research recommendations
clinical theory & application
These articles are all about tracing the path from bench to bedside. They synthesize basic research findings about the neurofascia and they attempt reasonable extensions of those findings into clinical work.
biomechanics & force modeling
We still know very little about how mechanical force moves through the fascial system, how nerves twist, stretch, and slide, and how fascia confers force onto nerve tissue. What happens to the sciatic nerve when you kick a soccer ball? How does fascia deform under a therapist’s hand? How much pull does the lumbodorsal fascia exert on the lumbar plexus nerves? Here’s a selection of free articles on neurofascial biomechanics.
mechanotransduction & the nervous system
We used to think the nervous system didn’t care about its mechanical environment; that its physiology was more or less constant within a wide range of human movements and postures. We don’t think that anymore. Fascial structures like facet joints and retinacula, once thought “dumb”, may be important sensory organs. Things like action potential, axoplasmic flow, and chronic neuroinflammation are all modulated by mechanical stress. The question is, how much, and in what situations, and why should we care?
fascial anatomy
By its very nature, fascia has escaped our classification and visualization. In the last 10 years, major work has been done to elucidate the separations and continuities conferred by this amazing tissue. If we want to understand the nerve-fascia interface, we first need a solid sense of where the fascia is and what it’s shaped like.