Fascia - The Modern Cinderella

Once upon a time, there was ‘stuff’ that nobody understood, and it was therefore blissfully ignored in favor of its neighbors which were open to inspection and let everybody know what they were doing.

That ‘stuff’ is fascia, and its very substance gives our bodies structure and stability. Fascia surrounds every bone, every muscle, and every organ. It connects the heel to the skull in long myofascial lines. It creates slings and stirrups, and it is insinuated in the nursery rhyme ‘Dem Bones’. It double-bags the viscera and thereby reinforces the protective structure of our core muscles.

Thomas Myers has recently called the research into fascia a Cinderella story, but it certainly appears that Prince Charming is on its way with the glass slipper. Gil Hedley has an absolutely fascinating set of DVDs called ‘The Integral Anatomy Series’ in which he beautifully demonstrates the prevalence of fascia and how it interconnects every facts of body function. These DVDs are dissections of human forms, and they are done with such reverence towards the donor and the family who are behind this form that – for me – it quieted any concerns I may have had about watching it.

Watching the DVDs has opened my eyes to a completely different world of anatomy where nothing exists independently, and while I cherish my anatomy books that create such a sanitized version, where everything has a clearly defined beginning and a clearly defined end, I now marvel in the realization that any action in any part of my body may have an impact on some place seemingly distant, yet connected through fascia.

Placebo, or 'MELT to Wellness'

I recently read a very interesting book: 'The Emperor's New Drugs' by Irving Kirsch. The drugs under scrutiny in this book are antidepressants, and while that were very intersting, there was another subject that caught my full attention: the role that placebos play.

Of course, we all know that there is always a placebo group in drug trials, and the placebo effect is legendary.

As I was pondering about that, I was struck by how little anyone can do to heal another person. Whether it is a doctor, chiropractor, a drug, a placebo or a spell. The only one with the power to heal is the person him- or herself needing the healing. Drugs and doctors can create a more favorable enviroment in which healing is facilitated easier but the power still rests entirely with the patient.

I am a MELT (Myofascial Energetic Length Technique) instructor, and this modality quiets the stress reflex and brings the body in a state of greater efficiency and a better alignment. People often report sleeping better and just feeling more energized. While MELT by itself cannot heal any ills, it is yet another way to create an environment in which people can easier tap into their own power to heal themselves.