[libribook.com] Traumatic Scar Tissue Management 1st Edition

CHAPTER 2
Skin and fascia
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time
to understand more, so that we may fear less
Marie Curie
The delivery of safe and effective scar tissue management requires an
understanding of the structure and function of the organs and systems we are
working with and of the wound-healing process.
The aim of this chapter is to provide a solid base for understanding skin and
fascia sciences (structure and function).The role of skin and fascia in wound
healing and the impact of abnormal wound healing on them will be covered in
greater detail in Chapters 5 and 6.
Skin and Fascia: Overview
Skin and fascia are highly complex and diverse systems. This book provides an
overview of each, favoring relevance to massage therapy (MT) and is
comprehensive enough to guide treatment protocol and clinical best practice.
Although we will explore these systems individually, the various layers of the
skin and underlying fascia are connected, support each other structurally and
functionally, and continuously engage in the exchange of information. We begin
with an overview of the extracellular matrix (ECM) as it constitutes the sum
total of extracellular substance within skin and fascia.