The Scientific Discovery That ‘Broke Accepted Anatomical Norms’
Midjourney
Interconnected: The human body is a complex web of interconnected systems. There are entire fields of study built upon this concept (hello, reflexology). Amazingly, scientists continue to discover new systems that change what we know about human anatomy. The latest is dubbed the interstitium, a network of spaces that lies beneath the skin and above the fascia.
The Study: In 2021, researchers examined the skin of people with tattoos. In their biopsies, it became apparent that the ink traveled deeper into the body than expected; into a conduit of interstitial spaces between layers of tissue and between organs. This discovery ‘broke accepted anatomic boundaries’ — at least in the West. One professor told The New York Times, “This knowledge is actually quite ancient.” It’s the foundation of eastern medicine practices like acupuncture, which targets meridians in the body to help the flow of Qi (“chi”), the body’s energy.
The Takeaway: Studies of the interstitium show that acupuncture points mirror the areas of connective tissue where fluid flows through the interstitium, suggesting that the West can learn a lot from the East.
What to Know: Everything is more connected than it seems on the surface. More studies of the interstitium could lead to big changes in western healthcare.
