Journal of Motor Behavior

ISSN: 0022-2895 (Print) 1940-1027 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/vjmb20

The Bodywide Fascial Network as a Sensory Organ

for Haptic Perception

Robert Schleip , Franz Mechsner , Adjo Zorn & Werner Klingler

To cite this article: Robert Schleip , Franz Mechsner , Adjo Zorn & Werner Klingler (2014) The
Bodywide Fascial Network as a Sensory Organ for Haptic Perception, Journal of Motor Behavior,
46:3, 191-193, DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2014.880306

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/00222895.2014.880306

Published online: 14 Mar 2014.

Submit your article to this journal

Article views: 975

View Crossmark data

Citing articles: 3 View citing articles

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at

http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=vjmb20
 Journal of Motor Behavior, Vol. 46, No. 3, 2014
Copyright C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

COMMENTARY
The Bodywide Fascial Network as a Sensory Organ
for Haptic Perception
Robert Schleip1, Franz Mechsner2, Adjo Zorn1, Werner Klingler1
1
Fascia Research Group, Division of Neurophysiology, Ulm University, Germany. 2Department of Psychology, Northumbria
University, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

reliably examine whether the connective tissues of this man

here can be no doubt that the article by Turvey and Fon- indeed show some very unusual properties that may serve as
T seca (2014) suggests an important reorientation in the
field of motor control research. Up to now, most models in
potential origin of the unusual and extreme defect in haptic
perception in this person. However, if our impression gleaned
this field separate the passive tissue properties of the skeleton via skillful touch was correct, then the causal correlation be-
and other collagenous connective tissues from the active dy- tween neural perception and connective tissue architecture
namics of the muscular system, which itself is understood as may work—at least sometimes—in a two-directional man-
being primarily controlled by the voluntary nervous system. ner. Alterations in neural dynamics may lead to modifications
According to this common perspective, neural coordination in motor behavior, which then influences connective tissue
is seen as the key factor in and the main origin of our motor morphology. In addition, alterations in tissue architecture
behavior: the neural system generates impulses to the motor may lead to changes in neural processing which then induces
units in the skeletal muscle fibers, and they in turn respond modifications in motor behavior.
by pulling the origin and insertion of the muscles towards It could be of interest to closely monitor the rapidly de-
each other thereby exerting forces on the skeleton. veloping exploration of distribution differences of different
In contrast to this widespread assumption, Turvey and Fon- fascial mechanoreceptors in different topographical regions.
seca (2014) place high importance on the fibrous collagenous Tesarz, Hoheisel, Wiedenhöfer, and Mense (2012) showed
connective tissues in the body; these are seen as providing that in the human lumbar area, an increased density of pro-
a tensional network throughout the whole body, the biome- prioceptive as well as nociceptive nerves was found in more
chanical properties of which provide the framework for mus- superficial fascial layers rather than in deeper layers of the
cular force transmission as well as for the haptic sensory lumbar fasciae. In addition Stecco et al. (2007) reported a
system. high density of proprioceptive nerve endings in retinacular
fascial tissues (e.g., the retinaculae of the ankle and wrist
Neural Signaling Dynamics: Merely a Downstream region), whereas a lower density was found in fascial tis-
Effect of Altered Fascial Tissue Properties? sues specializing in muscular force transmission such as the
lacertus fibrosus.
Turvey and Fonseca (2014) extensively discuss the rare Very recently a scarcity of free nerve endings has also been
case of a male patient who suffered a loss of proprioception found in the superficial fascia of fibromyalgia patients, ex-
due to an isolated inflammatory neuropathy. Some members cept for a particular increase in such nerve endings located on
of our group had the opportunity to examine the myofascial the arteriole-venule shunts within this layer (Albrecht et al.,
tissue characteristics of this patient via manual palpation at 2013). If the hypothesis of Turvey and Fonseca is correct
rest as well as in sitting and standing. Two of our group’s ex- (i.e., that many perceptual alterations are primarily driven by
perienced manual therapists examined the skin and underly- changes in mechanical connective tissue properties), then it
ing connective tissues of his shoulders, upper arms, and lower could be of interest to also look at these recent findings of
back and compared it with their therapeutic experience with altered distribution patterns in neural afferents and to exam-
healthy men of the same age group as well as with various ine if and how they correlate with changes in fascial tissue
connective tissue pathologies such as ankylosing spondylitis, properties.
Dupuytren’s contracture, or Marfan’s syndrome. The subjec-
tive experience of both examiners was that tissue stiffness as Recent Advances in the Field of Connective Tissue
well as tissue elasticity were well within the normal range for Related Terminologies
healthy individuals. Unfortunately no easy to use technology
existed at that time to objectively assess the tissue properties. Turvey and Fonseca (2014) emphasize the impact of a sys-
This finding, if valid and reliable, may suggest that the tematic labeling of fascial structures. Based on the fact that
lack of proprioceptive perception in this unique person may fascia-related terminologies show the same degree of
be more than an adaptation of neural tissues in response to
a change in fascial tissue properties. Modern sonographic Correspondence address: Robert Schleip, PhD, Fascia Research
elastography (Bercoff, Tanter, & Fink, 2004) or myometry Group, Division of Neurophysiology, Ulm University, Germany.
(Aird, Samuel, & Stokes, 2012) could now be applied to more e-mail: [email protected]

191
R. Schleip et al.

diversity and lack of clear distinction as the tissue itself, fascial tissues can act as elastic springs (Sakuma, Kanehisa,
Schleip, Jäger, and Klingler (2012) reviewed three of the Yanai, Fukunaga, & Kawakami, 2012). Similarly to the cat-
most commonly used terminologies in respect to different apult effect observed in the tendons of kangaroos, tendons
historical backgrounds as well as their respective strengths and aponeuroses of human legs have been shown to be able
when applying each terminology to a particular practical to store and release kinetic energy. In oscillatory movements
context. Briefly, the terminology proposed by the British such as human running an important function of related mus-
edition of Gray’s Anatomy (Schleip et al., 2012) works best cles may then consist of adapting fascial tensegral tension,
when communicating with medical professionals whose such that the inherent resonance frequencies of the limbs are
semantic understanding is primarily rooted in conventional optimally adjusted and utilized. Effective orchestration of
British and American terminology. Most importantly it rapid locomotion has been an important factor in the survival
encompasses the subcutaneous loose connective tissue and evolution of our ancestors. Watching juvenile mammals
layer—here called Fascia superficialis—as part of the fascial spending hours at play, it also seems that in the develop-
network of the human body. ment and training of haptic perception, the fine tuning of
In contrast, the terminology proposed by the Federative such dynamic tissue properties may be an important goal in
International Committee on Anatomical Terminology (1998) the linkage between haptic perception and connective tissue
excludes these loose connective tissues from their proposed properties.
definition of fascia, which they suggest to limit to only dense
multidirectional dissectible connective tissues. Congruently Fertile Ground for Further Therapeutic Investigations
the thin intramuscular endomysium, with its relatively high
quantity of type III and IV collagen fibers, is excluded from We suggest that the model proposed by Turvey and Fon-
the fascial network in contrast to the epimysium. While being seca (2014) also provides impetus for the exploration of new
a cumbersome terminology for describing myofascial force therapeutic strategies for dealing with a number of soft tis-
transmission on a macroscopic scale, this nomenclature is sue pain syndromes such as low back pain, fibromyalgia,
most helpful for histological tissue examinations on a micro- myofascial trigger points, or plantar fasciitis. For example,
scopic level. recent studies have revealed a reduced shear strain transmis-
This is different in the more comprehensive fascia termi- sion in the lumbar fasciae of chronic low back pain patients
nology which was first prosed as a basis for the first Fascia compared with normal controls (Langevin et al., 2011). Sim-
Research Congress (www.fasciacongress.org), and was sub- ilarly a thicker endomysium has been found to characterize
sequently further developed for the following two congresses. the connective tissue of fibromyalgia patients (Liptan, 2010).
This terminology was inspired by the quest to recognize and While both of these tissue changes could possibly be under-
better understand tensegrity-like dynamics in the mammalian stood as being a result of pain induced changes in movement
body. It includes all fibrous collagenous tissues that can be behavior, it is also possible—and the article by Turvey and
understood as being part of a bodywide tensional force trans- Fonseca takes this an intriguing viewpoint—that the changes
mission system. The term fascia here includes joint capsules, in sensory dynamics are themselves driven by the alteration
aponeuroses and ligaments as well as looser fibrous con- in mechanical connective tissue properties. If verified, this
nective tissues such as the various layers of intramuscular understanding could place an increased value to therapeutic
connective tissues, which resist tensional forces. This termi- modalities such as osteopathy, Rolfing, fascial fitness, and
nology is quite suitable for describing the interconnectedness yoga, which aim at restoring normal mechanical properties
of various connective tissue layers, such as the continuities in respective fascial tissues.
between joint capsules, ligaments and tendons as is so well
described in the keynote article. REFERENCES
However in regions like the lower back—where for ex-
Aird, L., Samuel, D., & Stokes, M. (2012). Quadriceps muscle tone,
ample a mostly unidirectional aponeurotic tissue layer can elasticity and stiffness in older males: Reliability and symmetry
clearly be separated from more multidirectional epimysial using the MyotonPRO. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics,
layers—this terminology benefits from additionally specify- 55, 31–39.
ing fascial tissues according to one of the 12 distinctive de- Albrecht, P. J., Hou, Q., Argoff, C. E., Storey, J. R., Wymer, J. P., &
scriptions proposed by Langevin and Huijing (2009; shown Rice, F. L. (2013). Excessive peptidergic sensory innervation of
cutaneous arteriole-venule shunts (AVS) in the palmar glabrous
in Table 1 of Turvey & Fonseca, 2014). skin of fibromyalgia patients: Implications for widespread deep
tissue pain and fatigue. Pain Medicine, 14, 895–915.
Bercoff, J., Tanter, M., & Fink, M. (2004). Supersonic shear imag-
Haptic Perception in Relation to Resonance Frequencies ing: A new technique for soft tissue elasticity mapping. IEEE
in Rapidly Moving Bodies Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Con-
trol, 51, 396–409.
We propose a further exploration of haptic perception Langevin, H. M., Fox, J. R., Koptiuch, C., Badger, G. J., Greenan-
of the oscillatory dynamics of the fascial net in fast dy- Naumann, A. C., Bouffard, N. A., & Henry, S. A. (2011). Reduced
namic movements such as running, walking, throwing, and thoracolumbar fascia shear strain in human chronic low back
dancing. New sonographic studies have demonstrated how pain. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 12, 203.

192 Journal of Motor Behavior

 The Bodywide Fascial Network

Langevin, H. M., & Huijing, P. A. (2009). Communicating about nal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 16, 496–
fascia: History, pitfalls, and recommendations. International 502.
Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, 2, 3–8. Stecco, C., Gagey, O., Belloni, A., Pozzuoli, A., Porzionato, A.,
Liptan, G. L. (2010). Fascia: A missing link in our understand- Macchi, V., & Delmas, V. (2007). Anatomy of the deep fascia of
ing of the pathology of fibromyalgia. Journal of Bodywork and the upper limb. Second part: Study of innervation. Morphologie,
Movement Therapies, 14, 3–12. 91, 38–43.
Sakuma, J., Kanehisa, H., Yanai, T., Fukunaga, T., & Kawakami, Tesarz, J., Hoheisel, U., Wiedenhöfer, B., & Mense, S. (2011). Sen-
Y. (2012). Fascicle-tendon behavior of the gastrocnemius and sory innervation of the thoracolumbar fascia in rats and humans.
soleus muscles during ankle bending exercise at different move- Neuroscience, 194, 302–308.
ment frequencies. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112, Turvey, M. T., & Fonesca, S. T. (2014). The medium of haptic
887–898. perception: A tensegrity hypothesis. Journal of Motor Behavior,
Schleip, R., Jäger, H., & Klingler, W. (2012). What 46, 143–187.
is ‘fascia’? A review of different nomenclatures. Jour-

2014, Vol. 46, No. 3 193