Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious readers.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
Researchers behind the studies- A2012
A theoretical framework for the role of fascia in manual therapy
Nigel Simmonds, Peter Miller, Hugh GemmellThis 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…
fasciaManual TherapyMyofascialManipulationautonomic nervous system - A+2012
The effect of menopause on the skin and other connective tissues
J Calleja-Agius, M BrincatThis 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…
collagenageingskin tissuemenopauseoestrogen - A2012
Strain hardening of fascia: Static stretching of dense fibrous connective tissues can induce a temporary stiffness increase accompanied by enhanced matrix hydration
Robert Schleip, Lutz Duerselen, Andry Vleeming, Ian L Naylor, Frank Lehmann-Horn, Adjo Zorn, Heike Jaeger, Werner Kling…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…
Lumbar fascia; Paraspinal tissues; Stiffness; Hydration; Stretching - B2012
Fascia: a morphological description and classification system based on a literature review
Myroslava Kumka, Jason BonarIn 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…
fasciaConnective tissueManual TherapyterminologyAnatomy - A+++2012
Brain structure and joint hypermobility: relevance to the expression of psychiatric symptoms
Jessica A Eccles, Felix D C Beacher, Marcus A Gray, Catherine L Jones, Ludovico Minati, Neil A Harrison, Hugo D Critchl…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…
Fibromyalgiaproprioceptionhypermobilitypsychiatric symptomsbrain structure - C2012
NGF-evoked sensitization of muscle fascia nociceptors in humans
Saskia Deising, Benjamin Weinkauf, James Blunk, Otilia Obreja, Martin Schmelz, Roman RukwiedThis 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…
hyperalgesialow back painmusculoskeletal painPressure pain - A2012
Myoton Pro: A Novel Tool for the Assessment of Mechanical Properties of Fascial Tissues
Aleko Peipsi, Ricardas Kerpe, Heike Jäger, Sonja Soeder, Christopher Gordon, Robert SchleipThis 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…
fasciaMyotone Pro - A2012
A RHAMM Mimetic Peptide Blocks Hyaluronan Signaling and Reduces Inflammation and Fibrogenesis in Excisional Skin Wounds
Cornelia Tolg, Sara R Hamilton, Ewa Zalinska, Lori McCulloch, Ripal Amin, Natalia Akentieva, Francoise Winnik, Rashmin…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…
hyaluronaninflammationfasciaextracellular matrixfibrosis - A++2012
Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging
Silke K Schagen, Vasiliki A Zampeli, Evgenia Makrantonaki, Christos C ZouboulisThis 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…
antioxidants; diet; fatty acids; flavonoids; nutrition; skin aging; ultraviolet protection; vitamins. - B2012
Mechanical strain applied to human fibroblasts differentially regulates skeletal myoblast differentiation
Michael R Hicks, Thanh V Cao, David H Campbell, Paul R StandleyThis 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…
myotubescocultureinterleukin-6 - A2012
Massage Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Signaling After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
Justin D Crane, Daniel I Ogborn, Colleen Cupido, Simon Melov, Alan Hubbard, Jacqueline M Bourgeois, Mark A TarnopolskyThis 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…
fasciamassage therapyinflammatory cytokinesstretchstrain - A2012
CTGF is a central mediator of tissue remodeling and fibrosis and its inhibition can reverse the process of fibrosis
Kenneth E Lipson, Carol Wong, Yuchin Teng, Suzanne SpongFibrosis 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…
extracellular matrixfibrosisfascia CTGFtissue remodeling