Ep 583 – Meet the Researchers: Hormones and Fascia with Katja Bartsch

Meet the researchers! Rachelle and Nicole continue in this series of conversations with fascia researchers from around the globe. Hormones are talking to the cells that build our fascia. In this episode, researcher Dr. Katja Bartsch of Munich, Germany shares how she's been listening in on that conversation and tells us what it means for the women on our massage tables.  Dr. Bartsch is exploring an emerging and under-studied question in her research: how do female hormones — and the drop in estrogen through menopause — affect our connective tissues? Listen as she updates us on the current findings. Rachelle and Nicole discuss how the science translates to the treatment room, and why so many women in midlife arrive at our massage tables with new pain and stiffness. The research is early and the answers aren't simple, but the questions are ones every bodyworker will want to hear. About our guest: Dr. Katja Bartsch is a sports scientist and fascia researcher at the Technical University of Munich. She is a Board-Certified Structural Integration practitioner, an E-RYT 500 yoga educator, and author of Optimizing Women's Health and Training: Embracing Female Physiology for Performance and Wellbeing (UBC Press, 2025). Dr. Bartsch teaches anatomy, fascia physiology, and female hormones in trainings and workshops across Europe, including with Yoga Medicine, and through her own platform, Kalamana Yoga (kalamanayoga.com). Host Bios: AnatomySCAPES Co-Directors, Rachelle Clauson and Nicole Trombley, are NCBTMB-approved continuing education providers and teach anatomy explorations for hands-on professionals online and in person. They co-author the "Anatomy for Touch" column in Massage & Bodywork magazine and enjoy helping therapists better understand how anatomy relates to what they are feeling through their sense of touch. Nicole Trombley: As a massage educator, Nicole draws on her passion for human biology to help therapists better understand the tissues under their hands. She owns and operates Equilibrio Massage in San Diego, CA, where she has specialized in massage for pregnancy and postpartum since 2004. Rachelle Clauson: Rachelle loves teaching therapists about the structural organization and beauty of the human fascial system. She serves as the Director of Creative and Administrative Affairs for the Fascial Net Plastination Project, and owns Flourish Bodywork, her private practice where she has been offering hands-on bodywork in San Diego, CA, since 2003. Resources: Dr. Katja Bartsch's book: Optimizing Women's Health and Training: Embracing Female Physiology for Performance and Wellbeing (UBC Press, 2025) AnatomySCAPES continuing education: anatomyscapes.com Journey into the MATRIX: the Fascial System dissection lab workshop in San Diego this September 15-17, 2026: anatomyscapes.com/matrix Questions? info@anatomyscapes.com   About Our Sponsors:   Anatomy Trains <span sty