Fascial Fitness Second Edition

A bestseller (over 80,000 copies sold) in a second, updated edition. Learn fascial exercises to improve mobility and flexibility, avoid and treat pain, and improve sports performance. In this second edition of his best-selling guide to fascial fitness, fascia researcher and Rolfing therapist Dr. Robert Schleip shows you a series of practical exercises that you can easily build into your day-to-day routine. He introduces the most recent scientific findings from the world of fascial research, and explains which methods and equipment are most effective for fascial health (as well as which ones do more harm than good!). These new findings are already changing the shape of physiotherapy and the methods of treatment and recovery we use today, and will continue to do so in the future. Physiotherapists, sports scientists, and doctors agree that if we want to stay flexible, energetic and pain-free in our day-to-day lives and sporting pursuits, we need to look after our connective tissue - our 'fascia'. There has been a great deal of research into this over the last few years, all of which shows that the fascia around our muscles plays a huge role in keeping us fit, healthy, flexible, and feeling good. This versatile tissue transfers energy to the muscles, communicates with the nervous system, acts as a sensory organ, helps to protect and regenerate our internal organs, and provides the foundations for a healthy physique. We used to think it was our muscles doing all the work, but now we know the connective tissue plays a big part, too. It responds to stress and other stimuli, and when it gets matted or sticks together, it can cause pain and mobility problems. That's why it's so important to train our fascia - and just 10 minutes, twice a week is all it takes!

If you want to be faster, stronger, and less prone to injury, it's critical you understand how important the body's fascia system is to athletic performance. Modern research and imaging technologies are showing us that it's far more significant than we have long understood. That's why Bill Parisi--founder of the Parisi Speed School--and extreme sports writer, Johnathon Allen, set out on a nationwide quest to interview the top experts in the field so they could present this new performance science in a paradigm shifting book that's not only packed with practical information, but also entertaining to read! Fascia Training: A Whole-System Approach, explores the new evidence-based science of fascia training as explained by top experts in the field, including "Dr. Back Mechanic" Stu McGill, champion Olympic coach Dan Pfaff, founder of Anatomy Trains Tom Myers, biomechanist Ken Clark, founder of Sparta Science Phil Wagner MD, and assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ersTodd Wright. Fascia Training is a "must read" for anyone serious about improving performance and reducing injury.

"This book explains how fitness enthusiasts and athletes can mobilize the fascia in order to improve function, flexibility, and performance, and to reduce pain and risk of injury"--

This book is the product of an important collaboration between clinicians of the manual therapies and scientists in several disciplines that grew out of the three recent International Fascia Research Congresses (Boston, Amsterdam, and Vancouver). The book editors, Thomas Findley MD PhD, Robert Schleip PhD, Peter Huijing PhD and Leon Chaitow DO, were major organizers of these congresses and used their extensive experience to select chapters and contributors for this book. This volume therefore brings together contributors from diverse backgrounds who share the desire to bridge the gap between theory and practice in our current knowledge of the fascia and goes beyond the 2007, 2009 and 2012 congresses to define the state-of-the-art, from both the clinical and scientific perspective. Prepared by over 100 specialists and researchers from throughout the world, Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body will be ideal for all professionals who have an interest in fascia and human movement - physiotherapists, osteopathic physicians, osteopaths, chiropractors, structural integration practitioners, manual therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga or Pilates instructors, exercise scientists and personal trainers - as well as physicians involved with musculoskeletal medicine, pain management and rehabilitation, and basic scientists working in the field. Reflects the efforts of almost 100 scientists and clinicians from throughout the world Offers comprehensive coverage ranging from anatomy and physiology, clinical conditions and associated therapies, to recently developed research techniques Explores the role of fascia as a bodywide communication system Presents the latest information available on myofascial force transmission which helps establish a scientific basis for given clinical experiences Explores the importance of fascia as a sensory organ - for example, its important proprioceptive and nociceptive functions which have implications for the generation of low back pain Describes new imaging methods which confirm the connectivity of organs and tissues Designed to organize relevant information for professionals involved in the therapeutic manipulation of the body’s connective tissue matrix (fascia) as well as for scientists involved in basic science research Reflects the increasing need for information about the properties of fascia, particularly for osteopaths, massage therapists, physiotherapists and other complementary health care professionals Offers new insights on the fascial related foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine Meridians and the fascial effects of acupuncture

Fascia, Function, and Medical Applications is essential reading for medical and allied health practitioners who want to bring scientific insights of the importance of fascia to human health into their clinical practices. Fascia – the biodynamic tissue that connects every muscle, bone, organ, and nerve in the body – is fast becoming the latest trend in healthcare and allied health modalities. This book is edited by David Lesondak, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, author of the international bestseller Fascia: What it is and why it matters, and Angeli Maun Akey, MD, international physician educator and board certified in both internal and integrative medicine. It contains contributions from a team of top researchers and expert practitioners including physicians, clinicians, therapists, dissectors, and surgeons. Fully illustrated in color, this book presents the latest scientific knowledge of fascia and explains insights into problems like chronic pain and myriad musculoskeletal symptoms that may not respond to conventional treatments. It gives practitioners the information they need to make better decisions to improve the health of patients often without pharmaceuticals or surgeries. FEATURES • Provides comprehensive overview of how fascia, as a tissue and a system, affects various body functions and systems, from musculoskeletal disorders to nervous system, circulatory, and auto-immune function. • A section devoted to medical applications highlights a comprehensive and critical overview of various fascial therapies. • Gives practitioners the knowledge they need to refer or add as an adjunct therapy to their department or rehabilitation team. This is a cutting-edge, practical guide that will appeal to researchers, physicians, and clinicians alike.

Transform your health with this cutting-edge guide to fascia, your body's "hidden organ." Dr. Daniel Fenster guides the reader through a holistic self-therapy program as well as professional treatments to address issues such as chronic pain, anxiety, high blood pressure, GERD, and more. At the #1 pain management clinic in New York City, director Dr. Daniel Fenster has changed thousands of lives for the better through a holistic approach and integrative therapies. His experience has revealed to him that treating the fascia--your long ignored, unappreciated, "hidden organ" that weaves around and through every single structure in your body--is crucial for both physical and mental health. Within these pages, Dr. Fenster will reveal all you need to know about fascia, including: • The 8 "villains" that hurt your fascia and how to combat them • A "free your fascia" quiz to assess what therapies are right for you • 20 recipes to nourish your fascia with the nutrients it needs • Simple, at-home exercises and do-it-yourself therapies for releasing and optimizing your fascia • Advice for working with professionals and the most powerful tools in fascial manipulation • Exclusive to this book: interviews between Dr. Fenster and 10 of the leading-edge fascia researchers and experts. By "freeing your fascia," you'll feel stronger, healthier, and happier from head to toe!

This proven program used by today’s top athletes, coaches, trainers, and therapists will improve flexibility, reduce injury, and optimize performance. The new edition includes the latest research, new flexibility assessments, new stretching matrix, and dozens of the most effective stretches to personalize a program for any athlete, sport, or event.