EP 61 From Student to OTD: Maddie's Capstone Journey into Fascia-Informed Practice

In this episode, I share a story about a client who had received outdated, instructions for “protecting” her back during exercise. From an occupational therapy and ergonomics perspective, we explore more current, practical ways to think about protecting the spine during exercise and everyday movement in ways the clients can digest. Join the fascia-informed community.

Cells are constantly receiving information not only through chemical messengers such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors, but also through their physical environment. In this episode, we explore integrins: specialized cell-surface receptors that help link the extracellular matrix to the cell’s internal scaffolding. I discuss how integrins participate in adhesion, movement, cellular organization, and mechanosensing and why a cell’s local environment, including matrix composition, structure, stiffness, and loading, can influence its behavior. All this gives us one more reason to keep fascia healthy! Join the community: Email Sign-Up References mentioned: Anderson, L. R., Owens, T. W., & Naylor, M. J. (2014). Structural and mechanical functions of integrins. Biophysical reviews, 6(2), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-013-0124-0 Fagerholm S. C. (2022). Integrins in Health and Disease. The New England journal of medicine, 387(16), 1519–1521. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcibr2209679

Thermography is increasingly marketed as a painless, noninvasive way to look at what may be happening in the body, but what can it actually tell us? In this episode, I explore infrared thermography through a fascia-informed lens. Thermography is a type of imaging that maps patterns of heat on the skin’s surface. I share what sparked my curiosity, including the growing availability of thermography services in my community and conversations with people who have used it. I also discuss an article on myofascial trigger points and persistent neck and shoulder pain. Can differences in skin temperature offer clues about circulation, muscle activity, autonomic nervous system activity, or movement limitations? Could thermal imaging provide useful clinical information when structural imaging does not fully explain a person’s symptoms? We will explore what thermography measures, what current research suggests about its potential uses, and the important distinction between information that may contribute to clinical reasoning and a test that can make a diagnosis on its own.

In this episode, I'm replaying one of the most popular topics from EP 78. Most of us can improve on our understanding of stress and how it affects the body. The article by Huston (2022) presents a compelling theory on this topic that involves the fascia. I'm not just replaying the episode. I'm also sharing a new process that I'm hoping will benefit us both! If you are listening to the podcast, you can now get CE (depending on your educational requirements for licensure). This is a trial run. If there is interest, I'll create more CE for the past most listened to episodes and for future CE worthy episodes. This will help me keep the podcast going. If you want to support it, you can go to Fascia-Informed CE Home and purchase the related episode CE (EP 78). Here is what the process looks like: Step 1: Listen to the podcast. Step 2: Read the article and related resources. Step 3: Reflect on how the content applies to your practice. Step 4: Take the quiz. Step 5: Provide feedback. Step 6: Download and save your certificate and CE resource document. Thank you! Amy

Each discipline operates from different rules and definitions. A system can be defined as "a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole". So, is fascia a system? It depends on who you ask. The Fascia Nomenclature Committee, a group of international experts from different backgrounds clearly says yes in their current definitions, but anatomist disagree. Articles that may help you think more about this after you listen in to this episode are below. FasciaInformed.com Neumann, P. E., Labib, H., Lhuaire, M., Boaz, N. T., Noel, G. P. J. C., Suárez-Quian, C., Tessema, C., Ward, P. J., Weinhaus, A. J., Anand, M. K., & Detton, A. J. (2026). Fascia, eh. What is it? What is it good for? Clinical Anatomy, 39(2), 262–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.70047 Sharkey, J. (2026). Fascia is not a system: A critical appraisal of terminological drift in anatomical literature. Clinical Anatomy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.70175 Sharkey, J. & Flannigan, M. (2023) Towards a Paramedical Interdisciplinary Definition of Fascia Supporting Practitioners Offering Fascia-Focused Therapies (Part 1). Int J Anat Appl Physiol. 9(1):218-222. Stecco, C., Adstrum, S., Hedley, G., Schleip, R., & Yucesoy, C. A. (2018). Update on fascial nomenclature [Letter to the editor]. Fascia Science and Clinical Applications, 22(2), 354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.12.015