Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, 2e
by Thomas W. Myers LMT NCTMB ARP Certified Rolfer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Thomas W. Myers LMT NCTMB ARP Certified RolferEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-12-03
ISBN: 044310283X
Number of pages: 440
Publisher: Churchill Livingstone
Book Reviews of Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, 2e
Book Review: For Every Manual and Advanced Movement Practitioner
Summary: 5 Stars
I not only read this book, but I also did the 3-day training with Tom Myers himself. I actually experienced something down my superficial back line that weekend, which is the first line he discusses. It took a few days, but I've resolved it via some rolling and self-massage of the plantar fascia, calf and low back (all part of the SBL--Superficial Back Line), as well as getting myself a much-needed new and firm mattress on the Saturday of the course. It was interesting to have an experience of things being discussed. He's a great teacher with much experience and he conveys his work very well, just as he does in the book.
The book is very well-thought out, illustrated, organized, and written. The images are great and provide a real sense of what he's discussing. There are images of cadaver dissections, primal pictures images, rendering of the Anatomy Trains. The book is full color and the chapters are color coded making it a bit easier to get through.
The first chapter is rather dense at 60 pages, but the discussion of cellular biology really helps in giving some good background of this connective tissue matrix or extracellular matrix (ECM in Gray's Anatomy) that the Anatomy Trains is based upon. It's a good foundational chapter before getting into the myofascial meridians themselves.
Also covered in that first chapter is Buckminster Fuller's tensegrity (tension and compression) model. It is successfully mapped onto the human body and described in detail while juxtaposed to the classical Newtonian model of mechanical physics and the isolated muscle system we were all taught. I find the tensegrity model of the body to be nothing short of brilliant! The bones as compression structures pushing outward while the connective tissue and muscles making up the tension matrix pulling the bones in, thereby keeping them in place. It has muscular joint stability make so much more sense.
The anatomy trains are well-laid out and thoroughly explained. This system provides a good functional and global model of the musculoskeletal system, as opposed to the standard isolated muscle view. Recommendations for treatment and stretching techniques are well-discussed.
Although I state as a cautionary note that the average personal trainer will lack the anatomy background to delve into this work. I find it a bit more advanced and fitness pros should spend some time with some good functional anatomy resources before hitting this work. I haven't read Tom Myers' "Body 3: The Anatomist Reader", but it was stated in the course material as a good book to help with the anatomical references. Learning all of the functions of the separate muscles I think will help people to understand the Anatomy Trains better, because it can't be expected that this book will be a review of that. The classic "Muscles: Testing and Function with Posture and Pain" is a great work to delve into before attempting Anatomy Trains. Massage Therapists will most likely not have a problem with Anatomy Trains.
With that said, I also wished that the book and course had more fitness applications expressed so as to draw more fitness practitioners, instead of just yoga and pilates. I was the only personal trainer in the course out of 36 students and there is so much potential for this kind of work in the fitness industry. Gray Cook's review of the book should be evidence of that. Sue Hitzman, creator of the MELT Method, is doing some great work in the fitness industry with this model, but there should be much more done with it in general movement and function. There could be far greater application in the larger fitness industry which deals with movement in general. Physical Therapists can definitely benefit from this model as well. There were but 3 PTs in that course with me, including one from Provo, UT who flew to NYC to take the course.
Summary of Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, 2e
Understanding the role of fascia in healthy movement and postural distortion is of vital importance to bodyworkers and movement therapists. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists presents a unique 'whole systems' view of myofascial/locomotor anatomy in which the bodywide connections among the muscles within the fascial net are described in detail for the first time. Using the metaphor of railway or train lines, Myers explains how patterns of strain communicate through the myofascial 'webbing', contributing to postural compensation and movement stability. Written in a style that makes it easy to understand and apply, Anatomy Trains provides an accessible and comprehensive explanation of the anatomy and function of the myofascial system in the body. The DVD ROM in the back of the book contains video of techniques, Anatomy Trains-based dissections and computer animations of the myofascial meridian lines.includes full-colour illustrations of 11 myofascial meridians and the rules for discovering other meridians
. uses numerous full colour charts and drawings to detail the muscular and fascial structures involved in the meridians
. presents information on assessment of structural and movement patterns and gives related application to manual therapy and movement education
. provides a selection of techniques from the library of structural integration
. includes an introduction to the fascial system as a whole, with points-of-view and the latest research findings on the fascial system's responses
. offers a fun approach to learning essential structural anatomy, comparing the connective tissue system to a railway network
. video material on the accompanying DVD ROM to visually present the anatomy as described in the book.
Full colour throughout
. New design and layout
. 140 New full colour figures including dissection photographs and client photos
. DVD ROM in back of book
. A new appendices on 'Structural integration' and 'Myofascial meridians and oriental medicine'
. New posters to be published simultaneously.
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