Fascia has become a popular word in health and movement spaces, but what does it actually mean?

In this episode, I explore why definitions matter and why fascia is not a fixed concept. How we define fascia shapes the questions we ask in research, the way clinicians think about the body, and how we explain pain, healing, and recovery to the people we serve.

I walk through the key definitions that have influenced my own thinking, starting with the traditional structural perspective found in Gray’s Anatomy, moving into the widely accepted definition from the Fascia Research Society that reframed fascia as a three-dimensional environment, and then exploring the function-focused definition proposed by John Sharkey and Mark Flannigan.

The heart of the episode focuses on a 2024 update to fascial nomenclature by Bordoni and colleagues, which challenges long-held assumptions by grounding the fascial system in embryology. This work expands the fascial continuum beyond solid connective tissues, emphasizing how tissues that develop together, function together, and communicate together cannot be fully understood when separated conceptually. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.53995

Rather than offering a final answer, this episode highlights fascia as a living, adaptive continuum and invites a wider view based on embryology.

As our science evolves, our language and perspective must evolve with it.

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In this episode, we explore Dr. Patricia Huston’s 2022 paper proposing a new way to understand chronic disease. Huston suggests that unhealthy lifestyle patterns don’t just strain the heart, lungs, or muscles directly. Rather, they change the behavior of interstitial cells, especially macrophages and fibroblasts. These cells orchestrate inflammation, healing, and tissue remodeling throughout the body.

Using a six-level hierarchical network model, Huston shows how environmental pressures, social context, lifestyle habits, and nervous system activity converge on the interstitial microenvironment. When this system becomes overwhelmed, macrophages get stuck in a chronic inflammatory state and fibroblasts begin laying down excessive collagen, leading to fibrosis and organ dysfunction. This stalled healing process provides a unified explanation for why so many chronic diseases progress in similar ways.

We discuss why this theory is groundbreaking for fascia-informed therapists and how it aligns with salutogenesis—a health-focused approach centered on restoring interstitial fluid flow, tissue mobility, movement, and self-regulation. This episode offers a science-backed lens for understanding the transformative potential of fascia-based therapy in supporting long-term health and resilience.

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One option for explaining this simply to clients:

Your daily habits change the environment your cells live in. The fascia is your cells' environment. And cells behave differently depending on that environment.

This means lifestyle does not just affect symptoms. It affects how your cells decide whether to heal or stay inflamed.

In this episode I share a concept about new year resolutions that I address with all my clients. You must meet your body where it is at. Are you ready to jump into a new fitness program or is there are more important place to begin? Join me as a run through the foundations to healthy fascia and finding success with a new fitness goal.

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In this episode, we explore the powerful and often misunderstood connection between the mind and the body. Drawing from recent research across psychology, behavioral medicine, neuroscience, and aging studies, we break down what the science actually says about mindset and how beliefs, expectations, and interpretations of symptoms can directly influence the physical experience of health.

This is not about pretending everything is fine or relying on blind positivity. Instead, we examine the measurable ways that a growth health mindset, mindfulness, and intentional positive thinking can shape pain perception, inflammation, recovery, motivation, and overall well-being. We also look at how cultural narratives, stereotypes, and clinician language can create either healing momentum or nocebo effects that worsen symptoms.

You’ll hear insights on: • how expectations influence pain and cognitive performance • why a growth mindset promotes healthier behaviors and better outcomes • the role of optimism in longevity and physiological resilience • how stereotypes about aging and illness shape real biological change • the difference between meaningful positive thinking and toxic positivity

Whether you are a healthcare provider, someone living with chronic symptoms, or simply curious about how mindset intersects with health, this episode offers a grounded, science-informed perspective and practical ways to support healing from the inside out.

Tune in to learn how shifting the way you think about health can shift the way you experience it emotionally, behaviorally, and physiologically.

Study referenced:

Parsamanesh, P., & Vysochyn, M. (2024). A Psychological Exploration of the Power of Our Mindset and Its Influence on Physiological Health. Cureus, 16(1), e52505. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.52505

Join Us for the March CE Weekend! Fascia-Informed Continuing Education - The Fascia-Informed Therapist ™

Join us for a special episode introducing “Fascia-Informed Practice: An Experiential CE Weekend for Practitioners”, happening March 28–29, 2026. This weekend-long continuing education course offers hands-on training in fascia science, therapeutic techniques, movement, breathwork, and client education all rooted in evidence-based fascia theory and a whole-person lens.

Whether you’re an occupational therapist, wellness practitioner, movement specialist, or bodywork professional, this CE will deepen your understanding of fascia, equip you with safe and effective manual therapy and self-care tools, and transform how you view and treat the body. Space is limited to 14 participants so we can have a true immersive learning experience.

Tune in to hear why fascia matters, what you’ll learn, and how this weekend could reshape your practice and healing philosophy.

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In this episode, we unpack the Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis (IIS) hypothesis introduced by Tuckey et al. (2021) in Frontiers in Pain Research. The authors propose that after injury or immune activation, inflammation can become “trapped” within the body’s microscopic fluid channels creating a self-perpetuating loop of congestion, fascial tension, and pain.

You’ll learn how this model integrates existing pain theories into one fascia-based framework. We’ll also explore how these ideas align with occupational therapy practice: restoring interstitial flow through movement, breath, manual therapy, and autonomic regulation.

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References

Benias, P. C., Wells, R. G., Sackey-Aboagye, B., Klavan, H., Reidy, J., Buonocore, D., Miranda, M., Kornacki, S., Wayne, M., Carr-Locke, D. L., & Theise, N. D. (2018). Structure and Distribution of an Unrecognized Interstitium in Human Tissues. Scientific reports, 8(1), 4947. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-23062-6

Tuckey, B., Srbely, J., Rigney, G., Vythilingam, M., & Shah, J. (2021). Impaired Lymphatic Drainage and Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis in Chronic Musculoskeletal and Idiopathic Pain Syndromes: Exploring a Novel Mechanism. Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2, 691740. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2021.691740

If you’ve ever had a loved one in the hospital, you know the range of emotions that comes with it including fear, frustration, hope, and gratitude, often all at once. In this episode, I share my personal experience navigating my father’s recent hospitalization for an acute illness (on top of a long-term disability) and what it has reminded me about the human side of healthcare. When we take the time to truly see and understand our patients including their history, their challenges, their stories, we can provide care that is not just skillful, but compassionate. This episode is both a reflection and a reminder of why understanding and empathy must remain at the heart of our fascia-informed practice.

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In this episode, we explore compartment syndrome (CS), a condition where pressure builds within the body’s muscular compartments, restricting blood flow, causing pain and threatening tissue health. You’ll learn the difference between acute and chronic (exertional) forms, how fascia’s properties play a role in pressure dynamics, and what recent research says about both surgical and conservative management. We'll also discuss the role habits may play in the development and management of CS as I share experiences with my own clients.

Whether you work in orthopedics, rehabilitation, or wellness, this episode highlights the types of CS and how understanding fascia can help you better educate your client and perhaps even your referral sources.

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• Cleveland Clinic. Compartment Syndrome Overview.

• StatPearls. Exertional Compartment Syndrome – NCBI Bookshelf.

• Elsenosy, A. M., Elnewishy, A., Hassan, E., & Delewar, R. A. (2024). Outcomes of Fasciotomy Versus Conservative Management for Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cureus, 16(12), e75803. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.75803

• Altan, L. (2023). Postoperative Rehabilitation of Compartment Syndrome Following Fasciotomy. Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 69(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.5606/tftrd.2023.13041

• Schleip, R., & Wilke, J. (2023). Fascia in Sport and Movement. Handspring Publishing.