The fascia is one body part that has been receiving attention recently—and for good reason.

This connective tissue serves a myriad of functions in the body. It separates, connects, protects, and provides structure to all parts of the body, from the cellular to the organ level. It helps your brain communicate with your muscles, stores energy, and even helps regulate your temperature. 

Given how involved the fascia is in our physiology, unhealthy fascia can quickly become a source of dysfunction. Any impairment in the fascia, when left unaddressed, often manifests in pain.

If you suffer from unexplainable pain, there’s a good chance your fascia is to blame. In this case, fascial training can bring you significant relief.

In this article, I’ll explain what fascial training is and the different ways in which it eliminates pain.

What is Fascial Training?

There’s no one agreed-upon definition of fascial training in the fitness world. But essentially, it is a movement practice focused on improving the health of the fascia.

Healthy fascia is supple—able to rebound from force applied to it. Under a microscope, its collagen fibers must appear wavy. Fascia in good shape must be able to glide smoothly, thanks to the right concentration of hyaluronic acid between fascial layers.

Many practitioners tout the maxim that ‘movement is medicine.’ But in my experience, not all movement is medicine to the fascia. Prolonged static stretching, repetitive movements, and muscle isolation are some common fitness practices that have led my patients and students’ fascia to deteriorate over time.

What actually helps the fascia are plyometric exercises and sensory play. Bouncing and jumping movements increase the fascia’s recoil capacity. Meanwhile, stimulating our balance and touch activates the abundant sensory receptors in the fascia. I have also found the fascia to respond best to eccentric loading.

How Does Fascial Training Reduce Pain?

1. Elimination of Fascial Densification or Fascial Knots

Fascial densification is the result of excess hyaluronic acid (HA) build-up between the fascial layers. Too much HA has the unwanted effect of viscosity, which causes the fascia to stick together and hamper its glide. It can be caused by a sedentary lifestyle, inflammation, or pH and temperature changes.

Fascial densification leads to pain in two ways. First, the adhesion of fascia causes tension in the musculoskeletal system. Second, it activates nociceptors—the nerve endings that initiate the sensation of pain.

Thankfully, densification is reversible with fascial training. The right exercises encourage the turnover of hyaluronic acid, reducing the stickiness between the fascial layers. 

2. Modulation of Pain Signals

The fascia is estimated to contain 250 million nerve endings, making it the richest sensory organ in the body. Among those nerve endings are sensory receptors for temperature, proprioception, and pain.

Researchers have recently discovered that inflamed fascia has an increased density of nociceptors compared to normal samples. They also found that inflammation in the fascia can alter how the spinal cord processes pain signals. 

Since nociceptors alert our nervous system about physiological threats, they may be reacting to the inflammatory proteins that the fibroblasts emit when the fascia is under strain. 

These findings explain why patients with some type of fascial dysfunction will also often report chronic pain. 

In these cases, traditional pain relief methods like pain medication often prove ineffective. A good fascial training program, on the other hand, will go a long way toward reducing inflammation and normalizing nociception.

3. Sensorimotor Integration

Sensorimotor integration is the process by which the nervous system organizes information from your sensory organs to correctly direct an action. It’s crucial to voluntary movement. Good sensorimotor integration is what enables you to learn how to ride a bike or play an instrument. 

Interestingly, many researchers have noticed that individuals with chronic pain have poor sensorimotor integration compared to people without. It turns out that the regions of the brain responsible for sensory and motor functions also have a hand in pain processing.

We’ve yet to figure out exactly how the sensory and motor systems are involved. But, scientists have found evidence that improving sensorimotor integration dampens pain.

An effective fascia-based program will stimulate your senses and challenge your motor skills, thereby helping lessen your pain.

The Best Fascial Training Program for Alleviating Pain

Early on in my clinical work, it became apparent that my patients needed to be doing corrective exercises on their own for my work to have a lasting effect. That’s when I developed Rev6, a fascia and neuro-based exercise system.

Each workout employs plyometrics, eccentric movement, and sensory stimulation to remodel your fascia. All Rev6 exercises also have an element of instability, which engages your nervous system and helps you get the most out of your workout.

Everyone who has practiced Rev6 will testify to its potency in eliminating pain. But don’t just take it from me or the thousands of Rev6 practitioners worldwide. Start your 7-day free trial today, enjoy our live-stream and on-demand classes, and see how they ease your pain!