The Changing Pioneers
Who are the pioneers in the field of Myofascial Release? Or better put, who are those that created a shift in the way we view the body?
A look at the history of Myofascial Release, as well as the primary contributors, can be obtained on Wikipedia. But who represents the future?
I have a respect for the research and writings of Robert Schleip, Ph. D, who is a German fascia researcher and Rolfer. A case in point is his article, Fascial plasticity – a new neurobiological explanation: Part 1. While acknowledging the hypothetical nature of his work, he puts forth an explanation for the mechanism of fascial work from the basis of neurobiology.
When I put my hands on a client and feel changes, I have always had a mental picture of what was occurring, based on my learning. Schleip takes these same sensations and frames them in a new way. Since current research has failed to confirm the paradigm of mechanical explanation that I was taught as a means of validating fascial release, his theory draws from plausible explanations to come up with a logical framework. Sacred cows, whether they be in Myofascial Release or Craniosacral Therapy, can be changed.
So why does it matter? If what we are doing works, why should the explanation be so important? If Myofascial Release is to gain further credibility as an accepted modality, the science does matter. Will this change how we work? Quite possibly; finding the mechanism for change may lead to further advances in theory and technique.
Give Schleip's article a read and let me know your thoughts.
Walt Fritz, PT