The Nuance
Are Fascial Treatments the Cure for What Ails You?
Medical therapies for this ubiquitous tissue are so hot right now, but experts disagree on their merits
Every week, the Nuance will go beyond the basics, offering a deep and researched look at the latest science and expert insights on a buzzed-about health topic. This week, we’re looking into claims that fascial therapy can heal everything from sports injuries to cellulite.
Crack open an anatomy textbook and you’ll see that most of the illustrations portray the human body as a neatly defined network of muscles, bones, and organs. Often left out: the fibrous, collagen-dense layers of white fascia that hold everything in place.
“The fascia is the covering tissue around any muscle,” says James Gladstone, MD, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and co-chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.
Gladstone explains that fascia is more or less ubiquitous inside our bodies and has mild elastic properties that allow it to offer snug support even when our muscles swell in response to exercise or injury. The fascia also helps secure organs, bones, and other connective tissues. If the human body were a frittata, the fascia would be the egg.
