A breakthrough book called ‘Fascia – The Tensional Network of the Body’, by Schleip, Findlay, Chaitow and Huijing came out in 2012. A few years later at an NAMTPT conference (2017?) all the attendees were given David Lesondak’s hot-off-the-press book ‘Fascia, What it is and why it matters’. We now had the subject of fascia covered. Leading up to David writing his first edition, over a glass of wine I suggested he write the science in the style of Bill Bryson as when he explained difficult...

This blog is a follow-up to Anne Boone’s excellent summary blog introducing Fascia Research Congress VI in the last mail out. It was so good to be back at a conference for my first time in over three years; reconnecting with old friends and colleagues, and embracing new ones. At Fascia Congress V (2018) we mourned the loss of Leon Chaitow. This time we mourned the loss of Tom Findley MD PhD after a long illness. What a nice man he was. His wife gave a lovely eulogy complete with photos and...

Glaring omission in my last blog. I forgot to mention the fabulous song Oxytocin by Billie Eilish to provide the background music to the blog subject. Just when you think they don’t write songs like the old days a bunch of new artists pop up. Wolf Alice and Phoebe Bridger too. This edition’s blog is about changes; some enforced, some voluntary. Used to be, the first thing I’d do on receipt of my newest JBMT was to asterisk the myofascial trigger point articles reviewed by Jan Dommerholt and...

Over the years I have really enjoyed learning things from smart people like Shannon Goosen at NAMTPT conferences (I miss those times).  I was very interested in her take on the Braverman test. This survey (see link below) determines our dominant nature according to four chemicals in the body; Dopamine, Acetylcholine, GABA and Serotonin. I, like half the population, am GABA dominant. It can also determine if we’re deficient in any of these. I’m pretty mild. There are tables of chemicals...

My intended blog was going to be about connective tissue cells called telocytes. This subject got to be too big and I’ve not had time to complete it. Instead, I want to review one of my all-time favourite short stories by Leo Tolstoy. One of my personal strategies for getting through the past two pandemic years has been to read historical novels and non-fiction describing times where people had to put up with a lot worse than we have had to. Subjects have included the plague in times of...

Firstly, I would like to say how proud and honoured I am to be included alongside the previous recipients of the David Simon award. It has been reward enough to be able to pass on to whoever is listening (reading) the latest in theoretical research and clinical applications. My workmates say you could kill somebody with the trophy; it’s quite beautiful, and sits prominently on display in my clinic. Last time I brought to your attention two papers both published in October 2021. One was...

Firstly, I would like to congratulate and say thanks to Mary Biancalana and her fabulous team for putting together a great virtual conference last month. I was honoured to be included alongside her star-studied bunch of presenters from around the world. Mary has championed the highest standards of education for the NAMTPT for decades now, and is a huge part of the organization of the IMS Padua conference in June next year. I want to bring your attention to two papers both published in October...

Do you ever get asked by a patient “does my tissue feel normal?” Hard for me to answer because no one really comes to see me who has normal tissue. In early August the US Tennis Association had a small entry-level WTA tournament at the Theroux Club in Concord MA, the first such event here in thirteen years. I was approached to provide sports massage by the massage organizer who lives in New Zealand. She was my first sports massage teacher back in the mid-90s, before she went into organizing....