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	Stiff Back? It's more than just muscles... by Murari Brian Healy, LMT, CKYT
Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt like your body had just solidified overnight? Especially in cold weather or after a day of exertion? Most of us, at one time or another experience body stiffness, especially upon arising. (Okay, those of you with a sophomoric sense of humor can just get it out of your system now, 'cause we're not talking about THAT kind of stiffness!) Most people would assume that it was their muscles had tightened up and were responsible for the restricted movement. Not so! Muscles are generally quite elastic and although they do shorten and can limit our range of motion, they don't make us feel stiff. Let's review a little human anatomy... The primary components of our muculoskeletal system are well, obviously, the muscles and the skeleton. The skeleton is designed to support the weight of the body and the muscles are designed to move the bones of the skeleton. But that is only a fraction of the picture. A vast majority of the tissues in the body are neither muscles or bones (or organs, for that matter.) What comprises most of the structure of our physical self? Connective tissue! Connective tissue has many different types. Physiologically, connective tissue is defined as having as have two primary components: cellular material and an extracellular matrix. (Don't panic, we're not going to get too technical here!) For instance, blood is defined as connective tissue because it has an extracellular matrix of plasma which supports various cellular entities such as red and white blood cells. Most of the connective tissues in the body are somewhat more solid, though such as tendons and ligaments.
The function of most of the connective tissue in our bodies is to give form to the various structures of the body. It's what gives us our shape. I am reminded of an old episode of the original Star Trek series with William Shatner in which an alien life form referred to humans as 'ugly bags of salt water.' It is connective tissue that forms those bags and also bags within bags, as the body has many separate compartments formed by connective tissue. Okay, how does this relate to our stiff back? There is a form of connective tissue called fascia. There is deep fascia and there is superficial fascia. This is the stuff that really makes our bodies the shape that they are. Yes, Krispy Kremes contribute too, but it is the fascia that shapes the fat from those delicious desserts into perfectly placed love handles.
It is this connective tissue that creates that band around the waist that makes obese people look like they're wearing a belt even if they're not. That's because the extracellular matrix of fascia is comprised of various proteinaceous fibres such as collagen and elastin arranged in different weavelike patterns, almost like fabric. This weave of fibres occurs in specific predictable patterns in the body and the 'grain' of this weave is depicted in the image above. These lines of fibres are called Langer's Lines. Some people have thicker fascia, some thinner. Genetics certainly play a role but fat cells are embedded in the fascia and as our percentage body fat increases those fat cells swell, thickening the fascia. Imagine one person wearing a Lycra™ bodysuit and another wearing a Polar Fleece™ sweatsuit. Our superficial fascia overlays our deep fascia and should glide easily over it as we move. Imagine wearing the sweatsuit over the bodysuit. Muscles, bones, organs, and nerves all have individual layers of fascia around them, defining them from their surrounding tissues. These layers should be smooth, slippery, and flexible and when they're not, things stick together. Over time, in the location where separate structures get stuck together an adhesion forms. Scar tissue is connective tissue whose job it is to FORM adhesions in order to repair structural damage. Fascia's flexibility and texture are greatly affected by temperature, internal and external. It is said to be thixotropic, that is, it undergoes a a partial change of state, becoming significantly more fluid and less solid with the application of minimal heat and/or pressure. Jello™ is an example of a common thixotropic substance. So whether we are exerting ourselves, causing our muscles to generate heat or applying a heat source externally, fascia becomes considerably more supple as it warms. Another important factor is our level of hydration, the amount of water in our tissues. More water, more flexibility. Fascia has a tendency to dry out and harden as we age. So, anatomy lesson over, here's the bottom line... it's mostly your fascia that makes your back feel stiff in the morning. That's why once your up and around and your muscles begin working and giving off heat, you begin to loosen up. Some people have more connective tissue issues than others. The cure? Drink more water, get more exercise (yoga is particularly effective), take a hot shower or warm bath, and if you have pain associated with your stiffness, get a massage immediately! Especially a hot stone massage! The heat and solidity of the stones will literally resculpt your fascia and melt away any accumulated adhesions.
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