Soft tissue is comprised of muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerve and fascia. Most people recognize the first four tissues listed, but fascia is virtually unknown to the general public. It is however more and more recognized by neuromusculoskeletal practitioners as the cause of a great majority of musculoskeletal pain. Fascia is a tough connective tissue that spreads throughout the body in a three-dimensional web from head to toe without interruption. The fascia surrounds and infuses with every organ, muscle, bone and blood vessel all the way down to the cellular level. Fascial strains can slowly tighten and cause the body to lose its physiologic adaptive capacity. Over time, the tightness spreads like a pull in a sweater. Unfortunately, fascia can become solidified and shortened by trauma, inflammation and chronic poor posture. Fascial restriction can create abnormal strain patterns that can pull joints out of proper alignment or pull them too close together, resulting in compression of the facet joints or disc, producing pain and/or dysfunction.
Soft tissue therapy is, in my opinion, as important as the chiropractic adjustment itself. Often times tight, scar-tissue laden muscles, ligaments, tendons and especially fascia restrict motion in the joints. If the soft tissue is not addressed, it makes it virtually impossible for an adjustment to be effective simply because the tight tissue will pull the joint back to where it has become accustomed. - Dr. Baker