In his new bestseller about the body’s connective tissue, David Lesondak succeeds in making the obscure informative and entertaining. We spoke with David about his book. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? I’m a structural integrator and multi-modality fascial specialist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Department of Integrative Medicine. I also
Foam rollers has become a popular a self-myofascial release gizmo among health and fitness professionals. Studies have shown that foam rollers can enhance joint range of motion (ROM). Recently vibrating foam rollers were introduced allowing a combination of vibration therapy and foam rolling. A study headed by Dr. Scott Cheatham from California State University
Oxytocin, also known as the love hormone, plays an important role in social behaviour, appears to sustain social bonds and to increase cooperative behaviours. A study published in Psychoneuroendocrinology demonstrated that massage through a mechanical instrument can increase oxytocin levels. In addition, the elevated oxytocin level stimulates a more sensitive response. This study from the
A study from Spain investigated the immediate effects of myofascial unwinding, with placebo electrotherapy as a control, on perceived pain, cervical/shoulder range of motion (ROM), and mood state in breast cancer survivors with shoulder/arm morbidity. The study recruited 21 breast cancer survivors who had a diagnosis of stage I–IIIA breast cancer and had completed adjuvant
A study from National Taiwan University attempted to quantify the immediate effects of myofascial release on the mechanical properties of posterior thoracolumbar fascia in healthy men using ultrasound. They found a decrease in thoracolumbar fascia stiffness after application of myofascial release. Before jumping to any conclusion about “deformation” of fascia, we need to understand terminologies
Stretching is commonly prescribed for increasing flexibility and range of motion, enhancing muscular coordination, and preventing prolonged immobilization. However, emerging evidence suggests that short-term (acute) or long-term (chronic) stretching exercise may have beneficial cardiovascular responses as well. Researchers from University of Iowa conducted a review to highlight potential relationships between skeletal muscle stretching and cardiovascular
A new study study from Germany investigated whether watching one’s back during massage increases the analgesic effect of this treatment in chronic lower back pain patients. The research, published European Journal of Pain, was inspired by previous research findings that suggest visual feedback on treating chronic pain can exert an analgesic effect. Twenty patients with
Bodily feelings are commonly thought to reflect the biological state of our body tissues. A new research from the University of South Australia now stated that feelings of back stiffness are a protective perceptual construct, rather than reflecting biomechanical properties of the back. This idea has implications for treatment of pain/stiffness but also for our
It is well recognized that stretching is an effective method to increase long-term joint range of motion. However, the effects of stretch training on the muscle-tendon structural properties remain unclear. Published in the August 2017 edition of Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, a group of researchers from Portugal, France, and Serbia conducted
Real-world massage is effective for treating Lower Back Pain A common research design evaluating the effectiveness of massage involved treatment with standardized massage sessions, rarely found in the real-world. A new study from Indiana University-Purdue University published in the journal Pain Medicine tackled this deficiency, therapists were free to design massage programs according to the
