The Other Side of the Fascia: Visceral Fascia, Part 2

Abstract

In osteopathic clinical practice and in the teaching of osteopathic medicine, the visceral manipulation approach is included. The knowledge that some viscera satisfy the definition of fascial tissue will allow the osteopath to improve its practice. In the second part of the article, we will give a conclusive definition of fascia, and we will explain the embryological development of the heart and how the fascial tissue can be subject to manual treatment. This text is the first in the international scientific field that discusses the inclusion of some viscera in the context of what is considered fascia, through our committee for the definition and nomenclature of the fascial tissue of the Foundation of Osteopathic Research and Clinical Endorsement (FORCE).

Biotensegrity or Fascintegrity?

“…The continuum constantly transmits and receives mechano-metabolic information that can influence the shape and function of the entire body. These afferent/efferent impulses come from the fascia and the tissues that are not considered as part of the fascia in a bi-univocal mode [24,25]." The fascia has solid and liquid components (blood and lymph), which fascia conditions the shape and function of the living (from the cell to the tissue), puts the whole body in communication, and influences the movement.…”

Fascial Nomenclature: An Update

“…These afferent/efferent impulses come from the fascia and the tissues that are not considered as part of the fascia in a biunivocal mode. In this definition, these tissues include: epidermis, dermis, fat, blood, lymph, blood and lymphatic vessels, tissue covering the nervous filaments (endoneurium, perineurium, epineurium), voluntary striated muscle fibers and the tissue covering and permeating it (epimysium, perimysium, endomysium), ligaments, tendons, aponeurosis, cartilage, bones, meninges, and tongue” [1,2]. Other groups try to define fascial tissue, such as the Fascia Nomenclature Committee (2014): “The fascial system includes adipose tissue, adventitia, neurovascular sheaths, aponeuroses, deep and superficial fasciae, dermis, epineurium, joint capsules, ligaments, membranes, meninges, myofascial expansions, periosteum, retinacula, septa, tendons (including endotendon/peritendon/epitendon/paratendon), visceral fasciae, and all the intramuscular and intermuscular connective tissues, including endomysium/perimysium/epimysium [3].…”

“…The human body is not composed of separate layers, but of tissues seamlessly immersed in one another: this allows functional motion, life, and survival. Previously, we published articles that reviewed the embryology of the liquid fascia (blood and lymph) and solid fascia (bones, cartilage, smooth muscle fibres and involuntary striated muscle fibres) [1, 2, 4]. The article reviews the embryological evolution of skeletal muscle tissue and connective tissue, to affirm how the fascial system should be ideally conceptualized: an absolute anatomic functional continuum.…”

Tentorium Cerebelli: Muscles, Ligaments, and Dura Mater, Part 1

“…These afferent/efferent impulses come from the fascia and the tissues that are not considered as part of the fascia in a biunivocal mode. In this definition, these tissues included epidermis, dermis, fat, blood, lymph, blood and lymphatic vessels, tissue covering the nervous filaments (endoneurium, perineurium, epineurium), voluntary striated muscle fibers and the tissue covering and permeating it (epimysium, perimysium, endomysium), ligaments, tendons, aponeurosis, cartilage, bones, meninges, tongue” [2]. The tentorium cerebelli is a relevant fascial element, able to transmit tensions of cervical and head movement towards the central nervous system and vice versa towards the cervical tract [3-4].…”