Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1476304
28 m a s s a g e & b o d y wo r k s e p te m b e r/o c to b e r 2 0 2 2 The World's First Whole-Body, Fascial-Focused Plastinate What would it be like if we could see air with the naked eye? If we could actually see the strength in a burst of wind? To suddenly be able to see something we couldn't see before could change a lot of things—and this is what 's happening with fascia. Unlike air, fascia is a visible tissue. Yet, it is so frequently omitted from illustrations in our anatomy books and removed from cadaver dissections before any pictures are taken that few people have actually seen it. That is changing with the introduction of FR:EIA (pronounced fray-uh), the world's first whole- body, fascial-focused plastinate model. "FR:EIA's singular representation of the human fascial system reflects various components in ways that have never been seen before, giving us all an opportunity to capture a visual atlas of these tissues in our mind's eye. I can't think of anything more critical than this as a means to advance our own learning as therapists." —Gina Tacconi-Moore, Dallas, Texas: Team FR:EIA dissector, manual therapist MEET FR:EIA By Rachelle Clauson, Gary Carter, and Fauna Moore Photos by © BODYWORLDS.com/FR:EIA KEY POINTS • FR:EIA, the first of her kind, is changing how we look at fascia. • Seeing the fascial continuities in this plastinate model shows us how interconnected our movements really are. • Studying FR:EIA's dynamic fascial system helps us better understand its organization, fluidity, and strength, and offers clinical insights for how we touch and treat as therapists.