The Fascia-Informed Therapist Podcast; Occupational Therapy, Myofascial Release, Fascial System, Posture, Movement, and More

In this episode, I share a story about a client who had received outdated, instructions for “protecting” her back during exercise. From an occupational therapy and ergonomics perspective, we explore more current, practical ways to think about protecting the spine during exercise and everyday movement in ways the clients can digest. 

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Resource mentioned: The Back Mechanic by Stuart McGill PhD

Cells are constantly receiving information not only through chemical messengers such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and growth factors, but also through their physical environment. In this episode, we explore integrins: specialized cell-surface receptors that help link the extracellular matrix to the cell’s internal scaffolding. I discuss how integrins participate in adhesion, movement, cellular organization, and mechanosensing and why a cell’s local environment, including matrix composition, structure, stiffness, and loading, can influence its behavior.  All this gives us one more reason to keep fascia healthy!

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References mentioned:

Anderson, L. R., Owens, T. W., & Naylor, M. J. (2014). Structural and mechanical functions of integrins. Biophysical reviews, 6(2), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12551-013-0124-0

Fagerholm S. C. (2022). Integrins in Health and Disease. The New England journal of medicine, 387(16), 1519–1521. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMcibr2209679

Thermography is increasingly marketed as a painless, noninvasive way to look at what may be happening in the body, but what can it actually tell us?

In this episode, I explore infrared thermography through a fascia-informed lens. Thermography is a type of imaging that maps patterns of heat on the skin’s surface. I share what sparked my curiosity, including the growing availability of thermography services in my community and conversations with people who have used it.

I also discuss an article on myofascial trigger points and persistent neck and shoulder pain. Can differences in skin temperature offer clues about circulation, muscle activity, autonomic nervous system activity, or movement limitations? Could thermal imaging provide useful clinical information when structural imaging does not fully explain a person’s symptoms?

We will explore what thermography measures, what current research suggests about its potential uses, and the important distinction between information that may contribute to clinical reasoning and a test that can make a diagnosis on its own.

In this episode, I'm replaying one of the most popular topics from EP 78. Most of us can improve on our understanding of stress and how it affects the body. The article by Huston (2022) presents a compelling theory on this topic that involves the fascia.

I'm not just replaying the episode. I'm also sharing a new process that I'm hoping will benefit us both! If you are listening to the podcast, you can now get CE (depending on your educational requirements for licensure). 

This is a trial run. If there is interest, I'll create more CE for the past most listened to episodes and for future CE worthy episodes. 

This will help me keep the podcast going. If you want to support it, you can go to Fascia-Informed CE Home and purchase the related episode CE (EP 78).

Here is what the process looks like:

Step 1: Listen to the podcast.

Step 2: Read the article and related resources.

Step 3: Reflect on how the content applies to your practice.

Step 4: Take the quiz.

Step 5: Provide feedback.

Step 6: Download and save your certificate and CE resource document.

Thank you!

Amy

Each discipline operates from different rules and definitions. A system can be defined as "a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network; a complex whole". So, is fascia a system? It depends on who you ask. The Fascia Nomenclature Committee, a group of international experts from different backgrounds clearly says yes in their current definitions, but anatomist disagree. Articles that may help you think more about this after you listen in to this episode are below.

FasciaInformed.com

Neumann, P. E., Labib, H., Lhuaire, M., Boaz, N. T., Noel, G. P. J. C., Suárez-Quian, C., Tessema, C., Ward, P. J., Weinhaus, A. J., Anand, M. K., & Detton, A. J. (2026). Fascia, eh. What is it? What is it good for? Clinical Anatomy, 39(2), 262–272. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.70047

Sharkey, J. (2026). Fascia is not a system: A critical appraisal of terminological drift in anatomical literature. Clinical Anatomy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.70175

Sharkey, J. & Flannigan, M. (2023) Towards a Paramedical Interdisciplinary Definition of Fascia Supporting Practitioners Offering Fascia-Focused Therapies (Part 1). Int J Anat Appl Physiol. 9(1):218-222.

Stecco, C., Adstrum, S., Hedley, G., Schleip, R., & Yucesoy, C. A. (2018). Update on fascial nomenclature [Letter to the editor]. Fascia Science and Clinical Applications, 22(2), 354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.12.015

This episode explores lessons from Altahif and Davis (2026), a survey of hand therapy practitioners on self-management strategies for clients with chronic hand pain. The survey examined what clients were doing on their own before evaluation, what clinicians prescribed during care, and how practitioners perceived client adherence to these strategies.

Although the study does not focus on fascia or even mention it directly, there is a lot we can take from its findings. In this episode, I discuss how a fascia‑informed perspective can complement traditional hand therapy by offering additional ways to support people living with chronic pain and to improve follow‑through with home self‑treatment programs.

Courses mentioned in the study may be found here: Fascia-Informed CE Home

Reference:

Altahif, R., & Davis, C. (2026). Self-management in chronic hand pain: Clinician perspectives from members of the American Society of Hand Therapists. Journal of Hand Therapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2026.05.007

In this episode I share a real‑life phone call from a very young potential client who reached out about a tongue‑tie release and frenectomy, expecting a quick surgical solution. Instead of rushing to agree or disagree, I slowed things down, asked targeted questions, and uncovered signs of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) that had never been considered in the process of her search for help. In this episode, I walk you through how I used education to shift her understanding of her symptoms, and why clarifying goals and history matters just as much as any hands‑on technique.  You’ll also hear how these kinds of conversations can build relationships with physicians and other providers—not by “selling” OT, but by helping clients land in the right place, with the right services, at the right time through the process of education.

Thanks for listening! - Amy

Check out our two free resources at: Fascia-Informed CE Home

In this episode of The Fascia Informed Therapist, we unpack a recent scoping review on the future of fascia research and translate its findings into practical clinical direction for occupational therapists and rehab professionals. We explore how upcoming studies are likely shifting toward fascia’s role in movement organization, chronic pain in older adults, and integrated approaches that blend manual therapy, movement‑based interventions, and neurophysiologic methods. You’ll hear what the author recommends about effect sizes and sample sizes in the simplest possible language—and, more importantly, how those choices shape the kind of evidence you’ll be seeing in the coming years. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of where fascia research is headed and how to use this emerging evidence to support fascia‑informed reasoning in everyday practice.

Please share the podcast with anyone who may be interested (or you think they should be). 

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Resources:

Trewartha, D., & Wheeler, A. (Eds.). (2020). Scars, adhesions and the biotensegral body: Science, assessment and treatment. Handspring Publishing.

Zieliński, G. (2025). The future of fascia: A scoping review on emerging research. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(18), 8871. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26188871

In this episode I review the case of a new client who really made it hit home how we, as fascia-informed practitioners see the body differently. We engage with our clients differently and it gives them hope. 

When something as simple as a knee replacement (it is really NEVER simple) causes long-term discomfort, our clients benefit from a new perspective. After countless doctors, surgeons and therapists, this client found hope. 

Join the community! I have a new website and new platform. I hope you'll take a look!

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What do you do when a client comes to you following advice that doesn’t align with your approach? In this episode, we explore how to navigate those moments with professionalism and clarity. Learn how to explain your clinical reasoning, educate in a way clients can understand, and empower them to make their own informed decisions without dismissing or undermining another practitioner. Through a fascia-informed lens, we focus on communication that builds trust, supports autonomy, and transforms care.

Fascia Informed Newsletter