Connective Tissue

In the past couple of years, I've experienced ways in which connective tissue affects remedial and developmental aspects of tai chi. There are times when I feel like parts of me are bound in spandex that has lost most of its give. The fabric of connective tissue, a network of connecting cables under tension, molded over a lifetime, is crucial in holding the body erect. To remain upright and ambulatory with multiple sclerosis, I must continue to improve my biomechanics and with it changes in the shape of the connective tissue that sheaths my torso under my skin. Remolding feels like tugs on the warp and woof of the living fabric.


several quotes on connective tissue and posture:

In addition to supporting individual cells, tissues, and other organs, this connective organ serves an over-all structural purpose as well--it is woven with the bones to create the movable frame which supports our posture and from which everything else is suspended....When all the bands and cords are properly adjusted, and the hydrostatic pressure is strong and balanced, this tensional force alone goes a long way towards keeping us erect, and can give that wonderfully light "skyhooked" sensation, as though our frames were suspended from the tops of our heads--as, to a degree, they literally are.
from Deane Juhan, Job's Body: A Handbook for Bodywork


Poor posture is not a result of bad habits or laziness. Postural problems are caused by tension in the muscles and microfibers in the connective tissue create local areas of tightness, which distort our posture.
http://www.somaxsports.com/posture.htm

Fascia molds itself over time according to how the body is used....The moldability of fascia is the reason that ergonomics is so important.... If a person habitually sits in a slouched posture, then over time the fascia in their body will mold itself to that posture. Fascia in the chest will pull the ribcage down, fascia in the neck will pull the head and neck forward, the slouched position of the upper torso will change how the arm bones fit in the shoulder joints and the fascia in the shoulder area will change as a result. All of these posture-related tissue changes will be felt by the body as a source of strain.
http://www.selfcare4rsi.com/fascia.html