Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious patients.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
Understanding mechanotransduction and biotensegrity from an adaptation perspective
This article, for which only the title is available, appears to be a conceptual exploration of mechanotransduction and biotensegrity. Mechanotransduction is the process by which cells sense and respond to mechanical for…
Plantar fascia anatomy and its relationship with Achilles tendon and paratenon
This study investigated the detailed anatomy of the plantar fascia and its connection to the Achilles tendon. Dissections of human cadavers revealed that the fascia is more closely linked to the paratenon (the tendon's…
Sensory findings after stimulation of the thoracolumbar fascia with hypertonic saline suggest its contribution to low back pain
This experimental study investigated the role of the thoracolumbar fascia as a potential source of low back pain. Researchers injected a pain-inducing saline solution into the fascia, back muscles, and subcutaneous tiss…
Fascial Components of the Myofascial Pain Syndrome
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) involves muscle pain and other symptoms linked to trigger points, but the role of fascia is often overlooked. This review summarizes recent research into the biology of fascia to better un…
Nociception originating from the crural fascia in rats
This animal study investigated how the crural fascia, the connective tissue around the lower leg muscles, might be a source of pain signals in rats. Researchers found that this fascia is densely populated with nerve fib…
Cell-to-cell signaling through light: just a ghost of chance?
This paper examines the physical feasibility of cell-to-cell communication via weak light signals, often referred to as biophotons. The researchers analyze whether electromagnetic signaling is possible when considering…
Stress and Matrix-Responsive Cytoskeletal Remodeling in Fibroblasts
In loose connective tissue, fibroblasts change shape in response to static stretch, which helps the tissue relax. This study investigated whether this response depends on the cell itself or its surrounding environment,…
Cytoskeletal remodeling of connective tissue fibroblasts in response to static stretch is dependent on matrix material properties
This study investigated how fibroblasts, the cells within connective tissue, change shape in response to static stretching. Researchers compared fibroblasts in loose (areolar) and dense connective tissues, as well as ce…
Complete Obstetric Anal Sphincter Tear and Risk of Long-term Fecal Incontinence: A Cohort Study
This cohort study followed women for over 20 years to assess the long-term effects of complete anal sphincter tears during childbirth. Researchers compared 125 women who experienced such a tear with 238 women who gave b…
Reduced adipose tissue lymphatic drainage of macromolecules in obese subjects: a possible link between obesity and local tissue inflammation?
Researchers compared lymphatic drainage from abdominal fat tissue in lean and obese men. They measured drainage before and after the men consumed a glucose drink, which mimics the body's response to a meal. In lean men,…
Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Cure: An Overview
This narrative review provides an overview of Vitamin C's many roles in the body. It is essential for developing and maintaining connective tissues, and plays a key part in bone formation, wound healing, and gum health.…
Ascorbate supplementation inhibits growth and metastasis of B16FO melanoma and 4T1 breast cancer cells in vitamin-C deficient mice
This animal study investigated how Vitamin C (ascorbate) supplementation affects cancer growth in mice that, like humans, cannot produce their own. Researchers injected melanoma or breast cancer cells into two groups of…
Telocytes: ultrastructural, immunohistochemical and electrophysiological characteristics in human myometrium
This study identifies a specific cell type, telocytes, within the muscular wall of both the pregnant and non-pregnant human uterus. Researchers found that these cells have a different structure depending on whether the…
Human skeletal muscle ascorbate is highly responsive to changes in vitamin C intake and plasma concentrations
This study investigated how vitamin C intake affects its concentration in human skeletal muscle. Researchers gave 36 men either half a kiwifruit or two kiwifruits daily for six weeks, as kiwifruit is a rich source of vi…
A Randomized Steady-State Bioavailability Study of Synthetic versus Natural (Kiwifruit-Derived) Vitamin C
This randomized study investigated whether the body absorbs vitamin C from kiwifruit as effectively as from a synthetic supplement. Thirty-six young men received either half a kiwifruit or an equivalent dose (50 mg) vit…
Vitamin C intake, circulating vitamin C and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis of prospective studies
This meta-analysis combined data from multiple prospective studies to investigate the link between vitamin C and stroke risk. The researchers found that people with higher dietary intake of vitamin C had a lower risk of…
An MRI Study of Symptomatic Adhesive Capsulitis
This study used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to compare the shoulders of 60 patients with clinically diagnosed adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) to 60 healthy control subjects. Researchers found significant diff…
Hyaluronan differently modulates TLR-4 and the inflammatory response in mouse chondrocytes
This study on mouse cartilage cells investigated how different sizes of hyaluronan (HA) affect inflammation. Researchers found that small HA fragments increased the production of several inflammatory markers. In contras…
The effect of menopause on the skin and other connective tissues
This narrative review examines how menopause and the resulting decline in estrogen affect the body's connective tissues, particularly the skin. Research suggests that skin collagen levels drop significantly following me…
Hyaluronan injection in murine osteoarthritis prevents TGFbeta 1-induced synovial neovascularization and fibrosis and maintains articular cartilage integrity by a CD44-dependent mechanism
In this mouse study, researchers investigated how hyaluronan (HA) injections might protect joints in osteoarthritis. They found that even though the injected HA was cleared from the knee joint in under two hours, a sing…
Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging
This narrative review examines the relationship between nutrition and skin aging, focusing on how specific nutrients may protect against damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The authors describe how antioxidants such…
Hyaluronic acid, A key molecule in skin aging
This review article discusses the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) in skin aging. The authors explain that youthful skin's plumpness and resilience are largely due to its high water content, which HA is uniquely able to ret…
Fascia as a body-wide communication system
This abstract proposes that fascia acts as a body-wide communication system. The author draws an analogy to single-celled organisms, like a paramecium, which can perform complex functions without a nervous system by rel…
Lymphatic and interstitial flow in the tumour microenvironment: linking mechanobiology with immunity
This review explores how tumors interact with the lymphatic system to grow and spread. Increased fluid flow from a tumor to nearby lymph nodes does more than just transport cancer cells. This flow also creates mechanica…
Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
This study investigated how massage therapy affects skeletal muscle at a cellular level after exercise-induced damage. Researchers took muscle biopsies from 11 young men after an intense workout; one leg received 10 min…
Human myometrium – the ultrastructural 3D network of telocytes
This study examined a relatively new type of cell, the telocyte, within the human myometrium, the muscular layer of the uterus. Using advanced microscopy, researchers visualized these cells and their very long extension…
Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons
This 2012 review paper explores the concept of 'earthing' or 'grounding,' which involves direct physical contact with the Earth's surface electrons. The authors propose that modern lifestyles separate humans from this c…
Brain structure and joint hypermobility: relevance to the expression of psychiatric symptoms
This study investigated the relationship between joint hypermobility and brain structure in 72 healthy volunteers. Using structural brain scans, researchers found that the volume of the amygdala, a brain region importan…
A RHAMM Mimetic Peptide Blocks Hyaluronan Signaling and Reduces Inflammation and Fibrogenesis in Excisional Skin Wounds
In this animal study, researchers investigated how to reduce scarring during skin wound healing. They developed a peptide, P15-1, designed to interfere with signals from fragmented hyaluronan, a molecule involved in inf…
Total antioxidant capacity of diet and risk of stroke: a population-based prospective cohort of women
This Swedish population-based study examined the relationship between the total antioxidant capacity of the diet and stroke risk in over 36,000 women. By measuring the combined effect of all antioxidants in food rather…
Mechanical properties of human patellar tendon at the hierarchical levels of tendon and fibril
Researchers investigated how the mechanical properties of the whole human patellar tendon compare to its individual collagen fibrils. They tested whole tendons in living subjects and then tested isolated fibrils from th…
Nutritional regulation of muscle protein synthesis with resistance exercise: strategies to enhance anabolism
In this 2012 review article, the authors discuss how nutrition can regulate muscle protein synthesis, especially when combined with resistance exercise. Consuming protein (amino acids) stimulates muscle building, an eff…
The thoracolumbar fascia: anatomy, function and clinical considerations
This overview paper examines the anatomy and function of the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF), the complex sheet of connective tissue in the lower back. The authors describe its multiple layers, which separate and connect the…
Primo Vascular System as a New Morphofunctional Integrated System
This narrative review summarizes research on the primo vascular system (PVS), a proposed anatomical network found throughout the body. The authors describe the methods and instruments used to study this system, primaril…
Strain hardening of fascia: Static stretching of dense fibrous connective tissues can induce a temporary stiffness increase accompanied by enhanced matrix hydration
This study investigated why fascia sometimes gets stiffer after being stretched and then rested, a phenomenon called strain hardening. Researchers stretched fascia samples from mice and pigs, finding that after a 15-min…
The role of stromal cells in the persistence of chronic inflammation
This review article explores why chronic inflammation often persists in specific anatomical locations. The authors highlight that stromal cells, particularly the fibroblasts that define a tissue's architecture, are like…
Fluid Flow along Venous Adventitia in Rabbits: Is It a Potential Drainage System Complementary to Vascular Circulations?
In this animal study on rabbits, researchers investigated a potential fluid drainage system within the body's connective tissue. By injecting tracers, they visualized pathways along the loose connective tissue surroundi…
Stretching of the Back Improves Gait, Mechanical Sensitivity and Connective Tissue Inflammation in a Rodent Model
In this rodent study, researchers investigated how stretching affects inflammation in the connective tissue of the low back. They first induced local inflammation, which resulted in altered gait, increased mechanical se…
Myoton Pro: A Novel Tool for the Assessment of Mechanical Properties of Fascial Tissues
This research entry, for which only the title is available, appears to introduce a device called the MyotonPRO. The title suggests its purpose is to assess the mechanical properties of fascial tissues, such as their sti…
INTERSTITIAL FLUID AND LYMPH FORMATION AND TRANSPORT: PHYSIOLOGICAL REGULATION AND ROLES IN INFLAMMATION AND CANCER
This 2012 review explores the interstitium, the fluid-filled space surrounding our cells that contains interstitial fluid (IF). Formed by filtration from blood capillaries and cleared by lymphatic vessels, IF and its fl…
Mathematical model of fiber orientation in anisotropic fascia layers at large displacements
Researchers developed a mathematical model to better understand how collagen fibers within fascia change their orientation when the tissue is stretched. The model suggests that fibers already angled away from the direct…
Real-time imaging of cortical areas involved in the generation of increases in skin sympathetic nerve activity when viewing emotionally charged images
This study investigated which brain regions are involved when our bodies react to emotional images. Researchers simultaneously measured brain activity with fMRI and skin sympathetic nerve activity (SSNA), a marker of th…
Mechanical strain applied to human fibroblasts differentially regulates skeletal myoblast differentiation
This laboratory study investigated how different types of stretching affect muscle repair at a cellular level. Researchers applied two types of strain to human fibroblasts (connective tissue cells) and observed the effe…
CTGF is a central mediator of tissue remodeling and fibrosis and its inhibition can reverse the process of fibrosis
Fibrosis is a process of excessive connective tissue formation, leading to scarring and stiffness in organs. A protein called Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF) plays a central role in driving this process. This res…
Fascia: a morphological description and classification system based on a literature review
In this literature review, the authors address the historical problem of ambiguous and inconsistent terminology for fascia. Based on a review of existing research, they propose a new system for classifying fascia accord…
Diet-Induced Dysbiosis of the Intestinal Microbiota and the Effects on Immunity and Disease
This 2012 narrative review explores the connection between diet, gut microbes, and the immune system. The gastrointestinal tract must balance tolerance for harmless bacteria and food with responsiveness to pathogens. An…
A theoretical framework for the role of fascia in manual therapy
This theoretical paper explores why different types of manual therapy, such as soft tissue work and joint manipulation, often seem to produce similar results. The authors compare these approaches based on their effects…
NGF-evoked sensitization of muscle fascia nociceptors in humans
This study investigated whether nerve growth factor (NGF) can sensitize pain receptors in muscle fascia. Researchers injected a small amount of NGF into the fascia of the erector spinae muscle in the lower back of 14 ma…
Recent Developments in Myofibroblast Biology
This 2012 narrative review summarizes advances in understanding the myofibroblast, a specialized cell crucial for both normal wound healing and the development of fibrotic diseases. The authors discuss how these cells g…
Vitamin C transport and its role in the central nervous system
This review article explores the critical role of vitamin C in the central nervous system. Although it circulates in the blood at low concentrations, neurons in the brain and spinal cord maintain very high levels of the…
Adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder
This clinical overview describes adhesive capsulitis, or "frozen shoulder," a condition marked by painful, progressive loss of shoulder movement due to fibrosis of the joint capsule. The authors note that diagnosis requ…
Dynamic fascial release and the role of mechanical/vibrational assist devices in manual therapies
This review article explores the use of mechanical vibration devices in manual therapy. The author examines several such tools, including percussion vibrators, vibrational platforms, and deep tissue oscillation. The art…
Sensory Innervation of the Nonspecialized Connective Tissues in the Low Back of the Rat
In this animal study, researchers investigated the sensory nerves in the nonspecialized connective tissue of the rat low back, an area where knowledge is limited. Using 3D reconstruction and dye-labeling techniques, the…
The Alkaline Diet: Is There Evidence That an Alkaline pH Diet Benefits Health
This 2011 review examined the published medical literature to evaluate the health benefits of an alkaline diet. The author looked at studies on the body's pH and its connection to bone health, muscle function, back pain…
Hyaluronan in intestinal homeostasis and inflammation: implications for fibrosis
This narrative review explores the role of hyaluronan (HA) in intestinal health and disease. Chronic intestinal inflammation can lead to fibrosis, or scarring, a process driven by inflammatory signals and specialized ce…
Diet-induced metabolic acidosis
The typical Western diet, high in animal products and low in fruits and vegetables, can lead to a state of chronic, low-grade metabolic acidosis. This means the body becomes slightly more acidic, a situation that can wo…
A questionnaire survey of UK physiotherapists on the diagnosis and management of contracted (frozen) shoulder
This survey of 289 UK physiotherapists explored how they diagnose and manage frozen shoulder. The results showed that diagnosis typically relies on assessing movement restriction, particularly passive external rotation.…
Hyaluronan within fascia in the etiology of myofascial pain
In this cadaver and ultrasound study, researchers examined the composition of deep fascia. They identified layers of hyaluronan (HA), a lubricating substance, between the fascia and muscle, as well as between the fascia…
Pandiculation: Nature’s way of maintaining the functional integrity of the myofascial system?
This paper explores the hypothesis that pandiculation—the involuntary stretching and yawning most animals do upon waking—serves a key role for the locomotor system. Beyond preparing the nervous system for wakefulness, t…
Fascia and the mechanism of acupuncture
This theoretical paper re-evaluates the mechanisms of acupuncture. The authors propose that fascia, the body's connective tissue network, is the structure that explains how acupuncture works. They argue for this model b…