Long ignored or thought of as packing material filling the space between skin and muscles, fat is finally getting its recognition as essential to human health and a part of the fascial system massage therapists tend to every day.
The IT band functions as part of a 3D system with connections above to the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and tensor fascia lata; below to the lateral knee; and deep to the femur via the lateral intermuscular septum.
The 6th International Fascia Research Congress (FRC) was held in Montreal, Quebec. Read some highlights from our Massage & Bodywork authors, educators, and friends.
The estimated number of nerve endings in the body-wide fascial system is 250 million. Compared with the estimated 200 million nerve endings in the skin, this suggests the human fascial network constitutes, in fact, our richest sensory organ.
Lymph relies on muscular contractions to circulate throughout the body, leading one to hypothesize that chronic conditions leading to stiffness and less movement will thereby greatly slow down and inhibit the circulation of lymph in the body.
FR:EIA, the first of her kind, is changing how we look at fascia. Studying FR:EIA’s dynamic fascial system helps us better understand its organization, fluidity, and strength, and offers clinical insights for how we touch and treat as therapists.
What happens when muscles become too entangled in their muscle groups? Focusing on the fascia that surrounds and separates muscles can help in a number of ways.
