Thixotrophic

I learned a new word today - "Thixotrophic". Isn't it a mouthful? It's an important word for those of you who have some tension in your muscles and want to relax.

"Thixotropy - The property exhibited by certain gels of becoming fluid when stirred or shaken and returning to the semisolid state upon standing."

Fascia is that stuff that is under your skin and connects it to your body. It also wraps around absolutely everything in your body as well - your muscles, your organs,etc. Turns out that it's thixotrophic, which makes so much sense!

So when you get a massage, it's like your working a piece of clay. It's resistant at first, but pretty soon the muscles start to loosen up. You've heard people decribe massage as "being like putty in someone's hands" or a feeling of melting. Well, that's why!

Fascia softens when pressure and friction are applied. Massage is pressure and friction. Fascia is present in every part of your body and it's all connected. So massage can soften the fascia throughout your body.

Animals are made the same way. Something as simple as massage can really make an impact!