WHAT IS FASCIA? AND HOW DO WE KEEP IT HEALTHY?

Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue surrounding, supporting, and holding every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve, and muscle. Yet this tissue does more than just provide structure; it has nerves that make it almost as sensitive as skin, and it is designed to move with the muscles and tissues.

Although fascia looks like one sheet of tissue, it is actually made up of multiple layers with liquid in between called hyaluronan. Hyaluronan occurs between deep fascia and muscle, facilitating gliding between these two structures and within the fascia’s loose connective tissue, guaranteeing the smooth sliding of adjacent fibrous fascial layers. It also promotes the functions of the deep fascia.

Fascia is designed to stretch and morph with movement. However, certain things can cause fascia to thicken, tighten, and become ‘sticky’. When this happens, it can limit mobility and cause painful knots to develop.

Vets increasingly realise the role that fascia plays in many of the aches and pains our horses experience. Many of these issues were originally attributed to sore or stiff muscles, but it appears increasingly from research that fascia is the true culprit in many cases.

Fascia related pain and stiffness

Healthy fascia is smooth, slippery and flexible. Factors that cause fascia to become sticky and tight include:

• Limited physical activity
• Repetitive movement that overworks one part of the body
• Trauma such as surgery or injury

Tight and sticky fascia, regardless of the cause, is painful and compresses and contorts the muscles it surrounds, forming tender knots.

However, determining whether pain results from fascia, joints or muscles can be very difficult, particularly with a horse. Your vet is the best port of call when it comes to assessing where the underlying issue lies.

As one might imagine, fascial pain and the resultant stiffness significantly impact performance. It is thus important that we do all we can to keep our horses free from pain due to fascia restrictions and adhesions to allow them to perform at their best.

Ways to keep fascia flexible in horses

Flexible fascia is the goal for our horses, and there are several ways you can help your horse to achieve this:

• More movement: Creating a consistent but varied exercise routine is important for our horses. We also need to ensure that they get as much movement throughout the day as possible.
• Stretch: Carrot stretches really can help with loosening up your horse. Similarly, plenty of correct long and low work can be beneficial.
• Heat therapy: Applying heat to problem areas can help to improve the mobility of the fascia.
• Polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG): PSGAG, as found in Equaan 1000 suppositories, increases the production of hyaluronan, the substance that lies between the layers of fascia and allows smooth sliding motion of the fascia. The latest research shows the benefits of PSGAG on myofascial health and integrity, preventing problems before they arise and treating them when they do.

Take home message

Fascia is a complex structure that research suggests has a greater impact on athletes’ performance than previously thought. You can help maintain its condition by correct movement, stretching, heat therapy and polysulfated glycosaminoglycans (PSGAG) like Equaan 1000 suppositories available from EquiProVet.