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A B M P m e m b e r s ea r n F R E E C E h o u r s by rea d i n g t h i s i s s u e ! 73 Macroview: Tissues of the upper arm layered in cross section. Dissection is the art of anatomical separation, but it can also help us study and understand how everything is connected. When we massage the arm, our massage stroke addresses all tissues together. At the surface, the skin (epithelial and connective tissues) is strongly rooted into the yellow subcutaneous fat (connective tissue) via skin ligaments that create sections of bubbly texture. Through the center of the image, the collagen-rich, creamy-colored brachial fascia (connective tissue) envelopes the entire upper arm like a sleeve, creating compartments that dive to the bone. At the bottom, the glistening epimysium (connective tissue) tightly adheres to the biceps brachii muscle below (muscle tissue). Nervous tissue and epithelial-lined blood vessels are not visible in this image but exist fully integrated throughout each layer. Image courtesy of AnatomySCAPES.com. 1 Connective Tissue Connective tissue brings everything together (literally). A large tissue family, it includes tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, as well as bone, adipose, and blood. All the elements of the fascial system, from the IT band to the plantar fascia, are connective tissue. Unlike the other tissue types, connective tissue is not classifi ed based on its cells, but by what's outside the cells—the extracellular matrix. It's important to remember that the four tissue categories are human-made divisions of convenience that help us understand their organization and function. But in the living human form, they are intricately woven together. Like the continuous fl ow of our massage strokes, all tissues are interconnected. PLAYING FAVORITES Depending on your training, it's tempting to play favorites with tissue types. Many of us learned we were primarily massaging muscle tissue. Some modalities claim that massage affects only nervous tissue, while others suggest the impact on fascial connective tissue is the most important. It is essential we remember that we can never touch just one tissue type. When we touch the skin's epithelial tissue, we simultaneously touch the sensory nerve endings made of nervous tissue. Similarly, when we address any given muscle, there's much more at play, because muscle tissue can never be separated from its enveloping and interpenetrated connective and nervous tissues. When Method Shapes What We See Dissection has long served as the primary method for anatomical studies. The word anatomy comes from the Greek ana- and -tomia, which translate as "to cut apart" or "cutting up." While this method has yielded an immense understanding of the human body, it has also created blind spots. Focusing on what can be seen after separating the parts naturally prioritizes the stronger structures that maintain their defi nition and form. The more delicate tissues that obscure or lack clear delineation are lost, even though they are often the ones that provide the vital, supportive environment and connection between the parts. And for touch therapists, the ways tissues connect and relate can be just as important as the individual structures. WATCH VIDEO "THINKING IN TISSUES"