11/11/2025
Fascia has been one of my passions for a long time now, which is why I have been more drawn to Yin yoga than any other style.
Fascia is fascinating. It isn’t just the inanimate shrink wrap that encapsulates all the important stuff – it is the important stuff! Fascia is alive and responsive; it responds to stress and even has an emotional memory.
This magical substance has more pain receptors that muscle and is almost as sensitive as our skin, which makes sense when 85% of back pain and 55% of neck pain is thought to be due to fascia restriction. Damaged fascia often contains more pain receptors than healthy fascia so it’s easy to see how lack of movement and pain can work together to make your problems even worse.
Many factors can contribute to restriction in our fascia including dehydration as fascia is 75% water and can easily become ‘sticky’ without the required water content. Repetitive movement, trauma and scar tissue can also cause shrinkage and movement restriction resulting in further compression of fascia nerves and fatigue.
So how can you help yourself if you have fascial pain. Fascia is weird stuff that sets in place when cold and still but becomes fluid and malleable when warm and mobile. It responds very well to heat and regular movement, both of which can improve pain significantly.
Acupuncture, foam rolling, stretching and anti-inflammatory diet can help hugely with fascia pain. Massage has been proven under ultrasound to rehydrate fascia, like wringing out a dirty sponge and watching it fill up with clean water again, so make sure you rehydrate with plenty of water once your massage is over – ‘drink plenty of water’ isn’t just a soundbite.
When you’re thinking of booking a massage, it’s important to appreciate that sometimes pain doesn’t even originate in the painful area, the originating trigger point can be anywhere in the body. Neck pain has been known to originate in the foot or calf muscle so it might be worth booking a full body massage to ensure you get the whole body healing experience.
It's also important to advise at this point that, if your pain is severe or chronic, you should always seek medical attention.
Hannah x
