Conference Focuses on Fascia
Fascia is a widespread sheath of soft tissues that interconnects with muscles, ligaments, bones, and organs. The effort to understand fascia better was the topic of the First International Fascia Research Congress, which took place October 4 and 5, 2007, at Harvard Medical School in Boston. NCCAM and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases provided conference grant support.
Partap S. Khalsa, D.C., Ph.D., D.A.B.C.O., a program officer at NCCAM, served as a speaker and panelist. He commented to CAM at the NIH, "The conference brought together leading scientists from the disciplines of biomechanics, mechanobiology [an emerging science that combines mechanics, molecular biology, and genetics], neuroscience, biology, and biochemistry with clinicians including osteopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, and others from the manual therapies. New research was presented on the interactions between fascia and other components of the musculoskeletal system that influence musculoskeletal health and, when they become disordered, can result in pain."
The conference's Web site, at press time, was www.fascia2007.com.
