Robert Schleip

Robert Schleip
Born	Robert Schleip 1954 (age 69–70) Göppingen, Germany
Occupation(s)	Psychologist, biologist
Academic background
Alma mater	Heidelberg University, University of Ulm
Thesis	Active fascial contractility: Fascia may be able to contract in a smooth muscle-like manner and thereby influence musculoskeletal dynamics (2005)
Academic work
Discipline	Psychology Human Biology Alternative Medicine
Sub-discipline	Fascia Rolfing Osteopathy Feldenkrais
Website	https://www.somatics.de

Robert Schleip (born 1954) is a German psychologist, human biologist and author, best known for his research in the field of fascia. His work includes numerous scientific papers and books, which have contributed to the understanding of fascia and its role in musculoskeletal health. He serves as the Director of the Fascia Research Group at both the University of Ulm and the Technical University of Munich. Schleip is also the Founding Director of the Fascia Research Society, the Research Director of the European Rolfing Association and Vice President of the Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation.

Education

In 1978, Schleip became Germany's first certified Rolfer at the Rolf Institute and subsequently in 1983 became a Certified Advanced Rolfer in the field of Structural Integration.

Schleip graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Heidelberg in 1980. From 1984 to 1987 he trained as a Feldenkrais teacher and became a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner in the field of Sensorimotor Facilitation from International Feldenkrais Guild in 1987.

In 2006, he earned his doctorate in human biology with honors from the University of Ulm. For his thesis "Active fascial contractility: Fascia may be able to contract in a smooth muscle-like manner and thereby influence musculoskeletal dynamics", he received the "Vladimir Janda Prize for Musculoskeletal Medicine".

In 2023, he was awarded the title of professor by the Diploma University of Applied Sciences and was appointed to a newly created research professorship in the department for Health & Psychology for the university.

Rolfing

Main article: Rolfing

Schleip has been an active rolfing instructor since 1988 and maintains a part-time private practice in Munich. He served as a member on the Board of Directors for the European Rolfing Association in Munich from 1995-1999, and on the Ethics committee from 1999-2003, as well as a member of the International Advisory Board of the Rolf Institute in Boulder from 2000-2005.

In 2006, he became the Research Director of the European Rolfing Association, a position he still holds. He also works as Vice President of Ida P. Rolf Research Foundation In 2013, he received the RISI Award for "Excellence in Research" by the Rolf Institute.

Fascia

Main article: Fascia

In 2007, Schleip along with Werner Klingle initiated and organized the first Fascia Research Congress, sponsored by the National Institute of Health and hosted at Harvard Medical School. He has served on the scientific committee for all subsequent congresses (2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2022) and chaired the 2018 and 2022 congresses.

Science magazine dedicated a two-page report to this congress and in particular to Schleip titled "Cell Biology Meets Rolfing: From Rolfer to Researcher" referring to Schleip's career shift.

He has been a Founding member of the Fascia Research Society since 2011 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2020. In 2023 he received the special designation of Founding Director.

Schleip is the Director of the Fascia Research Group, a research collaboration between the University of Ulm (2007-2019) and the Technical University of Munich (2019-Present). Research from the Fascia Research Group has shown that fascia is a dynamic tissue that is responsive to mechanical forces and can impact muscle function, posture, and movement patterns. The project has published numerous scientific papers examining various aspects of fascia, including:

• The contribution of fascia to diagnostics and injury prevention in sports medicine.
• The deformation of thoracolumbar fascia during deadlifting and trunk extension.
• The immediate effects of myofascial release treatment on lumbar microcirculation.
• The influence of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization on hydration content in lumbar myofascial tissues.

Fascial Net Plastination Project

Main article: Fascial Net Plastination Project

In 2018, Schleip spearheaded the Fascial Net Plastination Project (FNPP), an innovative anatomical research initiative designed to plastinate and study the human fascial network. The project aims to advance the understanding of fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and permeates muscles, organs, and other structures within the body. The FNPP brought together experts in anatomy, dissection, and plastination, and it was the first project of its kind to plastinate a complete human fascia specimen.

One of the project's highlights was the creation of a full-body human fascia plastinate named FR:EIA (Fascia Revealed: Educating Interconnected Anatomy). FR:EIA was unveiled at the 2021 Fascia Research Congress and is currently on display at the Body Worlds exhibition in Berlin. His work with the FNPP continues to influence both medical research and public understanding of the fascial system.

Lecturer

As a lecturer, Schleip gives talks in the fields of physiotherapy, orthopedics, and sports science.

From 2005 to 2013, he served as a Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Ulm. In 2014, he became a Visiting Professor at the Medical Faculty, Institute of Sciences of the Health in Buenos Aires (Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud).

Since 2019, Schleip has been a Professor of Conservative and Rehabilitative Orthopaedics in the Department of Sport and Health Sciences at the Technical University of Munich, and a Faculty Member at the Diploma University of Applied Sciences. In 2023, he was appointed as a Professor of Health & Psychology at the Diploma University of Applied Sciences.

Author

• Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body: The science and clinical applications in manual and movement therapy. Elsevier Health Sciences. 26 February 2013. ISBN 978-0-7020-5228-6.
• Fascia in Sport and Movement. Handspring. 2015. ISBN 978-1-909141-07-0.
• Fascial Fitness: How to be Vital, Elastic and Dynamic in Everyday Life and Sport. Lotus. 2017. ISBN 978-1-905367-71-9.
• Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body Expert Consult: Fascia: The Tensional Network of the Human Body - E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. 8 December 2021. ISBN 978-0-7020-8413-3.
• Fascial Fitness, Second Edition: Practical Exercises to Stay Flexible, Active and Pain Free in Just 20 Minutes a Week. North Atlantic Books. 6 July 2021. ISBN 978-1-62317-675-4.
• Fascia in Sport and Movement, Second edition. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 30 March 2021. ISBN 978-1-912085-78-1.
• Der Faszien-Code: Wie die Genetik des Bindegewebes deine Gesundheit beeinflusst und du typgerecht trainierst, um Beweglichkeit und Fitness zu optimieren. Riva Verlag. 18 February 2024. ISBN 978-3-7453-2298-9.

Scientific papers

Schleip has contributed to the scientific understanding of fascia and its role in the human body throughout his career.

Active fascial contractility

Active fascial contractility refers to the ability of fascia, a type of connective tissue, to actively change its stiffness and length through cellular contraction. Unlike passive properties, where fascia simply responds to external forces, active contractility suggests that fascia can contract in a manner similar to smooth muscle, thereby playing an active role in musculoskeletal dynamics.

• Schleip, R.; Klingler, W.; Lehmann-Horn, F. (2005). "Active fascial contractility: Fascia may be able to contract in a smooth muscle-like manner and thereby influence musculoskeletal dynamics". Medical Hypotheses. 65 (2): 273–277. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2005.03.005. PMID 15922099.
• Schleip, R.; Naylor, I.L.; Ursu, D.; Melzer, W.; Zorn, A.; Wilke, H.J.; Lehmann-Horn, F.; Klingler, W. (2006). "Passive muscle stiffness may be influenced by active contractility of intramuscular connective tissue". Medical Hypotheses. 66 (1): 66–71. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2005.08.025. PMID 16209907.
• Schleip, R.; Klingler, W. (2019). "Active contractile properties of fascia". Clinical Anatomy. 32 (7): 891–895. doi:10.1002/ca.23391. PMID 31012158.</ref>
• Schleip, R.; Gabbiani, G.; Wilke, J.; Naylor, I.; Hinz, B.; Zorn, A.; Jäger, H.; Schreiner, S.; Klingler, W. (2019). "Fascia Is Able to Actively Contract and May Thereby Influence Musculoskeletal Dynamics: A Histochemical and Mechanographic Investigation". Frontiers in Physiology. 10: 336. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00336. PMC 6455047. PMID 31001134.

Biomechanical, sensory, and physiological properties of the body-wide fascia network

Tissues included encompass aponeuroses, intramuscular connective tissues, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, septi, and retinaculae, in addition to dense irregular connective tissue sheets ("proper fasciae") such as the nuchal fascia or plantar fascia.

• Chaudhry, H.; Huang, C.V.; Schleip, R.; Ji, Z.; Bukiet, B.; Findley, T. (2007). "Viscoelastic behavior of human fasciae under extension in manual therapy". Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 11 (2): 159–167. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2006.08.012.
• Schleip, R.; Duerselen, L.; Vleeming, A.; Naylor, I.L.; Lehmann-Horn, F.; Zorn, A.; Jaeger, H.; Klingler, W. (2012). "Strain hardening of fascia: Static stretching of dense fibrous connective tissues can induce a temporary stiffness increase accompanied by enhanced matrix hydration". Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 16 (1): 94–100. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2011.09.003. PMID 22196433.
• Schleip, R.; Mechsner, F.; Zorn, A.; Klingler, W. (2014). "The bodywide fascial network as a sensory organ for haptic perception". Journal of Motor Behavior. 46 (3): 191–193. doi:10.1080/00222895.2014.880306. PMID 24628059.
• Schleip, R.; Zorn, A.; Klingler, W. (2014). "Clinical relevance of fascial tissue and dysfunctions". Current Pain and Headache Reports. 18 (8): 439. doi:10.1007/s11916-014-0439-y. PMID 24962403.

New methods in connective tissue research

Development of reliable examination techniques to enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of connective tissue disorders. These methods aim to provide more accurate assessments of connective tissue health and functionality, leading to better clinical outcomes and advancements in therapeutic strategies.

• Schleip, R.; Klingler, W.; Wearing, S.; Naylor, I.; Zuegel, M.; Hoppe, K. (2016). "Functional in vitro tension measurements of fascial tissue – a novel modified superfusion approach". Musculoskeletal Neuronal Interactions. 16 (3): 256–260. PMC 5114348. PMID 27609040.

• Schleip, R.; Wilke, J.; Schreiner, S.; Wetterslev, M.; Klingler, W. (2018). "Needle biopsy-derived myofascial tissue samples are sufficient for quantification of myofibroblast density". Clinical Anatomy. 31 (3): 368–372. doi:10.1002/ca.23040. PMID 29314236.

TV documentaries

• ARD (German TV Channel): Schleip's work on fascia has been featured in documentaries aired on October 1, 2010, and April 15, 2020.
• ARTE (French/German TV Channel): Since 2018, ARTE has aired documentaries on the mysterious world of fascia, featuring Robert Schleip.
• SWR (German TV Channel): Documentaries aired on October 25, 2021, and September 10, 2020, explored the "fascia boom" and included contributions from Schleip.

External links

• Somatics by Robert Schleip
• Fascia Research Group