Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 12, Issue 1 , Pages 1-2, January 2008

Perception and reality changes following the Fascia Congress

School of Integrated Health, University of Westminster, Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1M 8JS, UK

Article Outline

 

The remarkable and extraordinarily informative Fascia Research Congress, held at the Conference Centre at Harvard Medical School, Boston, early in October 2007, opened new vistas in our understanding of that ubiquitous and still mysterious substance—fascia.

As well as it's undoubted influence over manual therapy methods and understanding, the Congress will have major effects on JBMT's content over the coming year, as well as on its editorial team, as explained below.

Major researchers into the features and functions of fascia, including mechanotransduction, myofibroblast behaviour, fascial anatomy and biomechanics, as well as fascia pain mechanisms, laid out the state of current scientific knowledge on the subject. Accompanying the numerous plenary presentations were a host of parallel sessions, with focus on topics such as cellular issues, surgical considerations, low back and lumbar fascia, measurement methods, fascial tonicity, lumbopelvic stability, continence and breathing, as well as new hypotheses.

Excitingly, a significant number of the main invited speakers for the plenary sessions have agreed to compile summaries of their presentations for JBMT. These, together with abstracts, and approximately 25 expanded abstracts of poster and oral presentations, accepted by the Scientific Committee, will be published in the July and October issues.

Amongst the researchers whose papers JBMT will publish during 2008, are submissions promised by Serge Gracovetsky PhD, Donald Ingber PhD, Paul Standley PhD, Fred Grinnell PhD, Moshe Solomonow PhD, Jay Shah MD, Diane Lee PT, Jim Oschman PhD and John McPartland DO.

It is not often that seasoned conference presenters become obviously excited by a single event such as this conference. Below are three spontaneous quotes that may offer a flavour of what a lucky 700+ delegates experienced:

•Helene Langevin MD, Research Associate Professor, University of Vermont, remarked: “What an amazing conference!! I’m still somewhat in shock that it really did happen and went so well”.

•While Serge Gracovetsky PhD, Professor Emeritus, Concordia University, Montreal, expanded on his excitement as follows: “The work of Ingber and others presented Thursday morning hit me between the eyes. This hard data is the beginning of redemption for the field. And what about Dr. Guimberteau [whose remarkable film ‘Strolling under the skin’ was a highlight], who, at the stroke of a pen, made obsolete most of the mathematical models of the spine! I watched the fiber's reorganizations with deep fascination. I knew since the early 90's that something was wrong with the modeling of the spine. The limits were obvious and the writing was on the wall. But I did not know where to go. I had no clues as to the existence of the structures that Guimberteau revealed in his movie. That fundamentally different concept of dynamic force rearrangement within the tissues will provide the impetus for a serious reexamination of the way we represent the musculoskeletal system. I can see there a distributed energy storage etc., pretty much in the same way information and memory is distributed all over the brain. It improves survivability of the species. It makes so much sense.” 1

•Geoffrey Bove DC, PhD, Assistant Professor of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, summed up his overall impression by stating: “What an outstanding congress!”

One immediate and obvious change, relating to the increased length of the July and October issues of JBMT, will be a slight reduction in content of the January and April issues, as pages are ‘borrowed’ to accommodate the material in the Congress issues. Not only will we have to juggle page numbers, but there has also been a need to expand JBMT's editorial base in order to cope with the task of having all the abstracts and expanded abstracts peer reviewed.

These changes were in the pipeline anyway, but have been accelerated by the need for the additional material to be carefully reviewed for accuracy and methodology.

Joining JBMT as an Associate Editor, with special responsibility for research methodology and statistical accuracy, is Professor Glenn Hymel of Loyola University, New Orleans. Glenn is author of Research Methods for Massage & Holistic Therapies (Elsevier Mosby, 2006) and is also Vice President of the Massage Therapy Foundation, and a Licensed Massage therapist.

Replacing Rose McDonald BA, FCSP, who is retiring with our grateful thanks, after 10 years as Associate Editor with special responsibility for Physiotherapy/Physical Therapy, is Dimitrios Kostopoulos PT, PhD, coauthor with Konstantine Rizopoulos of The Manual of Trigger Point and Myofascial Therapy (Slack Inc., 2001). His wide contacts via his New York practices, nationwide and international teaching seminars, and regular presence at major conferences, offers JBMT opportunities for recruitment of new contributing authors, as well as the benefit of enhanced awareness of new trends in manual medicine.

Amongst JBMT's new Editorial Advisory Board, assisting Glenn Hymel in his research-focussed tasks, will be Thomas Findley MD, PhD, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Dr. Findley is also a certified Rolfer/Structural Integrator whose particular talents will add greatly to JBMT's resources.

A further change in the editorial team will occur in 2008, when one of JBMT's original Associate Editors, Judith DeLany LMT will stand down after 11 years of dedicated effort. JBMT owes Judith a great deal for her many contributions, and wishes her well in her writing and teaching roles where she wishes to focus her energies in the immediate future. It is hoped that a replacement will be appointed early in the coming year.

2008 therefore offers JBMT readers an expanded and improved editorial base, which, together with the variety of exciting and informative submitted papers, promises an additional bonanza in terms of the important information that has emerged from the Harvard Congress.

The follow-up to this inaugural fascial research conference will be the European version, to be held in 2009 under the auspices of the Free University of Amsterdam. Details will be found in JBMT as soon as they emerge.

I wish all readers a healthy, happy and successful New Year, on behalf of JBMT's Editorial team.

PII: S1360-8592(07)00112-X

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2007.10.002

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies
Volume 12, Issue 1 , Pages 1-2, January 2008

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