by Lawrence Wilson, MD

TIGHT TISSUE SYNDROME

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not for the diagnosis, treatment, prescription or cure of any disease or health condition.

Definition. The fascia is a set of layers of connective tissue that covers all of the muscles and organs of the body. When these fascia layers are adhered to each other, and to the organs and ligaments and tendons below, the fascia contracts a little, and looks and feels tight. This situation is called tight tissue syndrome or a tight core.

The body also looks somewhat compressed or contracted to the bones, almost as though it is shrink-wrapped. Such individuals appear wiry, and are usually very thin.

CAUSES FOR A TIGHT CORE

The situation can begin in early childhood. Nutritional problems may contribute, such as low zinc and elevated tissue copper. Often, it results from a trauma, such as rape, and this can be at any age.

Traumas all deplete zinc, often within a few minutes. This is well known in medicine, in situations such as burns on the body. Zinc depletion, all by itself, can raise the tissue copper level as these two elements are always in a balance in the body.

Zinc is calming and balancing, while copper build-up is always associated with fear in the body. A tight core is a response to a fearful situation, at least in most cases. The body looks fearful, contracted, withdrawn and holding itself tightly to protect the core.

ADHERED

A more technical term to describe these individual is adhered. It means that the fascia layers, and perhaps other layers of tissue in the body, are sort of stuck together and do not move one over the other properly and easily. They can seem “glued together”.

Adhesions in the body are somewhat common, and always related to copper imbalance. Copper is intimately involved in connective tissue health. Specifically, copper damages the disulfide (S = S) bonds that are the basis for all connective tissue in the body. Adhesion patterns are interesting. For more, please read Adhesions on this website.

SHATTERED

A tight core can and may always be a compensation for feeling somewhat shattered inside. It is as though the normal way the body stays together has been broken apart or shattered. The adhesions that constitute a tight core or tight tissues is a substitute method of holding the body together.

It is as though the basic integrity of the body has been damaged. Humpty-Dumpty has fallen off the wall, and putting him back together is not possible. Therefore, the body requires “glue”, in the form of adhesions, to go on living at all.

In fact, with enough of the pushing exercise and a complete nutritional balancing program, it is possible to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again, but it may take 20 or 30 years to do so. In the meantime, a tight core holds everything together and can keep the essence of a person safe.

PROBLEMS WITH TIGHT TISSUES

This syndrome impairs one’s health and can shorten a person’s lifespan. The problem is that nutrients cannot reach the tissues properly, and metabolic waste products may not be able to be removed properly from the body. Also, their breathing is often shallow, causing low oxygen tension in the body. The tightness of the tissues also closes some energy channels in the body and so these people can age early, and often look older than their age, especially the women.

It is a type of “shell” pattern and they must work to break down the shell and become more comfortable in the body, or they often develop cancers early in life and may die young.

A more yang pattern. Tight tissue syndrome, as I sometimes call it, is a more yang condition of the body, and yang is generally beneficial. However, it is not a healthy yang. Instead, it is a “dryness” pattern. Dryness is more yang, but these individuals tend to be too dry, with somewhat dry skin and an overall feeling of being dried out. This is more apparent on the hands and feet, for some reason, where the skin gets thin and the veins are prominent and often purplish in color, even on young people.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE WITH TIGHT TISSUES

Those with tight tissue syndrome are often intelligent, kind, high-quality individuals. They may be more yang than average, which is helpful for their healing. However, most are sympathetic dominant types who tend to be fearful and worry too much, and this slows their healing progress.

Physical qualities. Their physical symptoms often include some aches and pains, muscle weakness to some degree, and perhaps just tightness of their joints and ligaments. They are often somewhat constipated, and many complain of gas and bloating due to sympathetic dominance and weaker digestion.

Those with tight tissues have trouble building muscles, even if they work out. Exercise just exhausts them and makes the tight tissue feeling much worse. Vigorous exercise, in particular, is not helpful. Gentle walking is best or gentle weights, perhaps, but not more.

Their appearance is often not great. They can look like concentration camp victims, even though they may eat plenty. The face is usually thin and drawn-looking, even if they are attractive. This can change, however, with a nutritional balancing program, but it takes a few years, at least, of following a program faithfully.

Their legs are bony, as well. Some are bow-legged, which is also not as attractive, so they may feel ugly even if they are not. Others may envy them because they are thin, but those with tight tissues invariably feel too thin, and feel constricted in some way, which is true.

The immune response is often somewhat compromised, and they may feel cold. This may have to do with sympathetic dominance, which is one of their main characteristics on early hair tests.

The adrenals and kidneys tend to be weak. Weak adrenals may contribute to somewhat lower hormone levels, in general, and especially lower testosterone in both the women and the men. Tooth decay seems to be common, and perhaps osteopenia later in life.

Many have the “cringing posture”. This looks a little like a frightened cat. This posture may cause some of them to feel small and weak, even though they are not that weak, physically or mentally. They are often tall (over 5’ 6” or 5’ 7”), but oddly, they feel “small” or shorter.

Mental/emotional qualities. Many of them feel “uncomfortable in their skin”. Many are somewhat perfectionistic and perhaps a bit compulsive. The word ‘anal personality’ is sometimes used in this connection, though there is nothing wrong with this area of their body. They may feel like a stranger in a strange land. They usually enjoy and relate to the article on this site entitled The Lightworkers. They may also enjoy stories of warriors and war.

They are often somewhat depressed and perhaps confused. They can feel lonely or alone, even if they are in a decent relationship. They feel they are beautiful people inside, but they don’t look or radiate this feeling, often. The women want to be attractive, but do not like the attention of aggressive men. This leave the tight-tissued women with a dilemma that is quite common, especially among younger women who would like good male friends and partners, but do not like other men at all.

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THIS SYNDROME

Positive aspects of this syndrome are:

1. The tight fascia layers act somewhat like a protective coating or shell. Inside, these people are often very alive. They are often bright and, although superficially perhaps too serious and a little depressed, inside they are actually happier than some others, and more aware.

2. They are also more yang than many other people, and this is a positive aspect of this pattern.

3. They are usually capable of healing themselves if they are willing to follow a complete nutritional balancing program. Medical (allopathic and naturopathic) methods of healing, however, are not very helpful for them, so they become discouraged with doctors of all kinds.

HAIR MINERAL PATTERNS WITH TIGHT TISSUES SYNDROME

Slow oxidation. Almost all those with tight tissues are slow oxidizers, and have been since childhood. They go into this pattern early in life as a result of stress and, perhaps, due to nutrient deficiencies caused by the tight tissues.

Calcium shell. Most have a calcium shell on their first hair analysis, and it usually persists for a number of years, even with a complete nutritional balancing program. The tissues mirror the concept of “living in a shell”.

Sympathetic dominance. This is a fairly common autonomic nervous system imbalance that most of these individuals have. It is difficult for them to correct it, so it takes a while, even with a complete nutritional balancing program.

Copper imbalance. Tight tissue syndrome is related to copper imbalance. This causes adhesions of the fascia and other tissue layers. For much more about copper and its relationship to connective tissue, please read Copper Toxicity Syndrome.

CORRECTION OF TIGHT TISSUES OR A TIGHT CORE

1. A complete nutritional balancing program. It is often their only hope for a healthy life, in my experience. They are all nutritionally deficient, and toxic with copper and other imbalances. The proper diet is critical because their digestion tends to be weak.

Correcting the copper balance in the body, which involves correcting the levels of a dozen or more vital minerals, is thus a key to undoing the adhesions that are responsible for tight tissues. This is not a quick or easy process, even with a complete nutritional balancing program.

In fact, we are researching this because a tight core is rather difficult to reverse. It is possible, however.

2. The nutritional supplements. All of the supplements nutritional balancing program supplements appear to be helpful. For example they all need adequate calcium and magnesium, zinc, and TMG. TMG is quite helpful, in fact.

Adequate omega-3 fatty acids (about 900 mg daily) are also very important for them. Do not use an omega 3-6-9 product. It does not seem to work as well. Adequate vitamin D (about 5000 iu daily) is also critical.

3. The procedures. All of the nutritional balancing procedures are helpful. One of the most effective methods is the Pushing Exercise (formerly called the meditation exercise), combined with the Neck Pull exercise. You can read more about these methods on this website.

The coffee enemas are also excellent, as is the red heat lamp therapy or heat lamp sauna sessions. These are quite critical to include, or these individuals will not get well very fast, if at all.

Foot reflexology is also quite excellent for them. The bottom of the foot can have a tight section in the middle of the foot, running lengthwise down the foot that feels very tight and hard, and does not respond too well just to foot reflexology.

4. Other procedures. Deep breathing every day is also excellent, as it tends to open up the chest and abdomen. One must breathe hard into the chest and abdomen, and this helps break up some of the adhesions. This can be done at the same time one does a coffee enemas, for example, or during each sauna session.

They also need Chiropractic Care. However, adjusting the spine of these people is not easy. It feels to the chiropractor as though the entire spine is glued together, and often it will not move easily. This is a significant problem for some of them. Two ideas that may help are: First, place the person upside down on an inversion table. This gently stretches the spine, and can make chiropractic adjustments go easier. Also, they may need a muscle relaxant before a chiropractic session. Some use a drug such as Advil, but a more physiological remedy is valerian or chamomile to relax the entire body before the chiropractic session.

Those with a tight core may also benefit from Rolfing or structural integration. However, women especially need to beware of any professional bodywork sessions because of the possibility of rape.

Massage may not be as helpful for them, as most of it is not deep and rough enough. Once again, be careful to find someone reliable and decent to work with.

Twisting and stretching the body are also very good. Be careful, however, not to overdo this. I do not recommend yoga, although some of the twists used in yoga are excellent for these individuals. For more, read The Spinal Twist on this site.

Posture or body alignment in space is always an issue for those with tight tissues. The procedures above, along with learning to stand and sit straight, are important. For much more on posture, please read Posture on this site.

5. Persistence and consistency. Tight tissues or a tight core is not easy to overcome. It requires constancy and a determination to overcome the condition. Do not become discouraged, however, as it can be undone.

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