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Fascinating Fascia and Reflexology: It's all in the feet...and hands...and everywhere!

redbushtherapies

You may have come across the term "fascia" and wondered "what is that?!"

Fascia is a system that “surrounds, interweaves between, and interpenetrates all organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibres, endowing the body with a functional structure, and providing an environment that enables all body systems to operate in an integrated manner.”

Basically, it is a lattice-like system that transmits information throughout the entire body and unites every other system of the body.

This has far reaching implications because when we work with this network we are able to influence how we feel physically and also feel on an emotional and energetic level. We can explore the relationship between mind, body and spirit by manipulating this network.

Our fascial network unites all the systems of the body, performing the following functions:

  • Spacer and placeholder

  • Biomechanical regulator

  • Balances and coordinates movement

  • Conducts electricity, or piezoelectricity, generated by pressure (it is thought that this explains Prana or Qi in Eastern traditions)

Learning about fascia and what it does explains why, if we are stationary for a period of time, we can feel stuck and stiff in the position we have been holding - for example, if we've been sitting in the car for a while, when we get out it takes a few moments to feel comfortable again once we've moved about a bit. The fascial net is constantly in motion, like a living jungle of branches and vines weaving together in synergy, creating support and transferring information.


The repetitive habits and movements and a more stationary lifestyle of modern living create opportunities for our fascia to lay down fibres in areas of the body that need extra support. This is not always a good thing! For example, if someone sits hunched over a desk for hours with their head protruding forward to focus on a screen, often thick bands of fascia will form around the muscles of the back of the neck and upper back - over time, this extra support becomes harder and less pliable, known as an adhesion, creating a hunched back and structural misalignments throughout the body and all of the systems.


Here is a simple exercise to help you notice the change in physical and emotional states when alignment is corrected:

Stand straight, take a deep breath in, and on the breath out allow the shoulders to drop away from the ears and bring the shoulder blades together back and down. It may be helpful to scrunch the shoulders up on the in breath, and then release them to notice the tension melt away. Do this a couple of times.

Then, keeping your head straight, bring your chin straight back towards the chest, keeping it parallel to the floor (rather than dropping it down). You may notice an opening in the chest, a softening of the jaw, and a release in the throat, neck and shoulders. How does this make you feel?! Calmer? Happier? Clearer? You may not feel much at all if your alignment is good, but if, like many of us, your chin needed pulling back a fair way, you will feel remarkably better, because our fascial net connects not just our musculo-skeletal systems, but also our nervous system. Through this system there is a series of electrical neurological impulses that travel between the brain and the body, a system of feedback and delivery. If we maintain hunched up tight neck and shoulders, straining our eyes and clenching our jaw, this is going to send the message that we are in constant heightened alert mode, stress, which is only going to be exhausting on the nervous system. No wonder there is a pandemic of mental health issues! This doesn't just relate to the neck and shoulders - this stands true for any part of the body, internal and external, where the fascia has laid down extra support fibres due to inactivity and repetitive movements, causing adhesions.


So, how does this all relate to Reflexology?!


In the feet and hands, the fascia is thicker and inter-laced to allow for grip and balance. We move our hands about much more than we do our feet, if you think about it. We experience hand pain due to repetitive use, gripping, constant vibrations, and holding positions for a long time. We generally do not allow the feet to be their natural shape and to give us the support by wearing tight fitting shoes, pointy shoes, high-heels, heavy boots, generic moulded insoles and standing or sitting all day. Fascia builds in extra support to counteract the strain put on the feet. This will create adhesions pushing the feet out of their natural shape, which has a knock-on effect on all the systems of the body (remember, fascia, or connective tissue, connects everything to everything else!) It can also be looked at the other way - to quote the physiotherapist, Ida Rolf:


"The general belief in reflexology is that each part of the body is interconnected through the nervous system to the hands and feet. Stimulating specific reflex points in the feet is believed to be able to bring relieve to poorly functioning areas of the body. However, there is no evidence of such connections between certain parts of the feet and hands and the various organs in the body.

According to Dr. Ida Rolf in “Rolfing and Physical Reality”: “The meridian points and reflex points in the feet are most likely end-points of myofascial strain, the result of imbalance which transmits its difficulty in compensating pattern through the body to the surface. Fascial planes may be the route of mechanical transmission of pain.” She also mentioned “Foot reflexes are peaks of strains. They are nothing mystical; they are where strain goes in the foot. If you are relieving strain above the reflex points (for example in the ankle and shin) you will relieve those points of strain in the sole of the foot. When a weight goes down and dies in some place, it becomes a reflex point.” And “I think that many if not all reflex points in the foot are simply points where gravitational strain inserts and comes together. They are the end of the line we call balance”


So, when these adhesions become tighter, there is no space for the circulation of blood and lymph, which move oxygen through the body and toxins out, piezoelectrical impulses are compromised, putting the nervous system in to a constant stress response, causing imbalance on physical, emotional and energetic levels.


The deep work we do during a Reflexology treatment helps to break through these fascial adhesions, creates a better flow of circulation, and works to maintain the natural shape of the foot by stretching and loosening muscles in the feet and legs. This, in turn, will have a healing and balancing effect on all the systems of the body. That is why after a reflexology session, you may feel more tired as the body works to clear through the stagnation of fluids carrying toxins to be excreted.

You will also feel calmer, clearer, more focused, less anxious, experience better sleep and pain will be decreased - these are just a few of the positive outcomes of a Reflexology session!



Other ways to keep the feet active and prevent the connective tissues becoming fused are:


  • Get rid of those tight, pointy shoes! A study was done a while back, measuring the size of shoes people were wearing and their actual foot size - more than 80% were wearing shoes a size, or sizes, too small for them! Have your feet measured properly and adjust your foot wear accordingly.


  • Wear barefoot shoes, or walk barefoot as much as possible. I know this is not easy in this country because there are only about 3 days a year where it's warm enough to walk around with no shoes on all day! Just walking about in your home or even standing barefoot for a few minutes a day will have a positive impact, however.


  • Stand barefoot and spread your toes, trying to put each toe down individually. Yes, this is possible! Yoga practitioners often have good balance because they do this at the beginning of a standing practice to connect their feet to the ground. It just takes patience and practice. Start with the little toe and work inwards. Even visualising with intention the toes separating on their own will help to widen the foot, helping with balance, softening bunions, strengthening the arch and easing pain.


  • Spread the toes passively - place your fingers in between the toes and rotate the foot at the ankle in both directions and few times, slowly and gently.


  • Use a spiky ball or foot roller on the soles of your feet and a squeezy ball to exercise the hands.


  • Have a bath in Epsom salts, or soak your feet to help relieve tight muscles and increase circulation.


  • Be aware of any tension you may be subconsciously holding in your feet - are you curling your toes under or walking with no movement in the ankle?! Performing a mental body scan from the crown of the head to the tips of the toes will highlight where you are holding tension so that you can consciously release that part, promoting relaxation.


  • Practice Yin yoga - using passive stretches and long holds in a position, this style of yoga releases fascial adhesions throughout the body, creating space for energy to flow, good health and wellbeing.


  • Keep active and stretch regularly.





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