THE GRECO-ROMAN STRIGIL
Juan Yera CMT, AKA Johnny Storm, President Johnny Storms Natural Wellness.
2204 Barbara Drive, Norfolk Virginia 23518 757 5836762 Fax 757 5836762
johnnystorm_@hotmail.com
BACKGROUND The ancient world used a common tool to scrape the body not only for
cleaning but based on historical context to release tensions in the superficial layers of
the dermis. It was one form of preening, lost to the human race. This tool is called a
strigil . Generally made of copper, bronze, bone or ivory. Artistic records show the strigil
being used by athletes during athletic events in the Palestra (Fig-1) and by the general
population in the Roman baths. Modern interpretations of historical records generally
describe the strigil as a tool used to cleanse the body after athletic events with olive oil,
applied beforehand, then scraped off at the end of an event. Some describe that
Caesar Augustus, who lived to age 75, had his face strigiled so severely that his skin
was often seen bruised from deep use of the strigil. In Galen’s De Sanitate Tuenda he
describes that it is possible to diagnose illness from observing the strigmentum and
implies its use countless times validating the strigil as a medical tool.
HYPOTHESIS The ancient strigil was used to eliminate adhesions between, the
superficial fascia of the dermis and the deeper layers, created during the repetitive
motions and inflammations produced during the rigors of physically demanding
exercises and daily activities not just for exfoliating the skin. Why would youth engaged
in athletic events be so consumed with being clean? Instead I suggest strigil use was a
form of wellness or first aid. The use of strigils may provide one renewed tool for
affecting fascia.
METHODS By regularly using a strigil with varying strokes, over the dermis of a client,
adhesions may be reduced and eliminated. The use of olive oil adds an important
analgesic and anti-inflammatory element to the process. The client may learn to use this
method on themselves.
CONCLUSIONS Today regular use of the strigil implies what anecdotally the ancient
practitioners knew. By using the strigil on the skin, surface tension on the dermis is
reduced releasing tension in the deeper layers of the human connective tissue. Further
study of this ancient tool may be beneficial in providing preventive care to provide
myofascial health.
THE GRECO-ROMAN STRIGIL
Fig 1