FM NEWS

Dr, Antonio Stecco , Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
November 2010
The MTABC in Vancouver ran  two 1-day workshops about Fascial Manipulation in Vancouver on the 6th. and the 7th. of November. 2010. Very well organized, it was a pleasure to work with this organization who are also responsible for the 3° Fascia Research Congress in March 2012 so it promises to be a fantastic time!



While visiting Vancouver  Antonio Stecco and I had time to catch up with Cheryl Megalos, P.T., who is the first Canadian practitioner of Fascial Manipulation. Cheryl completed her training in Italy this year (2010) and it was great to meet her in the beautiful city of Vancouver where she lives and works.
Julie and Cheryl, Vancouver


Antonio, Luca, Julie . Vancouver 2010
Another great surprise for us was having an Italian speaking participant in one of the Vancouver workshops! and Luca Pellanda's family actually comes from the same Veneto area that Antonio and I live in, so it is a really  small world. Luca wrote: "Your material taught me many things about fascia, what it is, how it moves, the lines of fascial tension on the body and the method of treatment...your presentation provided me with a unique opportunity to visualize what is happening under my hands when I'm learning at school, and for that I'm very grateful.
Ciao Luca!

26/11/10
Antonio and I then went on to Los Angeles where we attended the 7th. World Congress for Low Back Pain and Pelvic Pain.  Los Angeles had wondeful weather that week - 25°C each day - so it was quite trying to stay inside and follow the presentations! On the Saturday I finally got to attend a Leon Chaitow workshop on Positional Release Techniques - talk about learning from the Master! You can read his summary of the Congress and lots more at http://chaitowschat-leon.blogspot.com/.
Antonio and I held a one day workshop about FM on  Sunday 14th. November (see photo above).

December 2010
Larry Steinbeck, P.T. from Atlanta, has posted a great synthesis of Fascial Manipulation at:

http://www.mikereinold.com/2010/12/fascial-manipulation.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mikereinold+%28MikeReinold.com%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Things are getting hectic in preparation for 2011 courses stating in USA, another English edition to be held in Italy and our Polish course too. See "FM Courses" for details.

JANUARY 2011
Registration for the International Course in Italy (Level I in June, Level II in September) is now open.Its all in English - only Luigi Stecco's opening presentation is translated ,as well as the question and answer sessions with him. Last year we had people from seven different countries attending so it was a great opportunity to enjoy an international exchange with colleagues from all over the globe.

Check out http://armstrongpodnsportshealth.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/fascial-manipulation/ for an account of the Workshop Luigi and Antonio Stecco held in New York last summer.

MARCH /APRIL 2011
Level I Eugene, Oregon. March 2011
                                                            
Level Ia Atlanta, Georgia, April 2011












Level I Diploma courses started in the USA (Eugene,Oregon and Atlanta,Georgia) this March. These courses were organized through Dr. Jan Dommerholt's Myopain seminars. We were very honoured to have Dr. Dommerholt present for all of the Level I course. In Eugene, the course was held in the beautiful premises of Tensegrity Physical Therapy owned by Sean Roach D. PT, ATC. Larry Steinbeck (P.T.) helped to organize the Atlanta course at the Atlanta Hawks premises.  This year the teaching was divided between Giorgio Rucli (P.T.) and myself. Giorgio was one of my first teachers in 1998, as he was teaching together with Luigi Stecco at that time.
Level Ib Atlanta, Georgia, 2011
MAY 2011
Still some places left for the International course in Italy starting in June.
Level I courses in USA have just concluded in Atlanta and Eugene (Oregon).
A new overview article about FM has been published in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Practice, Vol 23, no 2, 2011:68-74. Please write to me at <fascialmanipulation@gmail.com> if you would like a copy to read and cannot get access to the Journal.
On the 21st May Antonio Stecco and I presented Fascial Manipulation at a one day workshop in Ashford UK. There were about 50 physiotherapists present all being members of the CSP Kent branch. They wer drawn there for their annual meeting and a lot of curiosity towards this new Italian thing called FM. Excellent organization (thanks Martin and crew) that included lovely, warm sunny weather - totally unexpected in Kent (I mean the weather not the organization)!

JUNE 2011
The Fascial Manipulation Association held its 3rd National Conference in Thiene, Italy on June 4th. This event was highlighted by a presentation by Dr. Gail Wetzler from the Barral Institute who gave a talk concerning the importance of visceral fascia. This was followed by the presentation of a number of University theses regarding Fascial Manipulation, the election of a new Directive Council for the Association  (Dr. Antonio Stecco has been nominated as President) and an afternoon of experiential workshops .
Dr.Gail Wetzler (3rd from right) joined the Fascial Manipulation Teacher Group for a post congress drink.
The 2nd edition of the International English course (Level I) is underway at present in Thiene
Level I  2011 International Group with Luigi  Stecco (5th from right) and Antonio Stecco (1st on left)
 JULY 2011
Antonio and Carla Stecco have been busy with the Congress of the European Association of Clinical Anatomy that was held at the University in Padua. The meeting was a great success as there were representatives from all over the world including New Zealand, Japan, China and the USA. They organized three cadaver labs, four presentations on fascial anatomy and two presentations on Fascial Manipulation.

Larry Steinbeck PT and Doug Black PT will be holding an 8 hr. workshop about Fascial Manipulation at the North Carolina State Physical Therapy meeting on Friday,21 October 2011. The conference will be held (Wed-Sat) in Greensboro, NC at the Koury Convention Center, Sheraton Greensboro.  

SEPTEMBER 2011
2nd edition English course in Italy finished yesterday and we ended a wonderfully sunny week in Veneto with a glass of local Prosecco and some rather teary farewells. Participants from Finland, Israel, Denmark, Australia, Canada, USA, Austria and UK made it a fantastic group full of excellent professionals sharing knowledge and thoughts about fascia. Some of us will be meeting again in Vancouver, March 2012 for the Fascia Congress, which is something to look forward to!

October 2011
On October 7&8 a conference called "Focusing on Fascia" was held in Rome. We were lucky to have presentations by Leon Chaitow, Robert Schleip, Prof. Peter Huijing and Prof. Gabbiani along with a series of great Italian presenters. Fascia is catching on!

Meanwhile, senior FM teacher Lorenzo Copetti was in USA finishing off Level II courses in Atlanta and Eugene (OR). Congratulations to all the new grads.

October 24: Just finished the second weekend of Master Classes with Luigi Stecco. All the teachers together and the Stecco family - it produced an interesting course with everyone sharing ideas and directions (new vectors?).

I found this quote while reading an article and I think that it is perfect for the FM model: 

The most important aspect of a formal scientific model is not that it is right or wrong; they are all wrong. Rather, a key value of a model or concept is its ability to generate ideas for experimentation.
Inconvenient Truths about neural processing in primary motor cortex. Stephen H. Scott, J Physiol. 2008

 DECEMBER 2011
Yes, another year has flown by. Looking forward to 2012. 
First stop is Bergen, Norway for a conference of physiotherapists (10-11th of February 2012) organized by Faggruppen for Manuellterapi NFF. This is a interest group within the National Physiotherapy organization in Norway.
Best wishes for a Happy Festive season to all and looking forward to meeting lots of new FM practitioners in the next year.

JANUARY 2012
Been busy with revamping website www.fascialmanipulation.com.
First course in Denmark is starting on March 16, 2012 - thanks to Rene and Thomas!
Luigi Stecco's new book (in Italian) about treatment of visceral fascia is now published.Can be ordered for 68 euros at http://www.medicalinformation.it/ecommerce/manipolazione-fasciale-per-le-disfunzioni-interne-stecco-luigi-piccin-editore.html.

FEBRUARY 2012
Trip to Bergen went well... Annual meeting of Manual therapists in Norway.
I have now started translation of Luigi Stecco's latest book "Fascial Manipulation for Internal Dysfunctions". Its a great way to study as I really do have to think about what he is saying ....with no filters! First English course in FM for Internal dysfunctions is planned for September 2013 in Italy. Anyone who has completed Level I and Level II can join - send us a mail at fascialmanipulation@gmail.com or luigi.stecco@teletu.it to be put on the pre-registration list.

MARCH 2012
Just back from our first course in Denmark. Rene Hoeberg Pedersen and Thomas Astrup were our elegant and efficient organizers for the danish course- the guys did an excellent job and made some wonderful cakes for the coffee breaks too.
Great group with the addition of a lively Finnish contingent. In fact, Finland is now planning its first course in Fascial Manipulation, thanks to the efforts of Tiina Lahtinen-Suopanki and Maarit Keskinen, so watch this space for dates.
Next stop is Vancouver Fascia Congress - looking forward to it!

APRILE 2012 
Vancouver was a lot of fun apart, from a Congress flu' that had several victims including myself.
Nevertheless , it was great to see FM colleagues from different countries (see below)

Please check out www.fascialmanipulation for a rundown on our doings there.




This brilliant cake by Cheryl Megalos just about sums it up for FM fans.


Other April news
 1) John Sharkey (anatomist, physiologist and founder of European Neuromuscular Therapy) and anatomist Dr Antonio Stecco (University of Padova, Italy) will be holding a dissection workshop with a special emphasis on fascia at KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON, UK 8th,9th,10th July 2012 .
Registration at www.ntc.ie or call 01 882 7777

2) This year Dr. Antonio Stecco and Julie Ann Day will be teaching Level I courses in:
Worchester, UK in July 20-22 and August 3-5, 2012
For enrolment:
Sixways Sports Medicine
Contact –  Mike Lancaster
Email. mike.lancaster@warriors.co.uk

and

Vancouver , Canada
November 22-27, 2012
Contact :Harriet Hall  harriet@massagetherapy.bc.ca

3)Dr. Carla & Antonio STECCO will be teaching FASCIAL ANATOMY-
Cadaver Dissection and Three Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging in Living
Friday, April 27th - Sunday, April, 29th, 2012
Institute of Anatomy, Medical University of Graz, Austria

Functional macro- and microscopic  anatomy of the human fascial system including demonstration of layer by layer dissections and ultrasound imaging of limbs and back.The famous lecturer on fascia and fascial manipulation demonstrates fascial anatomy in the famous soft embalmed cadavers of the Institute of Anatomy Graz, Austria. Moderator: Univ. Prof. Dr.med. Andreas WEIGLEIN, IACA President
Sponsored by the International Academy of Anatomy -IACA.

MAY 2012
Bethesda (MA)and Las Vegas USA courses went well this year. 
Level I International course (June 11 -16) in Italy is shaping up with 21 participants from 10 different countries, including 9 Japanese colleagues.The staff at the Pizzeria Aurora are busy practicing their Japanese!

JUNE 2012
Upcoming annual AMF Congress is ready to go on 9th. June 2012. I'm translating Fascial Manipulation for Internal Dysfunctions - fascia-nating stuff.

Note that Elsevier has recently published : Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body- The science and clinical applications in manual and movement therapy Edited by Robert Schleip, Thomas Findley, Leon Chaitow, Peter Huijing

Description Compiled by experts of international renown, Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body brings together very different contributors who share the desire to bridge the gap between theory and practice as much as possible in our current knowledge of the human fascia. With contributions from over 100 specialists and researchers from throughout the world, this new volume will be ideal for all professionals who have an interest in fascia and human movement - physiotherapists, osteopathic physicians and osteopaths, chiropractors, structural integration practitioners, manual therapists, massage therapists, acupuncturists, yoga or Pilates instructors, exercise scientists and personal trainers - as well as physicians involved with musculoskeletal medicine, pain management and rehabilitation, and basic scientists working in the field.

a must have on your book shelf it can be purchased through www.elsevier.com. 

It includes contribution from Dr. Carla Stecco.

 JULY /AUGUST 2012

A hot summer in Europe and 2 courses in new locations have kept me busy ...not to mention THE TRANSLATION.  

UK - Worcester - Antonio Stecco and I were guests of the Worcester Warriors Rugby Sports MedicineTeam in July and August for the first ever Level I course in the UK. Mike Lancaster,the Warriors (Head of Sports Medicine) organized it all and the course was held at their magnificent stadium with its wonderful facilities. Hopefully FM will help some UK Rugby players to get top their performance levels going strong.We had the chance of visiting Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-on-Avon while we were in Worcester and I brushed up on my English by dipping my fingers in the Avon!

Helsinki, Finland at the end of August - just to cool off. Leaving Venice it was 38.5°C and when we arrived in Helsinki it was 19°C! The Finns are into FM in a big way already. Even though this was the first course in Finland we already have had several Finnish colleagues at our International courses in Thiene. Tiina Lahtinen-Soupanki ad Maarit Keskinen have been workshopping on FM all over Finland since last year and they organized a great course... as well as wining and dining us and taking us sightseeing in the long Finnish summer evenings over the weekend. 

It was the first time in 5 years that Lorenzo Copetti and I have taught together on a course outside of Italy and it was good to catch up with where one of my very first teachers is with regards to FM, fascia and its role in musculoskeletal dysfunctions. 

We are back to Helsinki on September 13 for Level Ib but in the meanwhile next weekend with Luigi, Carla and Antonio Stecco teaching us about Superficial fascia and its role in homeostatic systems. 

After Helsinki straight into Level II of the International course - how did we get 30 people from 12 different countries coming to lil'old Thiene? The town will never be the same! Those who have met our 'other Luigi? from Belvedere Hotel can just imagine the state he is in...so excited! 

Level I Helsinki 2012
Tiina and Maarit, our fascia-nating Finnish colleagues, organised the course
Flying into Finnish sunset

 

Vancouver in November 2012: great course organised by the MTABC with Antonio Stecco and Rodney Jackson as an assistant and Cheryl Megalos giving a hand.

Vancouver Level I, 2012


  We had time for some recreation too! Love Vancouver!

Antonio Stecco, Cheryl Megalos , Angel MacKenzie, Rodney Jackson

FEBRUARY 2013 

The translation of Luigi Stecco's latest book 'Fascial Manipulation for Internal Dysfunctions' is now at the editors - I am waiting for the first round of proofs to come back. 
Busy year lining up with a sort of minitour in Australia with a Level I course in Sydney, a workshop in Canberra, conference in Adelaide and more workshops and a workshop has been planned for Melbourne.
More courses in Canada, Finland, Denmark and an interesting Conference in Germany in April _ Connect 2013 Connective Tissues in Sports medicine where I am looking forward to hearing the latest news.

JULY 2013

Lots have happened in the last months. Connect: Connective Tissues in Sports Medicine conference held at Ulm University in Germany had over 200 participants and many interesting presentations. Europe may be getting more into conective tissues as a consequence! 

I spent May in Australia and was glad to be able to hold a Level I course in Paramatta (Sydney) assisted by Leon Shanahan (Melbourne) and Rene Hoeburg-Pederson ,
who came all the way from Denmark, just to be there. It was a fantastic group and so-well organised by Thuy and Clint Bridges. They are planning new courses in March 2014 in Sydney and Melbourne


I was invited to the Australian Institute of Sports in Canberra to give a 4 hour workshop to a small group of therapists and got some good feedback about that. Then onto Adelaide to the Association of Australian Massage Therapists for a fantastic conference held at the Adelaide Hilton - a keynote presentation there and a couple of workshops before heading off for a family holiday along the Great Ocean road on our way to Melbourne for a one-day workshop, again for the AAMT.

Back in Italy early June we held the 5th. Annual conference of the AMF in Thiene Italy with almost 120 members attending - we are now considering a new and bigger location for 2014. At the International course Level I in Thiene we had 35 attendees from 10 different countries with a significant Finnish group this year.

The englsh edition of 'Fascial Manipulation for Internl Dysfunctions' is now at the press and, fingers crossed, it should be out by the end of this month.

Check out the latest article by Antonio and Carla Stecco:

Stecco A, Gesi M, Stecco C, Stern R. Fascial components of the myofascial pain syndrome. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2013 Aug;17(8):352. 
Abstract: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is described as the muscle, sensory, motor, and autonomic nervous system symptoms caused by stimulation of myofascial trigger points (MTP). The participation of fascia in this syndrome has often been neglected. Several manual and physical approaches have been proposed to improve myofascial function after traumatic injuries, but the processes that induce pathological modifications of myofascial tissue after trauma remain unclear. Alterations in collagen fiber composition, in fibroblasts or in extracellular matrix composition have been postulated. We summarize here recent developments in the biology of fascia, and in particular, its associated hyaluronan (HA)-rich matrix that address the issue of MPS.

AUGUST 2013
The first English course of Level III will start on 9th. of September and thankfully the Internal Dysfunctions book has been published just in time so that all participants can purchase a copy while they are in Italy.

New articles about changes that occur in fascia with pain:

Stecco A, Meneghini A, Stern R, Stecco C, Imamura M.
Surg Radiol Anat. 2013 Aug 23.

and an analysis of what happens to the hyaluronic acid component of the loose connective tissue between collagen layers during manual therapy

Roman M, Chaudhry H, Bukiet B, Stecco A, Findley TW.
J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2013 Aug;113(8):600-10.

OCTOBER 2013
Fascial Manipulation for Internal Dysfunction by Luigi Stecco, Carla Stecco and Piccin Nuova Libraria S.p.A. (2013)
has been published and is available online through amazon.com or directly from the editors Piccin. It was also on sale at the first English course of Level III held in September in Italy. At this course the new concepts were well received by a very International group of practitioners. 
In the same week 6 new FM teachers were proclaimed: Warren Hammer, Larry Steinbeck, and Rodney Jackson (USA), Natalie Brettler (Israel) Caroline Marchuk (Argentine), Marco Pintucci (Italian resident in Brazil). 

Plans are going ahead for the 6th. Annual Conference of the Fascial Manipulation Association which will be held at the Bologna University on the 7th of June, 2014. 

New article available:
Stecco C, Corradin M, Macchi V, Morra A, Porzionato A, Biz C, De Caro R.
J Anat. 2013 Sep 12. doi: 10.1111/joa.12111.
 Excerpt :
These findings suggest that the plantar fascia (PF) has a role not only in supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot, but also in its proprioception and peripheral motor coordination. Its relationship with the paratenon of the Achilles tendon is consistent with the idea of triceps surae structures being involved in the PF pathology, so their rehabilitation can be considered appropriate. Finally, the high concentration of hyaluronan in the PF points to the feasibility of using hyaluronan injections in the fascia to treat plantar fasciitis.

DECEMBER 2013 
New article about fascial anatomy (unfortunately a bit of a mix up with names and surnames of authors here, however)

Antonio S, Wolfgang G, Robert H, Fullerton B, Carla S.
J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2013 Oct;17(4):512-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.04.004. Epub 2013 May 11.
Abstract
There is not full agreement regarding the distal insertions of the gluteus maximus muscle (GM), particularly the insertions into the iliotibial band and lateral intermuscular septum. 6 cadavers, 4 males and 2 females, mean age 69 yr, were dissected to evaluate the insertions of the GM into the iliotibial band, fascia lata, lateral intermuscular septum and femur. The iliotibial band is a reinforcement of the fascia lata and cannot be separated from it. Its inner side is in continuity with the lateral intermuscular septum, which divides the quadriceps from the hamstring. In all subjects the gluteus maximus presented a major insertion into the fascia lata, so large that the iliotibial tract could be considered a tendon of insertion of the gluteus maximus. The fascial insertion of the gluteus maximus muscle could explain the transmission of the forces from the thoracolumbar fascia to the knee.

Another busy year drawing to an end. These last few months have seen FM presented at the Low Back Pain & pelvic Pain conference held in Dubai in October 2013, as well as other conferences in Berlin and Glasgow. New courses in UK and Ireland were taught by Stefano Casadei and Stefano has also programmed a busy year in USA together with Warren Hammer.
Carla Stecco is determined to finish and send to the publishers her Fascial Anatomy Atlas , which we are all waiting for.
All the best to everyone for a Happy Holiday Season.

JANUARY 2014

Happy New Year!
Enrolments for 2014 Level I & Level II English language courses in Italy are now open. These are popular courses as you have the opportunity to meet the authors (The Stecco family) in person, meet colleagues from various countries and enjoy Italian food and wine throughout the week. Check out the information on www.fascialmanipulation.com under Activities - Courses in English.

New Article available online at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.12.011
Article title: Fascial Manipulation® method applied to Pubescent Postural Hyperkyphosis: a pilot study
Reference: YJBMT1093
Journal title: Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies



 2014 Call for Abstracts and 2nd Fascia Research grant applications
you are invited to present an abstract of your research or Degree theses regarding the Fascial Manipulation method or studies of fascial anatomy and physiopathology to be taken into consideration for a presentation at the 6th FASCIAL MANIPULATION ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE. The Conference is entitled “The role of fascia in pain” and it will be held at S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, via Massarenti 9, Bologna (Italy) on the 7th of June 2014.
Abstracts should be sent by email to info@fascialmanipulation.com before the 31st of March 2014. The application form (AMF Research grant 2014.doc) can be downloaded from the website www.fascialmanipulation.com in the section Download files. (You have to be an AMF member for 2014 to download th application. AMF 2014 membership fee is 20 euros).
After this deadline, the scientific committee of the AMF will evaluate the abstracts received and select studies for presentations and the best work will be assigned a grant of euro 3.000 (three thousand euros). 

2015 
Where did that last year go? So much has happened that this blog has been sorely abandoned.
The FM website is improving and we have plans for a major overhaul soon. The spread of FM has taken us all over and it has now been introduced in almost 40 different countries. In 2015 the main event after the AMF Congress in Italy on the 6th of June will definitely be the Fascia Research Congress in Washington 18-20 September where FM and the work of the Stecco family will have an important role. 
 AMF 2015 Congress 6 June.


The Fascial Manipulation Association has approved the second edition of the AMF research grant for the promotion and support of research dedicated to the treatment of pain, anatomy and pathology of the fasciae and , in particular, research regarding the application of the Fascial Manipulation method.
All AMF members are eligible to apply for this grant.


Grant:
first prize: 2.000,00 € (two thousand euro)
second prize: 1.000,00 € (one thousand euro)
third prize: 500,00 € ( five hundred euro)

Application forms are available at www.fascialmanipulation.com. (AMF members area – Downloads – Documentation -‘Research grant AMF’).
 Email your application to association@fascialmanipulation.com before 1st of May, 2015. 

NEW One-day Master Class on the 5th of June (day before 2015 AMF Congress)
English language Master class with Carla, Antonio and Luigi Stecco, together with Julie Ann Day and Andrea Pasini. 
We will be discussing : Densification vs Fibrosis, Ultrasonography in Fascial Research, new notions of Physiology for the Fascial system, update on evaluation and clinical shortcuts for time-saving.
 

Organized by the Fascial Manipulation Association
Pre-requisite: completion of Level I & II.
Reimbursement for event organization: 100 euro
Workshop Location: Via Livenza 15, Centrale di Zugliano, Italy.
Enrolment opens soon.
contacts:for general information: association@fascialmanipulation.com   
                to be included on the pre-enrolment list: fascialmanipulationcourse@gmail.com

 

1 comment:

Mika said...

Thank you for wonderful course in Thiene. We already miss you, ITALIAN FOOD and CLIMATE!!

We brought some vodka from Finland to "Other Luigi". We think he also feels very fine! :-)

Mika, Erja and Tuulia