Anatomy · functional reading
Fascial gliding
Fascial gliding is the relative movement of fascial layers against one another, and against neighboring muscles, nerves and vessels, with every movement of the body.
Scientific basis
Between two fascial planes, loose connective tissue forms a network of fibers surrounding spaces filled with hydrated ground substance. During movement, this network continuously deforms and reorganizes, which allows displacement without breaking the continuity of the tissue (Guimberteau et al., 2010, observations made mainly in the hand).
Water and hyaluronic acid contribute to this mobility; hyaluronic acid content varies by fascia and by its gliding function (Fede et al., 2018).
Gliding is measured by ultrasound. In the fascia of the lower back, shear strain is about 20% lower in people with chronic low back pain than in people without pain (70.2% vs. 56.4%; Langevin et al., 2011). This is an observational study: it does not show which comes first, the pain or the loss of gliding, and does not support a conclusion of cause and effect.
Blue Portance / SBNFA™ reading
In the SBNFA™, gliding is a condition for stress redistribution: when several interfaces glide, each absorbs part of the movement; when one interface loses its mobility, deformation concentrates elsewhere. The hypothesis that a position held without variation reduces this gliding, and that micro-movements maintain it, belongs to the SBNFA™ reading.
Contribution to the analysis of sitting
When sitting, the skin, fat, fascia and muscles under the sit bones (ischial tuberosities) compress and glide against one another. The analysis observes whether the seat lets these adjustments happen or holds the tissues in a single configuration.
Not to be confused with
Fascial adhesions, abnormal union of two normally mobile surfaces; fascial densification, a change in loose connective tissue that can hinder gliding; nerve gliding, movement of a nerve within its environment; loss of gliding, reduced relative mobility that does not by itself imply an adhesion.
Related terms
Sources and scope
- Guimberteau et al. (2010): the microvacuolar system, how connective tissue slides (J Hand Surg Eur)
- Fede et al. (2018): hyaluronan content of human fasciae by function and site (Journal of Anatomy)
- Langevin et al. (2011): reduced thoracolumbar fascia shear strain in chronic low back pain (BMC Musculoskelet Disord)
Gliding is observed and measured; its determinants and its reversibility vary by region and by person.
Further reading
- Go further — Expert guide: What Role Does Fascia Play in Tissue Dynamics and Protection?
