3 ms·

This article and discussion is just packed with pseudoscience. Not what I was expecting at hackernews. What does "releasing the fascia" even mean? I'm an MD, I

This article and discussion is just packed with pseudoscience. Not what I was expecting at hackernews. What does "releasing the fascia" even mean? I'm an MD, I have performed a lot of dissections of and through fascias. It's absolutely interesting, there's A LOT we don't now. Let's not reduce the complexity to "releasing the fascia".

loceng 7y ago
I haven't read the article yet so unsure of the context where "releasing the fascia" is used, however at least in fitness related practices, it means relaxing the tension in it - whether by applying tension to it say with yin yoga postures where you support the muscles with bolsters, blocks, or are in positions that aren't engaging them - and where you maintain a somewhat uncomfortable stretch into fascial layers. So releasing a muscle that's tight would be a similar idea.
tomhoward 7y ago
> It's absolutely interesting, there's A LOT we don't [k]now Thanks for conceding that, as a mainstream medical professional. But maybe give people a break. Given that there's a lot we don't know, it's fair enough for laypeople to talk about it in fuzzy terms and use metaphors that make sense to them, until your profession has more detailed knowledge to share. As one of the many people who has suffered severe pain and debilitating illness for many years, which has not responded to conventional medical treatment but has responded in interesting ways to various practices that purport to address problems with the fascia, I appeal to you to dial down the know-all attitude and be part of a good-faith discussion from which we can all learn and benefit. EDIT: In response to your question “What does "releasing the fascia" even mean?”, this quote from a recent medical journal paper [1] may suggest an answer: There are some researchers who suggest strongly that any change in the viscoelasticity of the fascial system activates the nociceptors.3,12 The hyaluronic acid becomes adhesive and less lubricated, altering the lines of forces within the various fascial layers.3 This mechanism could be one of the causes of articular stiffness and pain in the morning.11 In fact, the stiffness experienced by some patients when they wake up in the morning could be related not with the joint but with the fascial system: if there is a minor quantity of hyaluronic acid or when it is not equally distributed, the tissue is dehydrated and has less possibility of sliding.3,11,12 So as I understand it, what people refer to as "releasing the fascia" describes a mechanism to detach adhesions that form between the fascia layers due to this reduced viscoelasticity. I claim no expertise on this topic and cannot vouch for the medical validity of this paper; I just learn what I can from the material available, and apply it to my own healing efforts where it may be applicable. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4173815/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4173815/
- fnord77 7y ago
  > Thanks for conceding that, as a mainstream medical professional. when my GF started med school, she was told "half of what we teach you here will be proven wrong" I don't think anyone in the medical profession actually thinks they know everything or that a lot is unknown.
  - tomhoward 7y ago
    No doubt! Given this, it'd be much better if my parent commenter had brought that kind of humility and a spirit of acceptance and constructiveness to the discussion.
    - bobowzki 7y ago
      Sorry if I sounded unnecessarily hard, that wasn't my intention. Another commenter mentioned that 50% of what we learn in med school is wrong, I'd say it's probably much higher than 50%.
carapace 7y ago
Right! Consider the slow transition from alchemy to chemistry. Experiments, carefully recorded details, and rigorous thinking, eh?

loceng 7y ago

I haven't read the article yet so unsure of the context where "releasing the fascia" is used, however at least in fitness related practices, it means relaxing the tension in it - whether by applying tension to it say with yin yoga postures where you support the muscles with bolsters, blocks, or are in positions that aren't engaging them - and where you maintain a somewhat uncomfortable stretch into fascial layers. So releasing a muscle that's tight would be a similar idea.

tomhoward 7y ago

> It's absolutely interesting, there's A LOT we don't [k]now Thanks for conceding that, as a mainstream medical professional. But maybe give people a break. Given that there's a lot we don't know, it's fair enough for laypeople to talk about it in fuzzy terms and use metaphors that make sense to them, until your profession has more detailed knowledge to share. As one of the many people who has suffered severe pain and debilitating illness for many years, which has not responded to conventional medical treatment but has responded in interesting ways to various practices that purport to address problems with the fascia, I appeal to you to dial down the know-all attitude and be part of a good-faith discussion from which we can all learn and benefit. EDIT: In response to your question “What does "releasing the fascia" even mean?”, this quote from a recent medical journal paper [1] may suggest an answer: There are some researchers who suggest strongly that any change in the viscoelasticity of the fascial system activates the nociceptors.3,12 The hyaluronic acid becomes adhesive and less lubricated, altering the lines of forces within the various fascial layers.3 This mechanism could be one of the causes of articular stiffness and pain in the morning.11 In fact, the stiffness experienced by some patients when they wake up in the morning could be related not with the joint but with the fascial system: if there is a minor quantity of hyaluronic acid or when it is not equally distributed, the tissue is dehydrated and has less possibility of sliding.3,11,12 So as I understand it, what people refer to as "releasing the fascia" describes a mechanism to detach adhesions that form between the fascia layers due to this reduced viscoelasticity. I claim no expertise on this topic and cannot vouch for the medical validity of this paper; I just learn what I can from the material available, and apply it to my own healing efforts where it may be applicable. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4173815/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4173815/

fnord77 7y ago
> Thanks for conceding that, as a mainstream medical professional. when my GF started med school, she was told "half of what we teach you here will be proven wrong" I don't think anyone in the medical profession actually thinks they know everything or that a lot is unknown.
- tomhoward 7y ago
  No doubt! Given this, it'd be much better if my parent commenter had brought that kind of humility and a spirit of acceptance and constructiveness to the discussion.
  - bobowzki 7y ago
    Sorry if I sounded unnecessarily hard, that wasn't my intention. Another commenter mentioned that 50% of what we learn in med school is wrong, I'd say it's probably much higher than 50%.

carapace 7y ago

Right! Consider the slow transition from alchemy to chemistry. Experiments, carefully recorded details, and rigorous thinking, eh?