Fascia, also known as muscle skin, is found throughout the human body. It is a fibrous, collagen-rich tissue that can cause pain in various parts of the body, such as the neck, back or abdomen, when it hardens.
What is the muscle skin?
The name fascia comes from the Latin word fascia, which means band or bundle. In addition to fibrous connective tissue, planar connective tissue structures are also part of the muscle skin. A distinction is made between three groups of fasciae: Superficial fascia, deep fascia and visceral fascia.
- Superficial fasciae are part of the subcutaneous tissue. They connect organs and tissues and envelop blood vessels, nerves and glands.
- Visceral fascia provide suspension and protection of internal organs. Important organs have their own fascial tissue, such as the meninges for the brain, the pericardium on the heart or the pleura of the lungs.
- Deep fascia surrounds individual muscles and muscle groups, as well as bones and joints. Colloquially, fascia is also called connective tissue.
Depending on the position and associated task of the fasciae, they have different degrees of elasticity. For example, the deep and visceral fascia are less stretchable than the superficial fascia. On the other hand, the deep fasciae are very resilient to tensile forces due to a high collagen content that is tightly woven.
Anatomy and structure
Fascia is distributed throughout the body like a network, connecting and wrapping around muscles, organs, bones, blood vessels and tendons. Superficial fascia, also called fascia superficialis or body fascia, lie beneath the skin, while visceral and deep fascia, also called fascia profunda, run throughout the human body. They consist of a connective tissue structure whose essential components are elastin, collagen and water. They are traversed by lymphatic channels through which lymphatic fluid is transported. Fasciae envelop individual muscles or groups of muscles. Muscles, which consist of many muscle fibers, are enveloped by the so-called epimysium. This in turn is enclosed by fascia. The thin, white fascia layer is a maximum of three millimeters thick and contains peripheral nerve endings. Through contained pain and sensory receptors, fascia reacts to pressure, vibration and temperature and can sense changes in movement and chemical environment. Fascia often forms the point of origin or attachment of muscles. When the body does not move enough, fascia can stick together, causing small tears in the fascia.
Function and structure
The importance of fascia has only been recognized in recent years. They are not just filling material of the body, but fasciae are involved in many important processes in the body. They have important functions for the stability, mobility and maintenance of the body. Fascia holds all organs in the place intended for them, although the high viscoelasticity of fascia allows the position to be varied within a certain range if necessary. This makes it possible, for example, to shift the organs during breathing or to adjust their position in case of pregnancy. Fascia gives muscles their shape, determines and maintains the position of muscles, provides strength and assists in muscle contraction. However, fascia can not only support the muscle in contraction, but also contract itself. In addition, fascia separates different muscles so that muscles that are close together do not affect each other’s function. At the same time, fasciae can transfer forces between different muscles and to the skeletal system, thus ensuring interaction and smooth movement of joints. Different cells of the body can communicate with each other through fasciae. They have a high ability to bind water and thus also serve as the body’s water reservoir. Especially the superficial fasciae can store fat and thus serve as an energy store. Fasciae have a buffer function and absorb shocks during movement. Ligaments that stabilize joints also consist of fascia tissue. They also form a protective layer against the penetration of foreign bodies and contain specific cells of the immune system.
Diseases and ailments
In young, healthy people, fasciae have high elasticity and mobility.This decreases with age or can be limited by lack of movement or injury. In the event of an accident, for example a sprain or broken bone, fasciae can become twisted or split. Pain and restricted movement are the result. Likewise, fascia can be injured during cuts or surgeries. Adhesive or hardened fascia can lead to joint pain, pain in the neck, shoulders and back, as well as abdominal pain or indefinable pain. Fascia is also involved in sports injuries such as the so-called tennis elbow. In such cases, the fasciae have lost their elasticity due to constant, excessive stress or too little movement and restrict the ability of affected muscles to move. As a result of poor posture, the fascia tissue can shift awkwardly and not perform its function as intended. In such cases, the lymph flow between muscle and fascia is disturbed, and sliding of the fascia is no longer possible, hence the term “fascia adhesion”. Through the lymph fluid, important for the body build-up and breakdown products are transported, which is hindered in the case of glued fascia and inhibits the transmission of force through the fascia. In addition to pain, numbness or restrictions in body mobility can occur. Fascia can swell with injury or strain, pinching nerves and also causing pain.
