Use Your Fascia to Heal

Hydrate and optimize your fascia system in order to heal the rest of your body. 

WHAT IT IS:
The fascia system is a biological fabric, a 3D fluid-based tension and compression management structure. There are many layers and different types of fascia tissue within this system, some more elastic, stretchable and responsive than others.

• The outer layer, the superficial fascia, surrounds the entire body like a superhero suit just under the skin.

• Multiple types and layers surround every bone, every muscle fiber and muscle group, every tendon, every ligament, every artery/vein/capillary, every nerve, every organ, even each eyeball.

• Cotton ball type layers permeate throughout the gut and brain.

Everything is connected.
You are a superhero through and through!
It is a ‘fascia’nating new-ish doorway into healing chronic conditions.

WHAT IT DOES:
This intricate web of connective tissue woven throughout affects our health and wellbeing.

• It holds our body up and together, influencing our shape and mobility that was previously thought to be achieved just through bones and muscles

• It’s a crucial fabric or substance in which vital information is communicated throughout the body in many ways.

• The web interfaces with all your body systems (nervous, immune, circulatory, lymph, digestive, …)

• Hydrates the body

WHY IT MATTERS:
With this expanded understanding of our physiology, we can engage with the fascia tissue to alleviate chronic pain, release tension, restore mobility, systematically help hydrate the body, and other far-reaching health bonuses.

It’s like stumbling upon a hidden treasure map.

Besides the direct physiological effects of enhancing the flow of the fascia system, the ability to perceive our body and regain a sense of wholeness, connectedness, supportiveness, and calm, is also powerful - even magical.

BACKSTORY:
Wrestling with a chronic condition, diagnosed or not, can be a complex and deeply personal struggle. The path to managing your health can make you feel:

overwhelmed, disembodied, anxious
searching for help like a squirrel hunting nuts.

Even though the fascia system is OBVIOUSLY an integral part of our health, it’s not commonly recognized in conventional medicine, YET. As a result, fascia research is new-ish. Terms and concepts within the field are currently being workshopped. Watch out. It can be confusing from one source to another. 

THE BRIGHT SIDE:
Despite the complexity of chronic conditions and our unique biological, genetic, and energetic differences —every action matters.

• The baby steps towards healing can sometimes lead to profound results.

• Finding resolution for a chronic condition tends to be a process and not a quick fix, SO baby steps can be the breadcrumb trail leading to feeling better.

• Baby steps can tap into and amplify the body’s innate healing ability.

Every step counts and sparks momentum.

BABY STEP OPTIONS:
In the many approaches to healing, I find engaging with the fascia system is a key way to amplify the body’s innate healing ability.

Indirect/passive:

• Hands-on work by practitioners such as acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, osteopathy, physical therapy, and energy therapy, all access the fascia system,

• Effectiveness can depend on the practitioner’s understanding of the system.

Direct/active:

• Self-discovery and empowerment through mindful practices such as yoga, meditation, and movement can access the fascia system

• The MELT Method (A practice I have trained in and adopted) provides self-care fascia strategies that systematically hydrates the body and provides techniques to alleviate chronic pain, release tension, and restore mobility.

• A bonus to direct/active work:

o   We can cultivate a deeper awareness of our body's subtle cues and signals (or interoception). What is our body telling us?

o   Boosting interoception in this way is actively participating in our own healing and empowering, rather than just passive recipients of external interventions.

Both is Best

MORE TO IT:
We have just skimmed the surface.
Thanks so much for being here.

Coming Full Circle: Integrating Conventional Medicine with Emerging Science and Ancient Wisdom

Conventional medicine has left behind the wisdom from ancient cultures, disregarding the teachings of indigenous cultures, Chinese medicine, Ayurveda and European traditions. For years science in medicine has been taking a reductive approach, breaking apart larger things to isolate smaller components. The underlying principle has been that by understanding the parts, we can understand the whole, treating the body more like a machine to be examined part by part. While this mindset has led to amazing technological advances in medicine, especially in the acute care arena, it has also led to a fragmented landscape in both healthcare practice and research. Distinct specialties like cardiology and neurology seem to exist in isolated silos, limiting collaboration and communication between the disciplines. Since there is a concerning rise in the number of people unable to heal from chronic conditions, what are we missing?

General systems theory offers a different perspective. Instead, it asks how the parts combine and assemble themselves to make a whole, reversing the top-down approach. Systems theory is now used to understand structures from the small subatomic parts to large galaxies, and somewhere in between, the intricate human body/mind/soul system. By incorporating new scientific developments from multiple disciplines, a Functional Medicine or systems-based approach can be a bridge to span the gaps we see in conventional medicine.

To spark your curiosity, here are just a few of the new science focus areas exploding with research that are spanning these gaps:

• Now this is going to be a mouthful but here goes. The Fascia System is a 3D fluid based tensional network that supports all nerves, blood vessels, organs and cells, providing whole body stability and connectability. It is the interstitial fluids that provide all levels of stability; structural, emotional, psychological, chemical, neurological, hormonal, and cellular. It’s such an important system to understand since it affects all the systems of the body, AND it is not fully defined yet.

• The Human Microbiome is the community of microorganisms that resides within human tissues and fluids and on the skin. These microbes, which include viruses, bacteria, and fungi, are tied to our immune system and embedded in our fascial network and our nervous system. Broadly, the human microbiome:

  • Helps our digestive system to digest, absorb, and assimilate our food

  • Helps to detoxify the junk that enters our body

  • Helps balance our hormones

  • Helps build our neurotransmitters

  • Helps regulate our immune system

  • Helps regulate our brain and our behavior

• Psychoneuroimmunology is the science of well-being through the lens of the mind, brain, and body relationship and is helpful in understanding mood and well-being. These relationships are also connected with the fascia system and the microbiome.

• Quantum Biology is the study of quantum phenomenon (better known in the field of quantum physics) taking place in a living system like the human body. It looks at how the different quanta of light, sound, or vibrational frequencies, such as the oscillation of a nano-size protein or enzyme, impacts our biology. This emerging science does not disregard the biology taught in biology class or medical school, but adds a deeper level of understanding to it. PLUS, this is all happening in what we are defining now as the fascia system!

I know that is a lot to throw out at you, but hopefully you have a better sense on how

Everything is Connected!

(It seems like that I am always landing on this concept.)

Although the evolution of conventional medicine may have left us with gaps in our healthcare system, we are now beginning to connect some dots with the sharing of understanding and research across disciplines. With these new discoveries, we are also coming full circle by scientifically proving some of what ancient wisdom has known all along.

How does Functional Nutrition fit into the healthcare landscape?

While not the most thrilling topic, let’s lay some groundwork for deeper discussions in future posts.

From my perspective as both a patient and practitioner, I have found the jargon used in the healthcare space can be confusing. If you are already familiar, feel free to skip to ahead to the role of Functional Nutrition. Otherwise, let me set the stage for exploring the emerging new paradigm of healing through Functional Nutrition. Keep in mind that the following is my interpretation and simplification 

Conventional or allopathic doctors are rigorously trained to “diagnose and treat” diseases following specific protocols. Osteopathic doctors receive conventional medicine training, can “diagnose and treat”, but also undergo additional training in the musculoskeletal system. Naturopathic doctors receive conventional medicine training, can “diagnose and treat”, with a focus on natural remedies to support the body's self-healing capabilities. Doctors of chiropractic medicine have the expertise to “diagnose and treat” musculoskeletal conditions but don’t have prescription-writing privileges like medical doctors. 

When doctors operate within insurance-based practices, they often face constraints on appointments times, therapies, and natural remedies due to insurance and pharmaceutical company influence or regulations. Some doctors choose to break free from this system to gain more autonomy in caring for their patients, yet may lose some insurance coverage.

Naturopathic practitioners, unlike Naturopathic doctors, cannot diagnose or treat illness but serve as health consultants, providing personalized advice and natural remedies. Holistic health practitioners implement a wide variety of wellness techniques to help patients achieve “full body” health goals. Similarly, alternative medicine practitioners use traditional healing therapies such as, but not limited to, acupuncture, massage, meditation and homeopathy. Holistic, alternative and complementary seem to be used interchangeably.

Integrative health practitioners strive to coordinate care among different providers and institutions by merging conventional and holistic/alternative/complementary approaches, focusing on the person as a whole.

Functional Medicine practitioners use a systems-based, whole-body approach to health and disease, tailoring their treatment to each individual (as discussed in my last post). This approach can be applied by conventional/allopathic/naturopathic/chiropractic doctors and holistic/alternative/integrative/naturopathic practitioners. And let’s not forget health coaches or counselors, who fall in a whole new category! The training and application of Functional Medicine can vary across different healthcare practices.

Now, let’s look at the role of Functional Nutrition within the bigger picture. 

Functional Nutrition practitioners/coaches/counselors fall under the Functional Medicine umbrella, but their training may vary. I received training through the Functional Nutrition Alliance, which taught me a system-based approach that combines systems biology and systems thinking. Systems biology reveals the intricate interconnections within the body, while systems thinking broadens our perspective to encompass a wider range of interactions that contribute to a person's health. Systems thinking becomes crucial when we encounter complex conditions with multiple underlying factors, chronic or recurring problems, and unexplained or undiagnosed signs and symptoms. Many of these cases are unsuccessfully treated through conventional or single therapy approaches. We need a wider lens that allows us to “unravel the systems biology and step into systems thinking so that we can do our best to work toward addressing the root causes for more sustainable clinical results,” as Andrea Nakayama emphasizes.

Unveiling the Power of Functional Medicine

Addressing health conditions can be overwhelming, especially when they are chronic and affect multiple systems of the body. Our cultural mindset predisposes us to seek rapid diagnoses and solutions. We strive to soothe symptoms promptly in order to keep working, keep moving, keep DO-ing.

Conventional medicine often focuses on identifying a specific diagnosis and prescribing a corresponding treatment protocol. Many integrative and alternative methods provide a buffet of historically effective healing protocols. What if the diagnosis is elusive or the prescribed protocol proves ineffective? What are we missing?

One of the challenges lies in the fact that many doctors specialize in specific areas of the body, treating them as separate entities. But can we truly separate and effectively treat different parts of our personal ecosystem? We do need that specialty knowledge and care but we also need a multipronged system-based approach.

Everything is connected.

Everything in our body, mind, soul, and spirit is intricately connected. These systems are not only linked internally but also intertwined with nature, our genetics, and our environment, expanding into our world and universe. The complexity of these connections is awe-inspiring!

Everything is connected.
We are all unique. 

As Andrea Nakayama, Founder of Functional Nutrition Alliance, puts it, “We are all biologically and genetically unique and we’re all impacted by myriad and diverse life experiences and exposures.”  The factors contributing to the development of various health conditions are unique to each individual. Consequently, the confluence of factors leading one person to exhibit particular signs, symptoms or diagnoses may be vastly different from another person exhibiting similar issues. Because the underlying causes are different, it makes sense that the therapeutic response to various protocols, therapies, or remedies would differ also. This explains why a supplement or protocol may work wonders for one person but not for another. There are different root causes. It becomes clear that tailored approaches are necessary to address each person's specific signs, symptoms, or diagnoses.

Everything is connected.
We are all unique.
All things matter. 

When it comes to healing complex conditions, a broader perspective is needed starting with “backing it up”. How did a person’s health reach its current state? A therapeutic partnership between patient and practitioner is needed and all aspects of their life explored. What are the roots to their signs, symptoms, and diagnoses? Healing is more of a curious exploration of upstream factors. What is really going on in THEIR unique body? This is where a Functional Medicine approach shines.

Functional Medicine provides a framework and tools to systematically uncover and organize signs, symptoms and diagnoses. As a Functional Medicine Practitioner, I start with a health timeline and a functional matrix. A timeline helps illuminate potential triggers or influences on health over time. A functional matrix organizes gathered information to aid in the discovery of imbalances or underlying causes of health conditions. It is a living document that provides a conceptual map of a person’s health journey, including genetics, environmental exposures, nutrition/hydration, lifestyle habits, relationships/mind-body-spirit dynamics and so much more. All pieces of the puzzle need to be taken into consideration.

That brings me to a fundamental and crucial perspective in guiding the Functional Medicine approach. It begins with recognizing the humble and undeniable fact that our understanding of the intricate workings of our bodies (and all the interconnections within and beyond) is limited. The medical system does not have all the answers. As Hippocrates wisely points out, "Natural forces within us are the true healer of disease." Hence, it is essential that we honor and revere the innate intelligence of the body. How can we nurture and enhance the environment in which these natural forces operate?

The human body has an amazing capacity to adapt, transform and heal. Let that be our guiding principle to health every step of the way as we use the framework and tools of Functional Medicine.

Finding Peace

Over the past months, life has been transformative to many. As the results of the election sink in, even though we seem more splintered as a country, I see more people shifting into a mindset of being more conscious of how are lives are intertwined. This shift can be scary, fascinating even. It can bring us closer to what many traditions teach us from Buddhism, to Native American to Yoga and other spiritual teachings. We are all connected; we are all one.

Many underlying forces and attitudes are being unearthed and we are forced to face the reality around us. It is not just the United States – shifts are happening all around the world. This can be unnerving as we sift through our beliefs and look beyond our own thoughts. Everything can seem so complicated.

Then tack on the holiday cheer and stress and we can easily get off track on how we want to act and who we want to be. Like we practice in yoga, let’s immerse in compassion for ourselves and for others. Let’s be willing to look at and even let go of our thoughts at times in order to open ourselves to a place of peace inside of us. Let’s slow down, simplify, step back and observe. Find the stillness. Then let’s emerge from this season with greater wisdom for life.

Wishing a world full of peace,

Carla