Sue Adstrum PhD, MSc, DPH, Dip Physio
Integrative Anatomist | Physiotherapist | Consultant | Speaker | Author
Auckland, New Zealand
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by the many different ways people look after and help heal their own, and each other’s, bodies. So, it’s hardly surprising that my life’s work has entailed studying, working with, and teaching others about these subjects – a physiotherapist and bodyworker, anatomy researcher and writer, educator, and mentor, and now, as a book author, speaker, and consultant. My learning was considerably deepened through dealing with some of my own injuries and health issues, as well as those of my family and many patients.
Nowadays, I wear several ‘professional hats,’ though I primarily identify as an ‘integrative anatomist’ – someone who sees the body’s structure from a big-picture, transdisciplinary perspective. My unique combination of professional clinical training and experience, along with my university studies in anatomy, anthropology, medical history, and public health enables me to combine, or integrate, these disciplines’ varied ways of thinking about and doing things. This unconventionally broad, multiple-discipline-spanning perspective is particularly valuable when helping people to find some more (and possibly new to them) ways of improving their health and dealing with their difficult-to-solve health problems.
The more I’ve learned about the linkage between our understanding of anatomy and the ways we are able to logically think about health care, the more I’ve realised how important it is that we all (not just university-educated experts) ensure that our knowledge of anatomy is as accurate and as useful-to-us as possible.
At the end of the day, improving our knowledge of anatomy, even if that means changing the way we usually think about the body’s structure, can powerfully increase our ability to be constructively involved in the ways our bodies (and those of the people we look after) are cared for and treated.”
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dwyer
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Otago, New Zealand (2015)
- Master of Science, with Distinction, University of Otago (2005)
- Post-graduate Diploma in Public Health, with Distinction, University of Otago (1999)
- Graduate Diploma, University of Otago (2000)
- Diploma of Physiotherapy, New Zealand School of Physiotherapy (1974)
Considerable and varied… most notably including:
- New Zealand Diploma of Physiotherapy (1972-1974)
- Post-graduate manual therapy physiotherapy training (New Zealand Manipulative Therapists Association, 1982 -1984)
- Craniosacral Therapy (The Upledger Institute, in USA & New Zealand, 1993-1999) and The Milne Institute (in Australia and New Zealand, 2000-2002)
- Myofascial Release Therapy (MFR Seminars, USA, 2002-2005)
- Adstrum, S. (2022). Fascial anatomy anatomies. The Fifth British Fascia Symposium (on-line conference).
- Adstrum, S. (2022). Anatomy, the body, and the ‘Living Wetsuit.’ Massage & Myotherapy Journal 20 (2): 12-15.
- Adstrum, S. (2022). Evolution of fascia-focused anatomy. In R. Schleip, C. Stecco, M. Driscoll, & P. Huijing (Eds.). Fascia: The tensional network of the human body (2nd edition). Edinburgh: Elsevier.
- Adstrum, S. (2021). The Living Wetsuit. Auckland: Integrative Anatomy Solutions.
- Adstrum, S. (2021). Demystifying anatomy for everyday use. IWA-2021 on-line conference, ‘Evolving Trends in Anatomy Education: A Global Perspective’, India. (Keynote address)
- Adstrum, S. (2019). Changing anatomies: Rationally reimagining healthcare. Canadian Anthropology Society & American Anthropological Association Conference, Vancouver, Canada. (Oral presentation)
- ** Adstrum, S., & Nicholson, H. (2019). A history of fascia. Clinical Anatomy 23(7):862-870.
- ** Stecco, C., Adstrum, S., Hedley, G., Schleip, R., Yucesoy, C. (2018). Update on fascial nomenclature. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 22(2): 354.
- Adstrum, S. (2017). Is physiotherapy endorsing an incomplete version of human anatomy? World Confederation of Physical Therapists Conference, Cape Town, South Africa. (Conference poster)
- ** Adstrum, S., Hedley, G., Schleip, R., Stecco, C., Yucesoy, C. (2017). Defining the fascial system. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 21(1): 173-177.
- ** Adstrum, S. (2015). Fascial eponyms may help elucidate terminological and nomenclatural development. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 19(3): 516-525.
- Adstrum, S. (2015). Fascia is varyingly depicted to different groups of health care practitioners-in-training, Fourth Fascia Research Congress, Washington D. C., USA. (Conference poster)
- Adstrum, S. (2015). Transdisciplinary research may valuably help broaden comprehension of fascia. Fourth Fascia Research Congress, Washington D. C., USA. (Conference poster)
- Adstrum, N. S. (2015). The meaning of fascia in a changing society. University of Otago, NZ. (PhD thesis)
- Adstrum, S. (2014). Excuse me, what do you mean fascia? Australian & new Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists Conference, Queenstown, NZ.
** Visit https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sue_Adstrum for journal articles – free to download
- University of Otago Postgraduate Scholarship (for Doctoral degree studies)
- University of Otago Postgraduate Award (for Masters research degree studies)
- New Zealand School of Physiotherapy Mardiana Trophy for Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 (1974)