Fascia

While fasciae have been treated as the virtual 'cinderella tissue of orthopedic research' during recent decades, new methodological findings and hypotheses suggest that the bodywide fascial network may play a more important role in musculoskeletal medicine than is commonly assumed. However, in the literature there is great diversity as to which tissues are to be included under the term 'fascia' – be it the superficial fascia, the endomysium, perineurium, visceral membranes, aponeuroses, retinaculae or joint/organ capsules. Following the proposed comprehensive terminology of the 1st Fascia Research Congress, this brief review considers all collagenous connective tissues as 'fascial tissues' whose morphology is dominantly shaped by tensional loading and which can be seen to be part of an interconnected tensional network throughout the whole body (Findley & Schleip 2020). While morphological differences between aponeuroses and lattice-like or irregular fasciae can still be properly described with this terminology, it allows seeing specific tissue – e.g. septae, capsules and ligaments – as local adaptations of this ubiquitous network based on specific loading histories.

Fotos: 1 + 2: Ron Thompson, 4 + 5: Guimberteau/www.endovivo.com

Fascia Training

For such a long time we've been training single muscles, today we are thinking about muscle-chains, and what will come tomorrow?
Tomorrow we will train the endless fascial web in our bodies!
Recently it has been proofed, that this all-surrounding and all-connecting net throughout the body means a lot for the fitness and health of every sportsman, professional or not. A well trained and well integrated fascial net optimizes peak forces as well as the coordination of detailed movements. It's not the joint receptors giving information about how the body behaves kinesthetically, but the many receptors located in the fascia. That means, not the skin is our biggest sensory organ, but fascia. With fascial training you can push your limits of performance.
Some sportsmen say: "Today I've been able to give 110% of my capacity".
Fascial trained sportsmen will answer: "I could give 140% and had lots of fun with it."

An integrated fascial training will lead to

• better performance
• less injury
• more fun and variety

Four Areas of Fascial Fitness

1. Soft-Tissue Stretching

Stop with boring, single muscle stretches and start to play around creatively feeling your connected Fascial Net. Since a muscle does not stop at its bony insertion but continues in what Tom Myers calls "Anatomy Trains", the action of one muscle continues throughout the whole body. If these connections don't work properly, there is a problem with well coordinated muscular actions. With easy (and sometimes only varied versions of well known) exercises, it is possible to stimulate the whole Myo-Fascial system.

2. Rebound Elasticity

Rebound Elassticity is the future of most effective muscle-training. More power and more Flexibility! That will be the result of of the Elastic-Recoil-Effect. Only if the fascia is pre-stretched you can perform a maximum of forces. Weightlifters for example could not lift their heavy weights with muscular power only, they need fascial tension to do this. Even more important is the fact, that every bending forward and coming back could not be done without fascial tension. This could be a revolution for backpain-prevention and a reason to integrate fascial-fitness in prevention programs. Rebound Elasticity is highly efficient and builds up well proportioned bodies in less time than common muscle-training.

3. Fascial Release

Most effective and up-to-date is this trend called fascial release - a quick and easy-to-feel possibility to treat your own body. The myofascial structures are given pressure with a roll, so that adhesions are dissolved and the tissue gets softer. This will normally lead to a reduction of pain, more flexibility and a better sense for your own body. Thinking of that, this method is not only good for sportsmen, but also for therapy and self-treatment.

4. Fluid Refinement

Fascia does not only give a form to our body, but is also the biggest sensory organ. Since in our times the sensory perception is not meant to be so important, we often lose connection to our-selves and get the wrong information about our environment. So a healthy sensory system gives a healthy self-awareness which will lead to self-confidence and, as many scientists assume, even to higher intelligence. Finding back to a sensitive awareness is the function of Fluid Refinement. Just like a musician trains various ways and techniques to play his instrument, it's a pretty good thing to train our senses and perception in the same manner. Not always doing the same things in the same way, but having fun with variations helps us to act adequately in our complex world. That's true for musicians, as well as for dancers, sportsmen, Yoga-people and everybody else....

For an article on Fascial Fitness by Schleip & Müller click here,
or those who prefer Tom Myers find his marvellous article here.

Divo G. Müller, Robert Schleip: Fascial Fitness - Fascia oriented training for bodywork and movement therapies (Booklet, pdf)