Q&A: Keeping the Fascia Safe
I got this email from a newcomer to Block Therapy. I loved her question so much, I wanted to share it and my response to it, in hopes that it helps my readers understand Block Therapy a bit better as well!
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Hi!
I just found BT and am a bit confused. How come you are supposed to put much pressure (to pain level) to release the fascia? In other modalities you are always told the fascia is very sensitive and should be worked on very gently and softly.
Hope you have time to answer my question.
Sara
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Hi Sara,
Great question! You are absolutely correct that the fascia is sensitive and we should be gentle and careful with it. Many fascia release techniques cause harm to the tissue by being too aggressive. This is exactly why we designed the Block in the way that we did - to go as deeply as safely possible without harming the tissue. Any other tool would not be suited for this level of work. We work slowly and isometrically, never rubbing or scraping at the fascia.
In addition, our bodies have internal safety mechanisms, which are these pain sensors which alert us whenever a stressor is too much. Just like in exercise, it is not meant to be comfortable but we listen to our bodies and respect our limits.
We keep a deep diaphragmatic breath throughout each position, and if any position is too intense that we can no longer breathe in a relaxed way, we back off. Many describe the intensity as a "good pain," akin to a massage or deep stretch. This means we are not causing ourselves pain in injury, but bringing to the surface pain that has been "locked away," so to speak, in the adhesions that form.
I hope this is a clear enough answer to address your question. This is a complex but important topic, and I hope that I have at least begun to paint a clearer picture of our approach.
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If you, my readers, have any questions for me along these lines, or anything else that you are wondering about, you are more than welcome to reach out to me! Send your questions in to leah@holistictreehouse.com and I will be happy to receive them and respond as soon and as well as I can.
Happy healing,
Leah