I had an amazing trip to Montreal for the Sixth International Fascia Research Congress Sept 11-14, 2022! My Poster and Oral Presentations were very well received and prompted a lot of engaging discussions about my clinical findings regarding Genu Recurvatum (knee hypermobility) and its relationship to seemingly unrelated problems such as low back pain, vertigo (BPPV), TMJ, Plantar Fasciitis and other acute/chronic health conditions.
Within this community of bodyworkers and “fasciologists,” I even found others who had noticed an association between the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle and vertigo. They were quite intrigued by my approach of focusing on the thigh fascia and my observation that the side with the tighter SCM correlated highly with the more hypermobile (“locking”) knee.
Keynotes
Keynote speakers presented their research findings from the cellular level (how cancer cells utilize existing connective tissue to grow and spread) to the macro level (the effect of stretching on resolving inflammation of fascia). Posters and parallel sessions reported on new insights about fascia’s anatomy, fascia’s possible role in depression, and the successes of manual therapies on various types of chronic pain.
What I Offer
While different theories and methods were presented, they were all united around the goal of overcoming fascial stiffness in order to restore healthy body function. As a Functional Medicine physician, I appreciated the additional dimension of how a compromised microbiome (Leaky Gut) could cause adherent, sticky layers of fascia. With these combined perspectives, I have a unique appreciation of how a toddler with hypermobile knees could progress from vague vaginal complaints to UTI’s, to dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia and then hysterectomy for bladder/uterine prolapse, interspersed with TMJ, vertigo, migraines, and plantar fasciitis over her lifetime.
What’s Next
Presenting my clinical work at the 2022 International Fascia Research Congress was thrilling and inspirational. I am looking forward to presenting more findings in 2025 (New Orleans!). Meanwhile, I am happy to return to my Body Function Specialist practice, where I target the inefficient biomechanics and inflammatory diet that underlie fascial stiffening, to help patients improve their pain and well-being. ~
Pictures from FRC 2022
