Your article (The fascia secret: how does it affect your health – and should you loosen it up with a foam roller?, 24 November) was enlightening. In addition to the movement and exercise approaches you highlighted, a wide range of strategies for supporting healthy fascia is being researched by the Fascia Research Group at Ulm University in Germany, led by Prof Robert Schleip. Fascia research is still in its infancy, but the implications for healthcare are considerable. As early as 2015, a conference at Harvard Medical School examined links between fascia, acupuncture and oncology; the lectures remain available online and underline how much more we need to understand about fascia’s role in medicine.
Manual therapists have long recognised the importance of working with fascia. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder of osteopathy, stressed its significance, and newer approaches such as the Bowen technique aim to improve hydration, proprioception and flexibility by engaging fascia gently but directly. One of the least appreciated aspects of fascia is its extraordinary sensitivity: it provides a constant feedback loop to the central and autonomic nervous systems, responding continuously to internal and external stimuli.
