Emission of Biophotons and Adjustable Sounds by the Fascial System: Review and Reflections for Manual Therapy.

Every body structure is wrapped in connective tissue or fascia, creating a structural continuity that gives form and function to every tissue and organ. The fascial tissue is uniformly distributed throughout the body, enveloping, interacting with and permeating blood vessels, nerves, viscera, meninges, bones and muscles, creating various layers at different depths and forming a tridimensional metabolic and mechanical matrix. This article reviews the literature on the emission of biophotons and adjustable sounds by the fascial system, because these biological changes could be a means of local and systemic cellular communication and become another assessment tool for manual (therapy) practitioners. This is the first article that discusses these topics in a single text, attempting to bring such information into an area of application that is beneficial to osteopaths, chiropractors, and manual therapists.

Can fascia's characteristics be influenced by manual therapy?

This essay looks into some fundamental properties of collagen and attempts to relate what the manual therapist does to the necessity of maintaining the collagen's strength under loads. In so doing we point out some difficulties in gathering relevant data applicable to the clinic and propose direction for further research.

A unifying neuro-fasciagenic model of somatic dysfunction - underlying mechanisms and treatment - Part I.

This paper offers an extensive review of the main fascia-mediated mechanisms underlying various dysfunctional and pathophysiological processes of clinical relevance for manual therapy. The concept of somatic dysfunction is revisited in light of the diverse fascial influences that may come into play in its genesis and maintenance. A change in perspective is thus proposed: from a nociceptive model that for decades has viewed somatic dysfunction as a neurologically-mediated phenomenon, to a unifying fascial model that integrates neural influences into a multifactorial and multidimensional interpretation of dysfunctional process as being partially, if not entirely, mediated by the fascia.

Mathematical analysis of the flow of hyaluronic acid around fascia during manual therapy motions.

CONTEXT: More research is needed to understand the flow characteristics of hyaluronic acid (HA) during motions used in osteopathic manipulative treatment and other manual therapies. OBJECTIVE: To apply a 3-dimensional mathematical model to explore the relationship between the 3 manual therapy motions (constant sliding, perpendicular vibration, and tangential oscillation) and the flow characteristics of HA below the fascial layer. METHODS: The Squeeze Film Lubrication theory of fluid mechanics for flow between 2 plates was used, as well as the Navier-Stokes equations. RESULTS: The fluid pressure of HA increased substantially as fascia was deformed during manual therapies. There was a higher rate of pressure during tangential oscillation and perpendicular vibration than during constant sliding. This variation of pressure caused HA to flow near the edges of the fascial area under manipulation, and this flow resulted in greater lubrication. The pressure generated in the fluid between the muscle and the fascia during osteopathic manipulative treatment causes the fluid gap to increase. Consequently, the thickness between 2 fascial layers increases as well. Thus, the presence of a thicker fluid gap can improve the sliding system and permit the muscles to work more efficiently. CONCLUSION: The mathematical model employed by the authors suggests that inclusion of perpendicular vibration and tangential oscillation may increase the action of the treatment in the extracellular matrix, providing additional benefits in manual therapies that currently use only constant sliding motions.

Squeeze film lubrication for non-Newtonian fluids with application to manual medicine.

In this paper, we computed fluid pressure and force on fascia sheets during manual therapy treatments using Squeeze Film Lubrication theory for non-Newtonian fluids. For this purpose, we developed a model valid for three dimensional fluid flow of a non-Newtonian liquid. Previous models considered only one-dimensional flows in two dimensions. We applied this model to compare the one-dimensional flow of HA, considered as a lubricating fluid, around or within the fascia during sliding, vibration, and back-and-forth sliding manipulation treatment techniques. The fluid pressure of HA increases dramatically as fascia is deformed during manual therapies. The fluid force increases more during vertical vibratory manipulation treatment than in constant sliding, and back and forth motion. The variation of fluid pressure/force causes HA to flow near the edges of the fascial area under manipulation in sliding and back and forth motion which may result in greater lubrication. The fluid pressure generated in manual therapy techniques may improve sliding and permit muscles to work more efficiently.