I just wanted to share my latest thoughts in regard to fascia blasting.
I had a couple of people contact me (not people that I had recommended the product to) about adverse reactions from fascia blasting. My initial response was not to believe them because I had only had amazingly positive results from my experiences with it in terms of freedom of movement for myself and all the horses I used it on. I also only had very positive feedback from anyone that had used it on themselves that I had recommended it to. I can’t say that I had any changes good or otherwise in terms of cellulite or wrinkle reduction. Which wasn’t what I initially purchased the tool for, or even knew at that point that it was promoted as also being able to do.
Even though I felt I was only experiencing positive things through using it, I did research adverse reactions – there is a Fascia Blasting Adverse Reactions FB group which I was advised about. My first thoughts about this group were that they seemed to be very emotionally charged and overzealous. To even join the group you had to accept terms such as:-
– never saying anything positive about the fascia blaster
– never say that you are still using it, even if only minimally
– and you could never ask for photos of before and after fascia blasting to see the adverse effects.
I thought that was all a bit extreme and probably not going to be a very objective view, however I accepted the terms and went and had a look. Some of the adverse reactions they claimed were:-
– loose and saggy skin
– hormones getting out of balance
– weight gain
– feeling sick and other conditions related to an overload of toxins being released into the body.
I am really not sure how they can prove hormonal changes and weight gain were due to fascia blasting – I think a lot of women using the fascia blasting tools are probably at an age where hormones are changing and weight gain is an issue anyway and they were probably using on those problem areas on their body. So it was/is hard to believe this is an adverse reaction to fascia blasting but maybe it is ???? When people asked questions in the group, what I thought were very reasonable questions, they didn’t receive very good responses and it seemed like they didn’t like anyone questioning anything they were saying. So I didn’t think their claims had much credence and Ashley claims that she has all the science. They claim that her science is not legitimate and she never followed correct protocols.
More posts came through later however that seemed less emotional and peoples questions were being answered in a much better way so I started to think perhaps there was some truth in what they were saying.
I then talked to a few independent professionals in the field of bodywork and fascia and their thoughts were that excessive use of such a tool could in fact possibly :-
– “Stretch” the strands of fascia and skin could potentially get loose or saggy
– toxin overload could happen as toxins are stored in the fat and if the liver can’t deal with the overload there could be symptoms from that.
– they also thought that bruising was not a positive sign as claimed by Ashley – so if you were getting bruising that would also be a sign you were over doing it.
– also that fascia is not fully understood – it transverses every single aspect of the body – so who knows what is possible and what systems in the body it could affect.
Their thoughts were that using it gently on problem areas (tension in the tissues and fascial adhesions) when problems arose was probably good, but using it as frequently as promoted by Ashley Black its creator, for wrinkle and cellulite reduction and especially getting bruising coming up, is probably not good.
One of the people I consulted also commented that the fascia in horses was “thicker” in general than in humans so in horses the “stretching” of the fibres wouldn’t be as great an issue. I am not sure that is the exact wording they used but that is how I understood it.
I can’t deny or take away the phenomenal changes and results that I felt in myself and saw in the horses movement from using these tools. In the horses, I have many before and after videos showing just how much their movement improved. Specifically, in how they were able to flex the pelvis and move in a more engaged and fluid way through their back and thus their whole body – just after one session. This was profound and why I was so excited about the Fascia Blasting tools.
However, I am now taking into consideration this new information and have decided to stop using it so much on myself and just use it for problem areas of tension when they show up and on scar tissue to help break up the fascial restrictions to do with scars.
In the horses – I think is about listening to the horse primarily. I use it in places and with the amounts of pressure they are happy with. I think fascia blasting over the loans and HQ’s is where I saw most of the changes and this is also where horses tend to enjoy it the most.
I am in contact with another well known and highly respected equine bodyworker in the US who also uses the fascia blasting tools on the horses and has for a while. She speaks very highly of the fascia blasting tools with horses and hasn’t noticed any problems with using it. She uses the Fascia Blasting tools alongside her other modalities to “save her fingers”. Her thoughts were again, just to use it where there are restrictions or problem areas and when there are problems.
So my conclusion is be observant and listen to your horse. Be observant with your own body. Don’t use it over lymphatic areas in your body – this is stipulated on the Fascia Blasting website. There are a list of contraindications on the Ashley Black’s website so read that. Make your own choice about how much you use it on yourself and do your own research. Check out the Fascia Blasting Adverse Reaction FB group if you wish. I think too much of any good thing can be a bad thing. There are also a lot of other ways to work on fascia which can be explored. These tools provided a quick, easy and a very effective way that anyone could use to help their horses and themselves. My feeling, is that how it is promoted by Ashley Black for cellulite reduction, weight loss through breaking up fat and removing wrinkles is possibly not a good thing. Maybe it is different for different people and the outcomes they get. Since I was passed on the information about the adverse reactions I wanted to pass it on to you so you can be fully informed and make your own choice on how you use it, if you have one.