I recommend these books to anyone interested in extending their touch therapy skills. The conceptual framework underpinning these books, and my study of gait dynamics, supports my continuing development as a therapist. Increasingly, I am becoming convinced that this framework and client practice is the essential ingredient for development as a Manual Therapist, as relevant if not more so than a comprehensive understanding of anatomy/physiology.
ARCHITECTURE OF HUMAN LIVING FASCIA
Jean-Claude Guimberteau / Colin Armstrong
This beautifully illustrated book and DVD introduce Dr Guimberteau’s groundbreaking work. He is the first person to publish videos of the structure of fascia and how the fascia responds to strain. Based on what can be seen he has developed his concept of the multifibrillar structural organization of the body, wherein the “microvacuole” is the basic functional unit(node). His films confirm the continuity of fibers throughout the body thereby seeming to confirm the tensegrity theory, which provides the basis of many manual therapy and bodywork teachings. His work ties in with that of Donald Ingber on tensegrity within the cytoskeleton, and adds to the evidence linking the cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix as described by James Oschman. The book and accompanying DVD provide, for the first time, an explanatory introduction and explanation of these theories and link them to the visual evidence shown in the video on the DVD. This material will be highly valued by osteopaths, massage therapists, chiropractors, and others as it provides part of the scientific underpinning of their techniques, as well as an explanation of what happens when they use those techniques to treat their clients.
So Guimberteau’s material confirms what manual therapists already believed but didn’t fully understand. He has explained how fascial layers slide over each other and how adjacent structures can move independently in different directions and at different speeds while maintaining the stability of the surrounding tissues.
FUNCTIONAL ATLAS of the HUMAN FASCIAL SYSTEM
Carla Stecco
Prof. Carla Stecco – orthopedic surgeon and professor of anatomy and sports activities – brings together the research of a multi-specialist team of researchers and clinicians consisting of anatomists, biomechanical engineers, physiotherapists, osteopaths, and plastic surgeons. In this Atlas Prof. Stecco presents for the first time a global view of fasciae and the actual connections that describe the myofascial kinetic chains. These descriptions help to explain how fascia plays a part in myofascial dysfunction and disease as well as how it may alter muscle function and disturb proprioceptive input. Prof. Stecco also highlights the continuity of the fascial planes, explaining the function of the fasciae and their connection between muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. This understanding will help guide the practitioner in selecting the proper technique for a specific fascial problem to enhance manual therapy methods.
BIOTENSEGRITY
The Structural Basis of Life
Graham Scarr
The emerging science of biotensegrity provides a fresh context for rethinking our understanding of human movement, but its complexities can be formidable. Biotensegrity: The Structural Basis of Life, Second edition – now with full-color illustrations throughout – explores and explains the concept of biotensegrity and provides an understanding and appreciation of anatomy and physiology in light of the latest research findings.
The reader learns that biotensegrity is an evolving science that gives researchers, teachers, and practitioners across a wide range of specialisms, including bodyworkers and movement teachers, a deeper understanding of the structure and function of the human body. They are then able to develop clinical practice and skills in light of this understanding, leading to more effective therapeutic approaches, with the aim of improved client outcomes.
SCARS, ADHESIONS, and the BIOTENSEGRAL BODY
Science, Assessment, and Treatment
multiple authors
This highly illustrated book explains the effects of scars and adhesions on the body through the lens of biotensegrity, a concept that recognizes the role of physical forces on their formation, structure, and treatment. It includes contributions from specialists in the fields of fascial anatomy, biotensegrity, movement, surgery, and other manual therapies. It takes a comprehensive approach to providing a better understanding of these complex issues and will be valuable to every hands-on practitioner. The text is supported with online videos demonstrating five ScarWork therapeutic techniques.
With over a million copies in print since 1973, the “Touch for Health” phenomenon has flourished worldwide to help more than 10 million people in over 40 countries and 23 languages restore their natural healing energies and enjoy vibrant health through this unique treatment of posture and muscle balancing that combines simple aspects of acupressure touch and massage.
From this book, you will learn the techniques that chiropractors, alternative health specialists, athletic trainers, and massage therapists have found invaluable in preventive healthcare and treatment for over 50 years.
DEXTERITY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT
Nicholai Bernstein
This is a very unusual book. It brings to the English-speaking reader a masterpiece written some 50 years ago by one of the greatest minds of the 20th century–Nicholai Aleksandrovich Bernstein–considered the founder of many contemporary fields of science such as biomechanics, motor control, and physiology of activity. Divided into two parts, this volume’s first section is a translation of the Russian book On Dexterity and Its Development. It presents, in a very reader-friendly style, Bernstein’s major ideas related to the development and control of voluntary movements in general, and to the notion of dexterity, in particular. Although very few scientific works remain interesting to the reader 50 years after they were written, this volume–now available for the first time in English–is a rare exception to this rule. His ideas are certainly not obsolete. Actually, we are just starting to grasp the depth and breadth of his thinking, especially his analysis of the complex notion of dexterity. The second section provides both a historical and a contemporary perspective on Bernstein’s ideas.
The original work was directed at a wide audience ranging from specialists in biomechanics and motor behavior to coaches, neurologists, physical therapists, athletes, and even inquisitive college and high school students. The chapters contributed by contemporary scientists mirror Bernstein’s style and present new findings in the areas of biomechanics, motor control, and motor development in a way that would be both understandable to non-specialists in these areas, and informative for professionals working in different areas related to human movement. All those interested in the origins and mechanisms of the production of voluntary movements, irrespective of their educational and professional background, will find this book valuable. In addition, the unique history and composition of this text will make it helpful and attractive to historians and philosophers of science.