts as a shock absorber, but it has many other functions...
Tension sensor - fascia sends proprioceptive information to the central nervous system when it is stimulated by microcurrents created by the body.
Water storage - fascia is a highly hydrated structure and can store great quantities of the body's water.
Communication - fascia conveys bioelectric signals between every part of the body along the fascial lines. In fact, fascia is embedded with autonomic ganglia, and contains 90% of all free nerve endings, helping it relay information on proprioception, heat, pain, etc. It is three times faster than nerves, transmitting information at the speed of sound!
Muscle synchronisation - Muscles work together, not independently, and fascia is an important communicator between individuals and groups, ensuring that they work perfectly together. This applies to postural muscles as well as those involved in movement.
Fascia also helps strengthen the structure of individual bones by feeding them information as to where tension acts. The bone then responds by altering its matrix accordingly. For example if you were to wear nothing on your feet but high heels for two weeks, your fascia would inform your skeleton of where the highest levels of tension were being experienced, and your leg bones would alter to ensure that the tension could be safely accommodated and the rest of the body supported.
What happens when things go wrong?
If injured, dehydrated or under continuous stress, the gel complex of fascia becomes hard and glue-like, creating hard and unyielding tissue. Similarly, any scar tissue present will also interfere with the way fascia moves, since by it's very nature it is 'unorganised' fascia and therefore not highly elastic. When under sustained and continuous tension, fascia suffers what is known as a 'bastardised' input into the neural system: this in turn corrupts neurological input to the brain.
Left untreated, restricted fascia will sooner or later have a negative influence on the way a horse moves: decreased flexibility and elasticity creates irregular movements and subsequent compensatory issues. Decreased blood flow and inefficient muscle usage will cause a build-up of toxins and waste products within tissues, leading to fatigue, discomfort and possibly conditions such as tying-up.
All of this will lead to increases in pain, tension, discomfort and behavioural problems. This will be in conjunction with losses in strength, endurance, flexion, co-ordination and range of motion; all requisites of good performance and training. Due to the remarkable interconnectivity of the fascial system, even structures remote from the original source of injury can be affected: as one portion is contracted, greater tension is felt eleswhere in the system.
Common causes of fascial restrictions include...
Direct injury or trauma - even emotional trauma can affect fascia.
Repetitive, intense training.
Ill-fitting tack.
Poor nutrition and hydration.
Post-surgery.
Poor riding and compensatory movements/positions adopted by both horse and rider.
Myofascial Release
The aim of myofascial release treatment is to restore motion, eliminate pain and increase circulation, lymph flow and levels of oxygen in the blood. The release of tense fascia removes harmful restrictions and also releases endorphins into the body, as well as seratonin (which we all know to be the 'Happy Chemical'!).
Whereas deep tissue massage involves steady, regular movements, myofascial release places sustained pressure to the knots at the centre of the restrictions (known as trigger points). This triggers a healing process within the fascia, releasing the pressure in that area and draining the build up of toxins.
Key points on Fascia...
Fascia is effervescent in the horse, and there are distinct lines which can be traced throughout the body.
It is responsible for the conduction, enhancement and storage of forces such as movement and nerve impulses, but also emotional traumas.
It permeates muscles, organs, ligaments, tendons and bones - it can even influence bone matrix.
It can relay signals at the speed of sound - three times faster than nerves! - unless it is inhibited by restrictions.
Any restrictions felt in one place are unlikely to be an isolated issue.
References/Further Reading
'Myofascia - the unexplored tissue: Myofascial kinetic lines in horses, a model for describing locomotion using comparative dissection studies derived from human lines.' Elbrond and Schultz, 2015. Link can be found on www.fasciaguide.com/research/fascia-in-horses.
'SUREFOOT Equine, stability program. Webinars for horse people hosted by Wendy Murdoch. No32 "Fascinating Fascia."' published YouTube 5th May 2020.
The myofascial lines image is an original drawing by the author, based on information from the above sources.
Jess Eyres
J Eyres Equine Physiotherapy
September 2020
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