The Nature of Fascia

A lecture for bodyworkers & movement therapists

by Robert Schleip PhD

This DVD provides a lecture on the recent scientific discoveries of fascia. A Rolfing instructor and Feldenkrais Teacher, Robert Scleip became fascianated by the scientific exploration of fascia and its manipulation.

Rather than being a mere passive packing organ, it has become increasingly clear that the fascia plays an important role in myofascial force generation, in tissue stiffness regulation, in pain generation and in proprioception. Robert Schleip is an international expert on fascial research as well as a highly experienced bodyworker.

This 40 minute video presentation describes fascia as our richest sensory organ. It will focus on fascia as a most fascinating tissue seen through recent scientific discoveries.  

It covers: (1) The four types of sensory receptors in fascia: Golgi, Pacini, Ruffini and Insterstitial. Each mechanoreceptor will be addressed in detail, including guidelines on how to stimulate it via manual therapy.  (2) Fascial tonicity, including the ability of fascia to contract and relax like a smooth muscle (3) Elastic recoil, the ability to recoil doing  economical movements, and (4) Dynamic changes in matrix hydration induced by fascial manipulation by various forms of bodywork treatment.

Hear an Interview with Robert Schleip in 'Brain Science Podcast'

Watch a Video interview with Robert Schleip

Dr. Schleip recommends reading the Wikipedia entry on Fascia if you would like to learn the basics.

Robert Schleip PhD, is an International Rolfing Instructor and Fascial Anatomy Teacher. Robert has been an enthusiastic certified Rolfer since 1978. He holds on M.A. degree in psychology and is a Certified Feldenkrais Teacher since 1988.

Schleip is named as a "born-again scientist" by Science Magazine. While he was teaching Rolfing in early 2000, he began to question the theory behind myofascial release. He found there was a lack of scientific basis in the explanation of fascia and myofascial release. So he began to research in the area of fascia and turned to the scientific literature on fascia. He discovered that some of the Rolfing and myofascial release dogma were not well founded. For example, in myofascial release theory, it assumes that if we apply enough force to an area of fascia, the fascia will lengthen and remove tension. But the science says you need to apply a ton of pressure to make these changes.

The literature also provided another insight: fascia is highly innervated, and this might explain why manipulating the tissue could release and ease pain. Dr Schleip knows that there were many gold mines waiting. So he stopped teaching bodywork and pursued a scientific career.

But it wasn't easy, 10 professors turned Schleip down before one at Ulm University gave him a chance, but no lab space. Schleip spent his first year conducting experiments in his kitchen and in a storage room he rented from a nearby pharmacy. He began to study the ability of fascial tissue to contract, a property that could play a role in stiffness and lower back pain.

Visit Robert Schleip's website containing lots of articles www.somatics.de 

Visit Fascia Research Group www.fasciaresearch.de