Research
Schleip, R, Jager, H, Klingler, W (2012), ‘What is ‘fascia’? A review of different nomenclatures’, Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies 16, p 496-502.
The article includes the terminology from the International Fascia Research Congress (2012), defining fascia as a “soft tissue component of the connective tissue system that permeates the human body” and the “fibrous collagenous tissues that are part of a body-wide tensional force transmission system”.
Comment
Chris Onslow, MD, Mbodies, Training Academy
“In pilates today, we regularly see instructors who have been taught simple ‘self release’ techniques using rollers or balls focusing first on fascial release before commencing with the focus of an exercise.
“This technique can prepare the body for exercise, including among special population groups. For example, a fascial focus is prevalent in training by The UK MS Society, which is working with mind-body instructor and MS sufferer Mariska Breland. For the MS sufferer, myofascial pain is very common and linked to spasticity in muscles. For this population, short duration releases are recommended pre-exercise, with long duration releases combined with stretching for post-exercise sessions.
“There is, however, the ever-present dilemma of ‘what is the role of the medical therapist and what is the role of the fitness instructor?’ There’s no question that, to maximise the benefits of fascial release for special populations, a practitioner will need to be medically trained or highly specialised as a non-medical therapist. However, fitness professionals are more than capable of understanding, learning and developing very effective sessions using surface level tissue release.”
Comment
PJ O’Clair, Master instructor trainer, Merrithew Health & Fitness and owner of Northeast Pilates, US
“A fascially-inspired group exercise class might include instruction on alignment and posture, breathing exercises using balls and bands to explore the fascial recoil of the respiratory diaphragm, bouncy spring-like elastic jumps in varying directions, and SMR (self myofascial release) techniques with rollers or balls.
“My students love how they feel after the fascially-inspired segments. We ask them to reflect on how they feel after doing exercises on one side before moving on to the other, and they’re motivated by how much better they feel on the side they have worked.
“The protocols in training the fascial body are quite simple and do not require a lot of time, advanced skill or knowledge by the participant: anyone can do some level of fascial workout without risk of injury, and we should be able to reach new markets, especially the deconditioned and special populations. Physios and doctors, when educated about these new types of programmes, could send patients to fascially-inspired classes with confidence.
“But while there’s a lot of talk about training the fascia, education on how to do it properly is currently limited.”