Fascia and Breast Cancer
Written by Blaire White, PT Student & Justin Krull, Reg. PT
What comes to mind when you hear the words Breast Cancer? The devastation that a cancer diagnosis can inflict on families, communities, and our own individual health is undeniable. Cancer affects the lives of everyone with 1 in 2 Canadians expected to develop some form of cancer in their lifetime and for Breast Cancer in Canadian women, the lifetime risk is estimated to be 1 in 8. With breast cancer impacting the lives of so many, discussing the importance of early and regular screening and self-care is of the utmost importance. So how does one mediate the effects of such a prevalent disease process?
Mindfulness practices, and mindful movement practices such as Tai Chi and Yoga, in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet, staying hydrated and maintaining an active lifestyle allow for better communication between and within the cells, optimizing immune responses and improving overall cellular health. Recommendations in these pursuits have developed from a plethora of research on breast cancer that has moved away from looking specifically at the changes that occur to the cancerous cells themselves and more towards the factors within and surrounding the breast tissue cellular environment that may influence cancer growth. This includes factors such as fibrosis (the stiffening of tissue), inflammation and immune dysregulation.
A common risk factor for breast cancer is stiff or restricted breast tissue. The breast, like all other tissues in the body, is a fascial structure, intricately connected to the whole of the human organism. Dehydration of the ground substance or extracellular matrix (the fluid around the cells) is the primary driver for tissue restriction within the body, creating lines of tension/pull that can exert pressures of up to 2000 pounds per square inch and typically present as areas that are hot, hard, or tender. This is of particular significance in the formation of Breast cancer, as the cancerous cells favor a stiff restricted environment because it enables them to optimally grow and divide unimpeded. Research has shown that if you put a cancerous cell in a healthy cellular environment, it may re-learn how to behave. But, if you put a cancerous cell in a disrupted environment, it learns to thrive. A study published in Scientifics Reports by L. Berrueta in 2018 found that mice injected with mammary cancer cells who received a 10 minute gentle stretching protocol per day had significantly less tumor growth and 52% less tumor volume than mice who did not receive the stretching (the controls) at the end of 4 weeks. Upon further investigation, the same authors attributed the differences in tumor growth and volume to an increased release of immune system supporting chemicals, as well as to reduced local inflammation in the breast tissue of the stretched mice in comparison to the controls.
To understand why this is, we need to think about how the lymphatic system works and where it is located. Our lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs that help get rid of excess fluid as well as the body’s toxins, waste and other unwanted materials, such as cancer cells, by transporting them towards the large veins in the neck for disposal out the circulatory system. The lymphatic vessels are present throughout the body; but unlike the circulatory system, they do not have a heart to pump their contents. To move the lymph, the vessels rely on our movements from our muscles and fascia to squeeze the lymphatic vessels and push the lymph through the system. When our fascia is bound and restricted, creating a dehydrated extracellular environment, the lymphatic system is slowed down. Imagine a garbage strike that only involves your block because your neighbor had a spat with the sanitation worker. As the bags pile up, the access to the roadway gets more narrow and treacherous until the sanitation department has to give up on collection all together, treating your street as an island and separating it from the rest. This analogy is similar to how lumps and cysts develop and have the potential to develop into clumps of cells dividing uncontrollably.
So how does low load stretching and mindful movement practice restore healthy cellular function? The application of sustained pressure over a period of 5 minutes or more into restricted (hot, hard or tender) tissue, has been shown to cause the body to release a cascade of anti-inflammatory chemicals and vasodilators (blood vessel opening chemicals) in the form of Interleukin-3 and Interleukin-8. This is one way by which John Barnes Myofascial Release creates long term symptom relief and restores physiological movement and function.
Be sure to assess the mobility and tissue quality of your breasts regularly like you normally would as part of your health maintenance. It is possible to self-treat the breast tissue by simply pulling or elongating your body in the testing position that you find signs of restriction. As with all Myofascial self-care, hold the first barrier of resistance until the body softens, and regularly scan your body of other regions of restriction. Bring up your findings with your MFR practitioner and seek advice as feels appropriate. I’ve seen the incredible effects of breast tissue treatment on my colleagues’ cancers over the years and I can’t emphasize enough the importance of developing a comfort level with yourself that allows you to identify early, when problems have arisen. By remaining consistent in your self-care routine, you may be saving your own life.
Please reach out to our staff if you would like to discuss your personal healthcare needs in more detail.
