The topic of fascia has become indispensable and some people may skim over the topic, especially since it is currently on everyone's lips. Physiotherapists yawn bored, because they have been working with the matter "connective tissue" in different therapies for decades and cannot gain anything from the fascia hype. But the topic cannot be wiped off the table so simply; exciting new findings are making the movement sciences sit up and take notice.
"I don't know of any part of the body that can rival the fascia as a field of research. I believe that more rich and golden insights will emerge from the study of fascia than from any other aspect of the body." This was the view of Andrew Taylor Still (1828-1927), founder of osteopathy, as early as 1899.
New examination methods
New examination methods using portable ultrasound devices in the tenth of a millimeter range make fascia visible and qualitatively measurable. What therapists could previously only feel and guess at can now be validly measured and compared. In addition, the "Fascia Research Congress", founded in 2007, enables worldwide interdisciplinary cooperation on the topic of fascia. Since then, the quality and quantity of findings have been increasing exponentially, demanding a different way of thinking and rethinking, also in the health and movement sciences. Working with fascia can be a useful complement to conventional neuromuscular training - to reduce tension, minimize injury, and thus enable continuous performance improvement. In addition, the so-called "embodyment", the body feeling, is increased. These methods should not only be used in competitive sports, but should also be made available to popular sports. Every responsible movement therapist, personal coach, trainer and course instructor can therefore expand his or her knowledge to include this topic as well, in order to provide more comprehensive care and advice to his or her patients and clients.
But also the studio management can conceptually expand the range of offers, distinguish itself from competitors and position itself more strongly on the market. Therefore, it is worth taking another look at the topic of fascia.
What should trainers and studio operators know about fascia?
How can this knowledge be integrated into studios? Is it possible to increase profits? Until now, in anatomy, when dissecting dead bodies, the skins were removed to get a good look at the muscles and joints. In this process, fasciae were considered to be mere packaging material, a passive structure with no influence on the organism. In many anatomy books exactly this view can still be found. Therefore, the pure definition is also complicated and contradictory.
What is clear today is that fasciae are more than just packaging material. All fibrous, collagen-containing connective tissue structures with gradual adaptations are fasciae. All body cells are surrounded by fascia, fascia connects all cells together. Fascia surrounds all organs, muscles, bones, blood vessels, nerve fibers and lymphatic vessels. Fascia gives support and shape to the body. The fascial system is an architectural tension network.
New findings about the fascial system are diverse and are highly debated in the literature.
Here is an overview of the current state of knowledge:
- Catapult Effect: fascia has a direct influence on force transmission and is considered to store elasticity and energy.
- Similar to smooth muscle cells, fasciae have measurable contractile elements that harden or relax within hours.
- There is a close connection between the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and fascia tension.
- 30% (!) of the muscle fibers of a muscle do not end in the attachment tendon but in the fascial tissue.
- Fasciae are considered to be ten times more highly innervated tissue than the musculature and are instrumental in forming the sense of posture due to the high settlement of mechanoreceptors.
- Pain receptors are mostly localized in fascia.
- Collagenous adaptation: fibroblasts remodel and build the collagenous fiber network within two years. This adaptation depends on genetic disposition, diet, exercise, stress, etc.
- In part, the fasciae are said to have a memory function (injuries, sequences of movements, traumas, etc.).
- Thickening and matting due to "cross-links" (disordered cross-connections) lead to loss of elasticity, adhesions due to reduced displaceability of the fasciae: Performance reduction and risk of injury increase.
- Fasciae are permeated by nerves, arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. The homeostasis of the organism depends decisively on the condition of the connective tissue.
In the science of movement, the active musculoskeletal system has long enough been reduced to the muscular system. According to current knowledge, this is no longer exclusively conceivable. Rather, a systemic approach is required, to view the body as a whole unit and to no longer train muscles in isolation, but to consider complex movement sequences as a whole in myofascial lines.
Thomas Myers, Rolfing therapist, author of the book "Anatomy Trains" and lecturer in demand worldwide, gives exciting recommendations for "neuro-myofascial" training as distinct from conventional training:
IN:
- Ballistic Training
- High variation in vectors, angles, tempos, weights
- Whole-body movements as long-chain as possible
- Complex training
- Regeneration
- Myofascial release for improved mobility and metabolic situation
OUT:
- Abrupt, uncontrolled movements
- Too high intensities
- Isolated movement
- Guided, recovering movement
- Too high weights
- Constant movement tempo
(see: Myers,T.:Fascial Fitness: Training in the neuromyofascial web, Fitness Journal, 2011)
Dr. hum.biol. Robert Schleip, Rolfing therapist, head of the "Fascia Research Project" at the University of Ulm and research director of the European Rolfing Asscociation recommends the following contents for fascia training:
- Myofascial Release: the "do it yourself method" with foam roll, stick, tennis golf hard foam ball to "juice" the tissue and improve the displaceability of the tissue. As an effective warm-up of the tissues before training or for recovery after the training session.
- Myofascial Stretch: Two stretching methods: "Melting stretches", slow melting stretches at terminal angles, with angle variation, multidirectional, spiral. The "active loaded stretches" in end-degree angles, with angle variations with active muscles, partially rocking.
- Rebound Elasticity: active pre-stretching of fascial chains, fast elastic springing with short ground contact times. The goal is to economize muscle work through elastic and explosively working fascial chains.
- Sensory Refinement: feeling and sensing the body to improve proprioception. Movement palettes from fast, dynamic, jumpy to slow, fine, silent, flowing. Alternation of speed, dynamics and weight.
(cf.: Müller, D & Schleip, R.:Fascial training. Theory and practice for building supple, strong connective tissue, 2012).
How can the contents be integrated in studios?
Comprehensive training courses are offered at the following internet addresses, to name a few:
- Fascial-fitness.com
- Fascial-therapy.com
- Guyvoyer.com
- Physioweb.de
- Anatomytrains.com
Workshops with different topics are offered at the following addresses:
- liebscher-bracht.com
- vogt-info.com/seminars
- euro-education.com
- ifaa.de
- gluckerkolleg.de
- perform-better.com
- meridian-academy.com
- dfav.de
The topic can be integrated in the group fitness area as a half or full hour "fascia course". Here, all four training contents according to Schleip can be applied. Interfaces to Pilates, Yoga and back training can also be found. Linking the familiar with the unfamiliar is known to reduce participants' fear of contact.
But even on the training floor, quarter-hour small group classes on "self myofascial release" can ideally be led by a trainer at peak times. Small materials such as mats, hard foam rollers, and tennis, lacrosse, and hard foam balls are needed for this purpose. An adjacent wall for rolling out with the ball in pain-sensitive areas, such as the neck and shoulder girdle, is useful.
These short sessions in small groups expand client self-competence and thus promote satisfaction. These small groups can be targeted and seasonal: runners and cyclists, for example, in the summer season, for skiers in the winter months. You could also offer small lectures followed by a taster session as a monthly special, or design in-house information brochures on the subject and make literature available.
The more the customer learns about his body, the sooner his training successes can be seen and measured. Often, however, proactively promoting the newly integrated offers is better than any notice on the info wall. The success, i.e. how well the topic "fascia" is transported and received, clearly lies with the trainer and course instructor team. The responsibility on the part of the studio management is to motivate the trainer staff and, in the best case, to contribute to the costs of further education. There is always the possibility of an in-house training to develop the best possible dynamics in the team.
How can you earn money with fascia?
The extent to which money can be made with fascia training cannot be stated in general terms. For many therapists, the fascia hype can be an unexpected boon. The customer base is growing, especially since their work with the connective tissue has once again come into focus. Perhaps studios can expand their expertise through increased collaboration with therapists and satisfy the client base through increased performance, decreased injuries and improved body sensation. In all cases, studios can attract new customers, differentiate themselves from competitors, and gain image because they are always working on the cutting edge of science.
However, the qualitative gain for the training design and the health of each individual is much more important.
Katja Dobat
DFAV training S-License Functional Training
Training location is Cologne
- Seminar: 08 - 09 November 2014
- Seminar: 10 - 11 January 2015
- Seminar: 07 - 08 February 2015
- Exam: February 28, 2015
For detailed info, please visit www.dfav.de
Source: F&G
Image Source: #212566155 Iryna / Adobe Stock
Published on: 6 August 2014