Fascial Manipulation®

This can be difficult to explain… so, here is the non-scientific explanation; Imagine each person having their own unique spiderman’s outfit. The stitching is different in everyone depending on the pattern of injuries and problems over their lifetime.

Imagine layers of clingfilm underneath and intertwined with the spiderman’s suit. Now picture some areas being snagged or stuck down. Can you visualise creases or lines of stress radiating out from it? This is what happens to the fascia – the lines of stress radiate out and cause tension often far away from the initial insult

An example: You might come to see us with a recurring pain in the buttock. We might discover from your history that you had a twisted ankle 30 years ago which caused a few days or weeks of walking awkwardly. This might have affected the soft tissues of both legs, the back and even beyond. Thus we might end up treating a foot or knee (not even necessarily the ankle itself!) to resolve the buttock pain.

Fascial manipulation helps us to trace the holding pattern which might have been present since childhood – and to release it.

Fascial manipulation can produce prompt relief of:

• Lower back and neck pain
• Hip pain
• Migraine Headaches
• Tension Headaches
• Knee pain
• Plantar fasciitis
• Shoulder pain

The more scientific explanation:

Fascial Manipulation is the newest and most exciting manual therapy technique added to our practice in years. It was researched and invented by Drs. Luigi Stecco, Carla Stecco, and Antonio Stecco, MDs of Paduva, Italy. The method has evolved over the last 35 years through intense research by cadaveric dissection, live ultrasound analysis, and clinical observation. Most interestingly, the technique separates the areas of treatment by movement planes, as well as complex movement patterns centred on joint and muscular dysfunction. Their results are truly remarkable.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is an interconnecting network of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding and connecting structures together. It is continuous throughout the whole body and is composed of several layers: imagine your whole body “cling-filmed” with several endless sheets of clingfilm It has several functions:

• It provides a sliding and gliding environment for muscles
• Suspends and supports organs (heart, kidneys, liver etc) in their proper place
• Transmits movement from muscles to bones
• Provides a supportive and movable wrapping for nerves and blood vessels as they pass through and between muscles
• Provides a communication network for cells throughout the body which is independent of the CNS (central nervous system)

How does Fascial Manipulation work?

Due to trauma or inflammation fascia may shorten and what was previously a pain-free range of motion may become painful and restricted. The normal sliding of the fascia becomes compromised and increases collagen production (scar tissue). Fascial Manipulation technique is a biomechanical system that fully treats abnormal adhesions or "densifications" usually present with orthopaedic conditions. These adhesions often change the direction of the way muscles and tendons pull. The mechanics of joints are then compromised causing recurring pain and/or injury.

The mainstay of this manual technique lies in the identification of a specific, localized area of fascia that restricts movement causing pain. Once a limited or painful movement is identified, then a specific point on the fascia is manipulated until the adhesion/densification disappears or decreases and the movement is restored and pain reduced. By the elimination of these adhesions through fascial manipulation the muscular forces become balanced and transmissions return to normal, the joint movement normalises and the pain rapidly resolves.

Fascial Manipulation (FM) and Myofascial Release (MFR) both deal with the same structure ie fascia but in very different ways:

1. target tissues: MFR is the gentle accessing of nerve receptors which respond to light touch only, whilst FM is a more robust approach targeting the deep fascia
2. technique: MFR uses a combination of always gentle tension and compression. The tension addresses the collagen, the compression releases the ground substance. FM utilises a firm touch to adhere to the skin then very localised friction with sufficient pressure to pass through the superficial layers to affect the underlying deep fascia. It can be very painful.
3. treatment time: MFR requires an hour’s session because every single treatment addresses the whole body. Gentle release of long held restriction takes time and patience at each session. FM sessions are usually more localised and half an hour is usually sufficient
4. emotional release: MFR may give the therapist and patient access to any emotional components which might have contributed to the physical symptoms. FM sessions at this level seldom do.