Fascia: The New Frontier in Pain Management with Special Guest: Dana Sterling (Ep 15)

Guest: Dana Sterling, Founder of Sterling Structural Therapy (SST)
 Introduction:
o Dana Sterling, an expert on fascia, joins the Open Up podcast as the first-ever
guest.
o Fascia is emerging as a new frontier in pain management, revolutionizing
treatment approaches.
o Dana recently spoke at the ICCMO conference in Denver, where both Pam and
Mac felt her insights were essential to share with the world.
 About Dana Sterling & Sterling Structural Therapy (SST):
o Dana pioneered Sterling Structural Therapy (SST), a groundbreaking non-
invasive method for treating chronic pain and orthopedic conditions.
o SST is the only fascia-based therapy delivering effective results virtually,
eliminating the need for hands-on treatment.
o With SST, Dana is able to help people worldwide through virtual consultations.
o Dana offers a free 45-minute assessment and consultation for those interested
in SST.

 Key Discussion Points:
o Transition from Hands-on to Virtual Fascia Therapy:
 Dana explains how she adapted hands-on fascia treatment into a virtual
model, making her therapy accessible globally.

o Understanding Fascia and its Role:
 Fascia is referred to as the "organ of form"—a connective tissue system
that holds our muscles, organs, and bones in place.
 Removing fascia would leave the body as a "formless goo,"
demonstrating its structural importance.

o Anatomy Trains:
 The concept of "Anatomy Trains" is introduced, highlighting the
connections from the feet to the teeth.

o TMD and the Jaw:
 The jaw is a floating structure, and conditions like TMD can wreak
havoc on it, affecting the entire body’s fascia.

o Muscle Pain vs. Fascia Pain:

 Dana differentiates between muscle pain and fascia pain and explains
how chronic pain differs from acute pain.

o Noninvasive First:
 Dana emphasizes starting with noninvasive techniques for pain
management.
 Additional Insights:
o "My boss is your body":
 Dana stresses that the body directs the therapy, not the therapist.
o Muscle Memory & Myofascial Connection:
 The discussion touches on how muscle memory and myofascial
connections work together, with fascia being the hardware and the brain
the software.
o Exercise and Fascia:
 The importance of regular exercise for maintaining muscle, fascia, and
bone health is highlighted.
o Phonetics & Jaw Alignment:
 Phonetic exercises can help in finding the correct upper and lower jaw
relationships, aiding in pain relief.

o Tongue Exercises:
 Tongue exercises are explored as a method to relieve fascia tension in
the body.

o Efficiency of the Human Body:
 Dana explains how the human body is designed for efficiency, and how
fascia plays a role in that.
o Forward Head Posture:
 The impact of forward head posture on fascia and the body as we age
is discussed.

Link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1RouUMpYquI3A-GS7TMrUGVaxmrrG-h8o/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.p4

* Slide number 5 & 6 specifically show the images we were discussing during the podcast.

Hashtags:
#Fascia #PainManagement #SterlingStructuralTherapy #NonInvasiveTreatment
#ChronicPainRelief #TMD #VirtualTherapy #Myofascial #AnatomyTrains #ForwardHeadPosture
#JawAlignment #ConnectiveTissue #BodyEfficiency #TongueExercises #PostureAndPain#tmj