Pain in the Fascia: What’s Really Going On?
I hope this ongoing blog will help you clarify some theory and terminology around fascia work. Shortened information on social media can be misleading and purpose of this blog it to bring wider explanation and quote existing research on the topic. Hope you Enjoy!
Anastasia | Therapist & Founder at FASCIA MASSAGE
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I would like to mention research i had to study in my myofascial release course. That’s because recently I keep noticing how easily we describe pain as simply “tight fascia or muscles, or both”. Fascia as topic became popular and now a lot of our issues seems to be assigned to it.
Of course, muscles or fascia can be tight. Muscles can be tired, overworked, weak, strained or irritated. But the more I study fascia and the more I work with people in the treatment room, the more I feel that pain and stiffness are often layered in ways that go beyond that.
Sometimes what we call “tightness” is not only about a muscle needing to be stretched. It may also be about how the tissues glide / slide, how the body has adapted to stress or repetition, how the nervous system is responding, and how much recovery the body has had.
Fascia massage is also about listening to your body.
What fascia helps us understand
Fascia is connective tissue that runs throughout the body. It surrounds and supports muscles, bones, joints, nerves, blood vessels and organs. It is not separate from movement. It is part of how movement is organised.
I find fascia fascinating because it invites us to see the body less as a collection of separate parts and more as a connected fabric.
This is why an area of discomfort is not always the whole story. A shoulder may be sore, but the pattern might also involve the ribs, neck, jaw, breath or posture. A hip may feel restricted, but the lower back, glutes, feet or training habits may all be part of the picture.
(it usually takes more then one session)
This does not mean everything is caused by fascia. Pain is never that simple. But fascia offers another way to understand why the body can feel stiff, stuck, or sensitive.
At Fascia Massage Wimbledon, I am not only thinking: “Which muscle hurts?”
I am also asking: How does this area move? What feels guarded? Where does the body seem to be protecting? What kind of touch helps the system settle rather than brace more?
Unpopular opinion: Myofascial bodywork isn’t for everyone… You either love it or hate it.
Densification and fibrosis: two different fascial changes
One of the studies I found especially useful is "Painful Connections: Densification Versus Fibrosis of Fascia" by Pavan, Stecco, Stern, and Stecco.
What I like about this paper is that it makes an important distinction. It explains that fascial changes are often described in general terms, but not all fascial restrictions are the same.
The authors describe two different ideas: densification and fibrosis.
Fibrosis is more structural. It is closer to scarring or thickening in the tissue. It can happen after trauma, surgery, inflammation, ageing or some health conditions. Fibrosis may be more difficult to change because the collagen structure itself has altered.
Densification is different. It refers more to changes in the loose connective tissue between fascial layers. In simple language, it may affect the ability of those layers to slide and glide over each other.
This difference matters because not all stiffness means damage. Not all tightness means something is “wrong” or permanently shortened. Some fascial changes may be more about glide, viscosity, sensitivity and movement quality.
For me, this is a hopeful idea.
It means that some sensations of restriction may be changeable. Not by forcing the body, but by working with it carefully through movement, pressure, warmth, hydration, rest and skilled manual therapy.
The importance of glide
Deep fascia is not just one flat sheet. It has layers. Between those layers there is loose connective tissue, and one of the substances found there is hyaluronan, also known as hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronan helps tissue layers glide.
I think of this less as a mechanical “oil” and more as part of the body’s internal sliding environment. When the layers of fascia move well, movement can feel smoother and easier. When the sliding quality changes, an area may feel more dense, sticky, stiff or restricted.
This does not mean that massage is “breaking adhesions” in a dramatic way. I think that language can be too aggressive and too simplistic.
What may be happening is more subtle.
With slow myofascial release, warmth, pressure, and gentle movement, the tissue and nervous system may have a chance to respond. The body may begin to soften its guarding. The layers may move a little more freely. The person may feel more connected to an area that previously felt blocked or absent.
This is one of the reasons I love myofascial work. It is bodywork and also body-meditation. Sometimes the most useful changes happen when the body feels safe enough to stop defending or when it is being listened to.
Why pain is not always where the problem begins
In clinical sports massage and fascia massage, we always look at the main problem area and related areas. For example, if you have tight traps we will also look at the shoulder movement, chest and back. Working slowly and more specific with related areas helps to get better results.
In addition, sports massage is not only for athletes. Clinical sports massage can be useful for runners and gym-goers, but also for people who sit a lot, carry stress in their shoulders, work on their feet, or feel generally restricted in their body.
The word “sports” can make the treatment sound more intense than it needs to be. But really, it is about understanding soft tissue, movement and recovery in a practical way.
Sometimes the body needs specific work into overloaded muscles. Sometimes it needs slower myofascial release. Sometimes it needs movement advice. Sometimes it needs rest.
Most of the time, it needs a mixture.
Self myofascial release
Why stretching does not always solve tightness
A lot of people stretch regularly and still feel tight.
This can be frustrating. It can make you feel as if your body is stubborn or not improving. But if the sensation of tightness is not only coming from a short muscle, stretching harder may not change the deeper pattern.
Tightness can come from protection. It can come from fatigue. It can come from repetitive load. It can come from the nervous system being on alert. It can come from tissues not gliding well. It can come from a lack of strength, or from doing too much too soon.
This is why I often prefer to ask: what is this tightness trying to do?
Is the body protecting an area?
Is it asking for recovery?
Is it compensating for weakness somewhere else?
Is it responding to stress?
Is it simply under-moved or overloaded?
When we ask better questions, the treatment becomes more useful.
How myofascial release may help
Myofascial release is usually slower than a general massage. It often involves sustained pressure, gentle stretching, waiting and listening through the hands.
The aim is not to force the tissue to give up. The aim is to create conditions where the body can soften, reorganise and feel more able to move.
In my treatments, I may combine myofascial release with remedial massage and clinical sports massage. The session depends on the person in front of me. Some bodies need more specific pressure. Some need a slower approach. Some need to feel grounded before deeper work is helpful.
This is also why I do not see myofascial release as separate from the nervous system. Fascia has sensory nerve endings, and the way we touch the body matters. Pressure, pace and presence all affect how the person receives the work.
A treatment can be technically correct but still feel too much for the body. For me, good bodywork is not about doing the strongest technique. It is about finding the right conversation with the tissue.
When to book myofascial release
Myofascial release may be helpful if you feel generally stiff, restricted, heavy, tight or disconnected from your body. It may also be useful if you have tried stretching or strong massage but the same patterns keep returning.
Clinical sports massage may be more suitable if you want focused work for training, recovery, postural tension or muscular overload.
Often, the best approach is a blend of both.
At Fascia Massage Wimbledon, I use myofascial release, remedial massage and clinical sports massage depending on what your body needs on the day.
The aim is not to chase pain or force change.
The aim is to listen more carefully, work with the body’s own responses, and support better movement, softness and awareness over time.
Book myofascial release in Wimbledon
If your body feels heavy, sore or restricted, you are welcome to book a myofascial release session in Wimbledon.
You do not need to know exactly what is causing the discomfort before you come in. We can look at the potential patterns together and choose the approach that feels most useful for your body.
Sometimes pain is not just a problem to get rid of.
Sometimes it is information.
And when we listen to it with patience, the body often begins to show us what it needs.