- Email: [email protected]
Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System
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MODEL
Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2015) xx, 1e2
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/jbmt
FASCIA SCIENCE AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS: BOOK REVIEW Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System, C. Stecco. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh (2015). It is rare to get the opportunity to review a book that fills a void like no other. Often, medical textbooks are updated variations of previous publications perhaps from a slightly different perspective, or based on new theoretical developments in a particular field, or featuring new treatment techniques. In the field of anatomy, most anatomy books are variations of topographical representations of the human body with a review of isolated anatomical structures, such as muscles, bones, ligaments, nerves, and occasionally the skin, going all the way back to Vesalius. Andreas Vesalius (1514e1564), a professor of anatomy at the University of Padua in northern Italy, was only twentyeight years old when he published “De humani corporis fabrica libri septem,” which became one of the most influential anatomy atlases in history. Vesalius’ atlas was a true parting from the writings of the ancient Greek authority Aelius Galen, which for many centuries dominated European medical science even though the anatomical drawings were based on dissections of mammals, including pigs and monkeys. How fitting it is that some five hundred years later, another anatomist from northern Italy once again breaks the anatomical mold. Where more standard topographical anatomy books feature reviews of muscles, joints and ligaments after the fascia has been removed, orthopedic surgeon and anatomist Carla Stecco spent the past 10 years dissecting fresh human cadavers to better appreciate fascial anatomy, the continuity of the fascia through its many connections to other structures, and its implications for clinical practice. A five-hundred-year tradition of anatomy studies at the University of Padua continues with this groundbreaking fascial anatomy book. The book starts with a detailed overview of connective tissue and subcutaneous and deep fascia both from a macroscopic and microscopic perspective, followed by excellent descriptions of the fascia of the head and neck, thorax and abdomen, back, and extremities. The book is illustrated with the very best, high-quality photographs I
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.06.010
have ever seen in any book. Every picture illustrates the multidimensional nature of fascia and its integral connections to other structures. Supported by a very comprehensive, but easy to read text, this unique anatomy book provides visual evidence that in clinical practice, the role of fascia cannot be overstated. Where many clinicians feel that “pain is in the brain” without considering peripheral relationships throughout the body, this book will require a new look and approach in how clinicians think about the human body. After all, it is because of these fascial interconnections, that we can move freely, express ourselves, and engage in athletic activities, among others. Stecco did not include joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, and loose connective tissue, but that does not reduce the value of this marvelous book. The book is a very welcome change of direction after so many years of incomplete topographical atlases. Clinicians may think that the whole body has already been studied in detail and mapped out in anatomy books, but in reality, much of the human body has not yet been explored in sufficient detail and many questions remain unanswered. Stecco has provided a phenomenal resource that may provide new answers to questions that have mesmerized clinicians and researchers for centuries. At the same time, the book gives answers to questions that have not yet been asked. More traditional anatomists will have to rethink what they may have learned during their anatomy studies. Topographical anatomy books may have to be rewritten and include many of the fascial secrets Stecco has begun to unravel. Clinicians may have to modify their treatment approaches, ranging from how to optimally stretch muscles to how to take advantage of fascial lines using athletic tape. This book belongs in the curriculum of any university teaching human anatomy, including medical and osteopathic institutions, physical therapy and manual therapy programs, chiropractic education, massage and myotherapy courses, Rolfing Structural Integration classes, and other bodywork programs. Clinicians interested in advancing their understanding of human anatomy and the consequences for clinical practice should add this book to their libraries. As an additional benefit, the book includes
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MODEL
2 an online video bank with 14 excellent videos further demonstrating the fascial connections with muscles and ligaments. Carla Stecco’s Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System indeed fills a void that many did not know even existed. I wish all books would be such a delight to review. Don’t wait any longer and start reading this magnificent book!
Fascia science and clinical applications: Book review Jan Dommerholt, PT, DPT, DAAPM * Bethesda Physiocare, Bethesda, MD, USA Myopain Seminars, Bethesda, MD, USA PhysioFitness, Rockville, MD, USA *Bethesda Physiocare, Bethesda, MD, USA. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Dommerholt)
MODEL
Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2015) xx, 1e2
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/jbmt
FASCIA SCIENCE AND CLINICAL APPLICATIONS: BOOK REVIEW Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System, C. Stecco. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh (2015). It is rare to get the opportunity to review a book that fills a void like no other. Often, medical textbooks are updated variations of previous publications perhaps from a slightly different perspective, or based on new theoretical developments in a particular field, or featuring new treatment techniques. In the field of anatomy, most anatomy books are variations of topographical representations of the human body with a review of isolated anatomical structures, such as muscles, bones, ligaments, nerves, and occasionally the skin, going all the way back to Vesalius. Andreas Vesalius (1514e1564), a professor of anatomy at the University of Padua in northern Italy, was only twentyeight years old when he published “De humani corporis fabrica libri septem,” which became one of the most influential anatomy atlases in history. Vesalius’ atlas was a true parting from the writings of the ancient Greek authority Aelius Galen, which for many centuries dominated European medical science even though the anatomical drawings were based on dissections of mammals, including pigs and monkeys. How fitting it is that some five hundred years later, another anatomist from northern Italy once again breaks the anatomical mold. Where more standard topographical anatomy books feature reviews of muscles, joints and ligaments after the fascia has been removed, orthopedic surgeon and anatomist Carla Stecco spent the past 10 years dissecting fresh human cadavers to better appreciate fascial anatomy, the continuity of the fascia through its many connections to other structures, and its implications for clinical practice. A five-hundred-year tradition of anatomy studies at the University of Padua continues with this groundbreaking fascial anatomy book. The book starts with a detailed overview of connective tissue and subcutaneous and deep fascia both from a macroscopic and microscopic perspective, followed by excellent descriptions of the fascia of the head and neck, thorax and abdomen, back, and extremities. The book is illustrated with the very best, high-quality photographs I
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.06.010
have ever seen in any book. Every picture illustrates the multidimensional nature of fascia and its integral connections to other structures. Supported by a very comprehensive, but easy to read text, this unique anatomy book provides visual evidence that in clinical practice, the role of fascia cannot be overstated. Where many clinicians feel that “pain is in the brain” without considering peripheral relationships throughout the body, this book will require a new look and approach in how clinicians think about the human body. After all, it is because of these fascial interconnections, that we can move freely, express ourselves, and engage in athletic activities, among others. Stecco did not include joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, and loose connective tissue, but that does not reduce the value of this marvelous book. The book is a very welcome change of direction after so many years of incomplete topographical atlases. Clinicians may think that the whole body has already been studied in detail and mapped out in anatomy books, but in reality, much of the human body has not yet been explored in sufficient detail and many questions remain unanswered. Stecco has provided a phenomenal resource that may provide new answers to questions that have mesmerized clinicians and researchers for centuries. At the same time, the book gives answers to questions that have not yet been asked. More traditional anatomists will have to rethink what they may have learned during their anatomy studies. Topographical anatomy books may have to be rewritten and include many of the fascial secrets Stecco has begun to unravel. Clinicians may have to modify their treatment approaches, ranging from how to optimally stretch muscles to how to take advantage of fascial lines using athletic tape. This book belongs in the curriculum of any university teaching human anatomy, including medical and osteopathic institutions, physical therapy and manual therapy programs, chiropractic education, massage and myotherapy courses, Rolfing Structural Integration classes, and other bodywork programs. Clinicians interested in advancing their understanding of human anatomy and the consequences for clinical practice should add this book to their libraries. As an additional benefit, the book includes
+
MODEL
2 an online video bank with 14 excellent videos further demonstrating the fascial connections with muscles and ligaments. Carla Stecco’s Functional Atlas of the Human Fascial System indeed fills a void that many did not know even existed. I wish all books would be such a delight to review. Don’t wait any longer and start reading this magnificent book!
Fascia science and clinical applications: Book review Jan Dommerholt, PT, DPT, DAAPM * Bethesda Physiocare, Bethesda, MD, USA Myopain Seminars, Bethesda, MD, USA PhysioFitness, Rockville, MD, USA *Bethesda Physiocare, Bethesda, MD, USA. E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Dommerholt)