The 7 Categories of Fascial Lines
- Mark
- Jul 22, 2023
- 3 min read
While fascia lines can seem like a lot of information, what's most important to know is that fascia connects seemingly unrelated body parts or structures together. A problem at one joint can, and often does, lead to problems in other areas.
Fascia contains nerve endings which allow it to provide input on both proprioception (the sense of body position, effort/motion) and pain. Therefore, not only provides interconnectedness throughout the body; it also sends information to the brain regarding the sense of boy position and the health of its soft tissue.
1. Superficial back line: runs from the bottom of the toes, up the back of the legs, along the spine, over the top of the skull and attaches to the forehead
2. Superficial front line:
The first part runs from the top of the toes, up the front of the legs and attaches at the front lateral aspect of the pelvis.
The second part runs from the anterior medial aspect of the lower pelvus and up the medial aspect of the trunk; it splits at the top of the sternum to wrap up around the lateral aspects of the neck; and then it merges to form a continuous loop around the back of the skull.
3. Lateral line: runs from the mid lateral aspect of the foot, up the lateral aspect of the leg and pelvis, underneath the rib cage, and up the lateral neck, where it attaches in two places behind the ear.
4. Spiral line: loops around the bottom of each foot like a long scarf, runs up the lateral aspect of the leg, and then takes two different routes at the hip.
One part runs across the front of the pelvis, up and across the abdomen like a sash, around the upper rib cage and underneath the scapula on the opposite side, and up to the back of the skull on the same side it began.
The other part crosses the back of the pelvis and runs up the spine until it attaches to the back of the skull.
5. Arm lines: this category includes 4 lines
The deep front arm line runs from the tip of the thumb, up the lateral arm, and across the shoulder, attaching around the nipple.
The superficial arm line runs from the tips of the fingers on the palm side, up to the medial elbow, up the medial upper arm and across the medial shoulder, attaching at the medial clavicle and all the way down the sternum.
The deep back arm line runs from the outside of the little finger, up the forearm to the elbow, up the posterior upper arm, and across the posterior shoulder, attaching to the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae.
The superficial back arm line runs from the tips of the fingers on the back of the hand, up to the elbow and posterior upper arm, and across the top of the shoulder, attaching to the base of the skull, lower cervical and midthoracic areas.
6. Functional lines: this category includes 3 lines
The back functional line runs from the lateral aspect of the knee, up the posterior thigh, across the posterior pelvis, and over the lower half of the rib cage and scapula and attaches to the upper humerus.
The front functional line runs from the posterior middle femur to the middle pelvis, up the medial abdomen, and out across the chest to the upper humerus.
The ipsilateral line runs from the medial knee, up the inner thigh at a lateral angle that crosses the lateral pelvis, and over the lateral-posterior rib cage and attaches to the upper humerus.
7. Deep front line: This fascial line runs from the bottom of the toes, up the lower leg between the tibia and fibula, behind the knee, up the medial thigh, over the front of the pelvis, up through the rib cage, and up the anterior and lateral neck and attaches to the lateral aspect of the jaw and skull.