Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists, 2e [Paperback]

Thomas W. Myers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2008 | ISBN-10: 044310283X | ISBN-13: 978-0443102837 | Edition: 2nd

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Anatomy Trains champions a wider scope of the body and it's movement systems." -- Gray Cook MSPT, OSPT, CSCS, Developer of the Functional Movement Screen

"The Anatomy Trains metaphor is a revelation; a way of seeing the body's interconnectedness more clearly, offering new physiological and anatomical perspectives, and therefore different clinical choices. Quite simply the content of this book is revolutionary." -- Leon Chaitow ND DO, Honorary Fellow, University of Westminster, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies

"Clinicians, researchers and educators alike will find this an invaluable text, which leads to new insights on each reading.” -- Thomas Findley MD PhD, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Editor-in Chief, International Journal of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork: Research, Education and Practice

 

"This book is an eclectic overview of many strands of information garnered from at least a dozen disparate sources. Its format is young, light, and easy on the eye, and is a book of the 21^st Century - it may well be a template for future texts."

The Osteopath, October/November 2009

Book Description

An accessible comprehensive approach to the anatomy and function of the fascial system in the body combined with a holistic --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Churchill Livingstone; 2nd edition (December 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044310283X
• ISBN-13: 978-0443102837
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Alternative Medicine > Massage
  • #6 in Books > Medical Books > Allied Health Professions > Physical Therapy
  • #14 in Books > Medical Books > Basic Sciences > Anatomy

More About the Author

Thomas W. Myers directs Kinesis, Inc, which offers continuing professional development courses worldwide. Tom has been a massage therapist and Structural Integration practitioner (rolfer) since the mid-70's. He has served on the Rolf Institute Board of Directors and the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. He studied directly with Ida Rolf, Moshe Feldenkrais and Buckminster Fuller. His book has recently been translated in German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, and Korean, with editions in Chinese, Japanese, Finnish, Italian, and Russian expected soon. He publishes regularly articles in Massage Magazine (USA publication for massage therapists) as well as in JBMT. Through his articles in these journals he is know becoming better known internationally. He is regarded very highly by his peers.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Applicable to Everyone March 20, 2009

By R. Williams

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Those of us in the physical therapy, personal and performance training, coaching, strength and conditioning, and other physical activity related fields know the importance of continuing education, and Anatomy Trains provides a refreshing look at how things actually work in comparison to half-of-the-story as provided by most text books.

Anatomy is taught in isolated motion. No one moves strictly in isolated motion in anything pertaining to every day life. This book provides the theory as well as dissection evidence to give credibility to the arguement that those of us in our field need to be more open minded to treatment outside the realm of strict anatomical interpretation. The problem there lies more in America's fixation with treating the problem, but not addressing the cause. Its not just the professional's fault for this, but the client's uneducation or miseducation.

When a client comes in to get a massage because they're back is tight, a massage therapist treats the back. It doesn't matter if the cause is actually a tight lower SFL causing anterior pelvic tilt then causing compensation in the SBL for the back pain; the back is still what the professional treats. Most of the time, it isn't the professional's fault for not knowing; it isn't taught in most schools.

Anatomy Trains is a great tool to show the benefits of progressive thought and prehab to prevent injuries in our clients and do a better job. Knowing how to fix is what we know, but knowing how to prevent is what we SHOULD know.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars For Every Manual and Advanced Movement Practitioner March 2, 2010

By Alejandro A. Reyes

Format:Paperback

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A RNs review from a patient/practioner's prospective May 24, 2010

By Southern gal

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is my second purchase of this book. I bought it to give to my physical therapist. I'm repeating my first review under my new account.

Wow! I thought I'd ordered the wrong book for my needs, which are 1.more knowledge of the process of myofascial release and 2. more understanding of places/points of anatomy. It has been a long while since I've been in school and a long time since I worked at a top teaching hospital in the Bay area in California.

I read a few paragraphs, taking care not to damage the book, because I thought I'd probably return it. HOWEVER, after a few sentences I was immediately caught up in the beauty and clarity of this work. NEVER has physiology been made so interesting. Finally, I understand so many things that were just a jumble of memorized facts in preparation for exams. This book has rekindled my love of physiology and is even undoing my dislike of anatomy. Anatomy didn't make sense to me - it was boring - it was memorization. Now I am understanding why my body is so damaged from the stresses I subject it to, but better, I understand how I can undo some damage and prevent more.

I worked on a Sports Medicine unit where famous athletes came for surgery. So much surgery can be avoided with corrective measures for chronic stressors. The medical community needs to be aware of this important material.

So bravo for such a readable work. What depth of historial findings, beautiful graphics, excellent grammar and text. I feel as though I'm in school again, but this time it is for pleasure and for pain relief.

After a few pages I tried to find out more about the author and was surprised not to see a Ph.D. by his name, although I'm not sure a Ph.D. makes one any wiser.

I totally concur with the first review.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for a simple, trendy approach to bodywork. This is so much more.