Fascia is the connective tissue of the body. It is like an internal super web which captures every bodily cell giving the body its shape and functionality. It is three dimensional surrounding, supporting, separating and protecting cells. It enables communication between cells allowing for their correct metabolism.

The fascia consists of three layers

• Superficial - just under the skin
• Deep – surrounding muscles, blood vessels and organs
• Dura – surrounding the brain and spinal cord

It is made up of components that together provide flexibility and resilience, shape, support, strength and stability and the functional capabilities of every cell. The fascia is piezoelectric meaning the fascia has the ability to conduct electrical energy when compressed and stretched.

“When an athlete is working at peak performance levels, there actually exists a very small margin of safety (or error) for structures such as tendons and ligaments …. It is actually very easy to experience an injury when in good shape. The performer is always right on the edge of exceeding the tissues ability”

“Injury can occur as one major event or as micro trauma over time. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine this micro trauma is taking place…… because they are undetected initially, a cycle of inflammation, edema, weakening and scar formation takes place and by the time the problem is noted, we are often faced with additional recovery time and or difficulty in recovery.”

Ruth Mitchell- Golladay PT,MT,NCTMB - Facilitated Healing Through Myofascial Release Putting the Pieces Together for Horse and Rider.

If fascia undergoes micro trauma becomes torn twisted or too rigid, due to the horses age, overdevelopment of muscle, nervous tension, injury, overuse, cooling down too rapidly, incorrect shoeing, overstretching, poor nutrition, poor saddle or numnah fit, dental problems, bad footing during work, incorrect or rushed training, an unbalanced rider, systemic illness, fatigue or conformational defects it may alter the stretch of the muscle. Due to the scar tissue build up with its misaligned fibres the fascia will trap nerves within it both sensory and motor affecting their normal firing function and sensation. The result can be muscle incoordination along the myokinetic chain thus causing abnormal biomechanics, eventual abnormal muscle compensation and pain.

Maintenance of normal fascial physiological elasticity becomes therefore essential for proper neurological function. With myofascia release the Equine Body Worker is enabling the cells to talk chemically through the three layers of fascia and in doing this histological change in the tissue occurs, the disposition of collagen fibres can occur in a more appropriate aligned fashion following injury and form and function are restored to normal enabling the body’s cellular functionality to become back in balance.

The myofascia techniques work in the Equine Body Workers toolkit for supporting the musculoskeletal systems of the horse.

Dawn Clow is qualified and experienced in the use of myofascia release techniques and incorporates them with her Equine Body Work sessions she is working towards becoming Equinology Specialized Equine Body Worker® Myofascial Release Series (ESEBWmfr) in 2012.

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