Best Books on Myofascial Lines
- 0.1 Myofascial Lines – Muscle Slings – Myofascial Meridians – Kinetic Chains
- 0.2 Myofascial Meridians – Myofascial Lines of the Body
- 1 Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals
- 2 The Five Primary Kinetic Chains Anatomy
- 3 Muscle Slings in Sport: Analysing Movements
- 4 The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality
Myofascial Lines – Muscle Slings – Myofascial Meridians – Kinetic Chains
When you think about the anatomy of the body, you probably think about bones, muscles, and joints – not connective tissue. But the fact is, connective tissue – or fascia – is everywhere in the body. So much, in fact, that it is more like an organ system than just tissue. Understanding how it is structured, and how movement affects it is critical to maximizing range of motion, recovery from injury, and preventing future injury.
Myofascial Meridians – Myofascial Lines of the Body
Strictly speaking, anatomy trains, or myofascial meridians, is a term coined by Thomas Myers. Hence, the first book, and you probably heard about it, in this list is this author’s famous book.
Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals
Anatomy Trains, by Thomas Myers, is a fundamental book on fascia network, and an essential read for anyone who wants to better understand their own body. The book was first published in 2001, and has just been re-released in 2020 with new added sections including Anatomy Trains in Motion and Anatomy Trains in Quadrupeds.
Fascia is a connective tissue that is found throughout the body, but was largely ignored by mainstream medical science. Fascia is a stretchy substance (organ?) like the other soft tissues in the body, and it’s function is to connect all the muscles, blood vessels, nerves and organs in the body.
An accessible and detailed approach to the anatomy and function of the fascial systems of the body coupled with a holistic overview of myofascial therapy. Myofascial methods are now used by a range of therapists and bodyworkers to induce postural adjustment and for pain management.
This book explains how muscles interact with connective tissue to affect pain patterns, compensatory strain, and posture.
Anatomy Trains Fascial Lines List
What are the 12 Myofascial Meridians?
- Superficial Back Line
- Superficial Front Line
- Lateral Line
- Spiral Line
Arm Myofascial Lines Complex
- Superficial Front Arm Line
- Deep Back Arm Line
- Deep Front Arm Line
- Superficial Back Arm Line
Functional Myofascial Lines Complex
- Back Functional Line
- Front Functional Line
- Ipsilateral Functional Line
- Deep Front Line
Anatomy Trains Fascial Lines Video
Another book in our list is:
The Five Primary Kinetic Chains Anatomy
by Joseph Schwartz
This is a fantastic visual reference book for manual therapists, chiropractors, physical therapists, and movement specialists, as well as their patients.
Joint actions, subsystems, prime movers, and synergists are all identified and grouped in the columns. The use of bright colors clarifies how the structure integrates movement. The detailed explanations make it clear how the Five Primary Kinetic Chains work together to create movement.
The five primary kinetic chains are based on Andry Vleeming’s Core Subsystems concept. Each diagram depicts a fundamental physiologic principle of movement: bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and fascia do not function in isolation. To create movement, they collaborate in a synergistic way. The players are all cooperating when the movement is balanced and form a foundation for our overall health. It provides a welcome and useful shift in how we view the body by looking at it through the lens of movement.
“As a manual therapist who integrates different techniques into my practice, the 5PKC anatomy charts are a critical component for any manual therapist’s practice. I have studied and treated along the fascial chains that have been promoted by numerous other gifted clinicians and researchers each time leaving me with unanswered questions. The work of Joseph Schwartz has helped me to connect many of these dots and better identify the structures that are so critical in terms of effective treatment planning for my patients.” -J. Shakar DPT MS OCS LAT, Graston Technique* Clinical Advisor
*Graston Technique is a type of IASTM, stands for instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization. A therapist uses stainless steel tools to find and assess myofascial restrictions with further eliminating them by gentle scraping on tissue with specialized tools.
Good news for Amazon Kindle Unlimited users. If you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, you can download the book for free.
Muscle Slings in Sport: Analysing Movements
in Various Disciplines from a Functional-Anatomical Point of View
by Kurt Tittel
Kurt Tittel’s anatomical method is both descriptive and functional, giving the reader fasciating illustrations of the sequences of movements of the living body in various sports disciplines.
It’s not a detailed report on lifeless structures in the dissecting room. For several decades, he worked as an anatomist and sports physician, and he was responsible for professional athletes on a national and international level, putting himself in constant touch with the practical aspects of sport.
The author illustrates sequences of movements in sports and shows how the muscles, which are joined in concerted actions, work in functional groups known as “muscle slings”, together with the connective tissue (fascia). This term “muscle slings” was coined and is now widely used in rehabilitation and sports medicine theory and practice.
As if he were a passionate reporter watching a play or an athletic performance, the author paints the picture of the phases of various sports movements and points out the muscles involved in muscle slings.
The text is beautifully complemented by Kurt Opitz’s fascinating illustrations, which he created in the 1950s. Because they are the result of a long-term collaboration between the artist and the anatomist, their quality and accuracy have never been surpassed – and are unlikely to be.
The Endless Web: Fascial Anatomy and Physical Reality
by R. Louis Schultz
This book is last in the list but not least.
This book describes primarily the myofascial connections that “horizontally” run across the body, and act like retinacula.
Like the retinacula at the wrist or ankle, they are thickenings in the deep layer of fascia and restrain, for better or worse, the movement of the deeper tissues.
Thomas Myers acknowledges, that he learned the ideas directly from Dr Schultz, adding that Dr Schultz’s findings about fascial embryology and fascial connectivity inspired Myers to write the relevant sections of Anatomy Trains.
Fascial Anatomy is a critical component to pain and dysfunction management, yet physical therapists are often unaware of the effects that fascia plays in the human body. R. Louis Schultz has written the definitive guide to Fascial Anatomy, demonstrating how this connective tissue affects human movement and why many people are experiencing pain and dysfunction.
Schultz explains that physical therapists must be aware of this information to help their patients. He also provides practical suggestions for physical therapists to build into their programs.
