Unlock Your Strength: Products to Help Combat Tight Fascia

I’ve been trying something for the past couple of months that has made such a huge difference for my physical health, that I just had to write my latest post on it. But before I get into that, let me provide some background.

One of my biggest challenges with my MS is how tight my muscles always are. The official term is spasticity, or stiff/rigid muscles, and it’s a common symptom among people with MS. The muscles in my shoulders, back, abdomen and especially my legs are constantly tight, sometimes leading into spasms which can be incredibly painful. Compression therapy helps, but it doesn’t provide the relief that it used to. It affects my legs more than any other part of my body, and because of this, it sometimes affects how well I can walk and move.

Beyond suffering from a chronic illness, there are plenty of people that suffer from stiff, tired, and painful muscles. Any repeated motion from a job or hobby can cause it, overworking the muscles with physical activity can cause it, poor posture, and even stress are all contributing factors to tight muscles and pain. But what you may not know is that it’s most likely caused by a part of your body called the fascia.

Fascia is made up of multiple thin layers of connective tissue that covers and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. It provides structure and has nerves that can be just as sensitive as our skin. When our fascia is stressed (due to any of the reasons mentioned above), it becomes tight and rigid. In between each of the layers of fascia is a liquid called hyaluronan which helps in tissue structure and cellular functions (I know, I’m getting nerdy here). It’s a substance that your body produces naturally, and many of us have heard it referenced before in skincare (hyaluronic acid).

Just like hyaluronic acid in our lotions, moisturizers and serums helps skin stretch, flex, reduce wrinkles and fine lines, the hyaluronan in between our layers of fascia tissue helps keep it flexible as we move throughout our day. For those of us that suffer from what we believe are tight, stiff muscles may actually be suffering from fascia that has become dry, thick and sticky. When our fascia tightens around our muscles, it can limit mobility, cause painful knots and even cause chronic misalignment of the body.

Healthy fascia is smooth, slippery and flexible, however, limited physical activity, repetitive movements that overwork one part of our body or surgery/injury can all cause fascia to become gummy and form adhesions. While it can be challenging to determine whether pain you are experiencing is due to muscles, joints or fascia, in general muscle and joint issues typically feel worse the more you move. With fascia adhesions, we tend to feel better with movement and heat therapy (because it helps bring back the fascia tissues’ elasticity.

Fascial adhesions can actually stick to muscles or form scar tissue, sometimes even entrapping surrounding nerves and causing pain. For some, the adhesions in the fascia can become worse over time, especially due to limited physical activity (for example, sitting at a desk for 8-10 hours a day). The fascia can get to a point where it compresses and contorts the muscle, resulting in knots or trigger points that are painful, limit mobility, and nerves that constantly misfire.

So, what do we do to keep our fascia flexible and healthy?

Adding light physical activity to your daily routine can help, but as someone who walks often and regularly when my body allows me to, I can attest that sometimes this isn’t enough. It’s actually more important when it comes to your fascia to be active throughout your day. I used to set an alarm every hour when working to remind myself to get up from my desk and stretch my legs. Stretching helps tremendously, helps reduce inflammation in our bodies, and keeps our fascia smooth and flexible. Making sure we are properly hydrated also keeps our fascia hydrated, too, so remember to try and drink at least half of your weight in ounces of water every day.

If you’re currently suffering from fascia pain, there are ways to relieve it.

One thing that I have learned the hard way the past few years is that every body is different, meaning everyone’s bodies react to things differently, and what works for one person for relief may not work for someone else. Below is a list of some things that have worked for me, including specific products I use, however, I want to caveat this by saying that I’m not an affiliate of any of the products. I don’t receive any kind of payment or discount if you make a purchase, nor has the company that makes the product requested me to do this. I simply want to share what has worked for me in case it helps anyone else.

Heat: Tight fascia typically responds well to heat, and heat therapy has really helped my spasticity, especially when it’s debilitating. I typically use heating pads, a heated blanket, or my compression sleeves for my legs which come with a heat setting. Applying heat with a warm shower or bath also tends to help me (as long as it’s not too hot because it will trigger other symptoms for me). Two products I highly recommend are the compression sleeves I use as well as an additive to baths that has done amazing things not just for me stiff muscles but for my overall wellbeing.

·      CINCOM Heated Knee Massager with Air Compression – This is something I ordered right from Amazon and I use it every other day. It’s made for your knees, however, I use it on my knees, thighs, calves and ankles. The full massage/heat cycle runs 15 minutes, and then I move it to another part of my leg. I use it while I’m working at my desk or watching tv. On really tough days, I’ve even used it in bed. My family can attest to how much I love using these because I’ve bought them for other family members as well, and they love it as much as I do.

·      Flewd Soaks – These little packets that you add to your bath are packed with magnesium, zinc, l-carnitine, nooptropics, vitimains and omega-3. I typically use these once a week, and I can feel the benefits for days after. Couple that with heat from the bath water and the combo truly helps loosen tight fascia, muscles and relieve stress all at once. There are four different kinds, and I’ve tried them all. I’m particular to the ache erasing and anxiety destroying ones, but I’ve felt the benefits of all four, and they make a sample pack if you’d like to try them all, too.

Massage/Trigger Point Therapy/Myofascial Release: I’m sure many of us have gotten massages throughout our lifetime, and as someone who loves a massage more than most, I can tell you that having them regularly as a form of therapy can make a big difference in how your body feels every day. Finding the right massage therapist who understands myofascial release and the right massage for your body can make all of the difference. I also use foam rollers and lacross balls to help release tension and tightness, especially in trigger points that are extremely tender and painful. One of my absolute favorite products I’ve found and highly recommend is also what I was referring to at the start of this post –  a deep tissue massager that helps loosen tight fascia and break up adhesions. That, along with a monthly massage membership has helped me make more progress with my physical health in the past few months than I have made in the last two years.

·      The NOW massage membership – We’re lucky enough to have one of these locations not too far from our apartment in Charleston and I have found a massage therapist who has magic hands as I like to say to her. I usually have an 80-minute healer massage once or twice a month by her and I feel like a new person with a new body when I leave.

·      R8 Deep Tissue Massage Roller – I know the price tag on this is a bit intimidating, but it has helped me so much that I would pay twice that amount if I had to again. I did a lot of research on fascia tools before I bought this, and while it’s made for athletes with recovery in mind, the deep tissue massage you get from this tool has been a game changer for me. It targets your IT bands, quads, hamstrings, shins, glutes, arms and more to break up adhesions for myofascial release, improved circulation and reduced inflammation. My legs are feeling better and moving better than they have in years, and thanks to using this, my nerve pain has even severely diminished. I use it at least every day, and most of the time every day. I usually spend 10-15 minutes on each leg at night along with an Arnica cream that my fiancé got for me from a spa (and is also available on Amazon). I use the roller so much that I pack it with me when I travel because I now can’t imagine going without it for more than a few days. 

There are many other ways to release tight fascia, including yoga, acupuncture, specialized diet and visualization therapy, however, I haven’t tried any of those myself. In many cases, you’ll need to use more than one therapy to treat tight fascia, so it’s important to try a variety of these methods and see what works best for you. And as with anything to do with your health, please speak with your doctor or provider if you’re experiencing chronic pain despite efforts to relieve it, or if your pain is so severe that it affects your ability to do daily activities or sleep.