Stephen Typaldos, D.O. was the originator and developer of the Fascial Distortion Model and author of four editions of the book describing his discoveries. He also wrote 5 musical plays, including all the music, lyrics and scripts, and brought two of these musicals to the stage in Maine as both director and producer. His love for his four children (Alexander, Brooke, Anastasia and Carissa) was the driving force behind his work ethic and enormous productivity. He is still missed by all of us who worked with him, studied under him, and were treated by him. His pioneer work in treating fascial distortions is well-documented but not fully appreciated. The insight and understanding that Dr. Typaldos brought to the treatment of painful injuries is a great gift to medicine and to all of us who have had injuries.
Stephen Philip Typaldos was born and grew up in Southern California, and graduated from University of California at Riverside. He graduated from UHS-COM in Kansas City, MO in 1986 and completed both his internship and residency in Toledo, OH. He was Board Certified in Family Practice (1989-1996) and was in the process of completing his board certification in Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine at his death. Typaldos developed the Fascial Distortion Model while working in the Emergency Room and also in his own manipulative practices in California, Texas and Maine.
Dr. Typaldos discovered and treated the first triggerband in September, 1991 in Yuba City, CA and he presented his first lecture on his 35th birthday (March 25, 1992) in Las Vegas. His first two papers were written concurrently on Triggerband Technique and Continuum Distortions and were published in the AAO Journal in 1994. His third paper, which included four distortions and described the Fascial Distortion Model, was written next and published in the summer of 1995. All three of these articles were reprinted in the British journal The Osteopath in the Spring, Summer and Autumn of 1995. He wrote the Cylinder paper in 1995 and it was published on the internet in the same year. Tectonic Fixations were also discovered in 1995.
In 1996 he completed the first edition of his book, which later became known as the prototype (because there were only 50 copies printed). 1997 was the year when Typaldos’ work began to get more recognition, with the publication of the first edition (Orthopathic Medicine: The Unification of Orthopedics with Osteopathy Through the Fascial Distortion Model) and lectures at the AAO Convocation and at schools of osteopathy in France, Austria, Portugal and Kirksville, MO. In 1998 the second edition of the book was produced and he gave seminars in Ohio, Austria, France and also in Japan where the second edition had been translated into Japanese and published in a Japanese-English version. 1999 was another big year for the book and seminars: the third edition of the book (in hardback) was published in the spring and seminars were presented in Portland, Oregon, Japan, Austria, France and Bangor, Maine. The third edition was translated into German.
In July 2001 the 10th anniversary of the FDM was celebrated in Bangor along with an advanced FDM seminar. Following Sept. 11, Georg Harrer, M.D. was asked to teach the Level 1 courses in Europe and the UK and Dr. Typaldos continued teaching the Level 2 courses, mostly in Germany. The current edition with the new title FDM: Clinical and Theoretical Application of the Fascial Distortion Model Within the Practice of Medicine and Surgery, was completed and published in 2002. Keisuke Tanaka translated the 4th edition of the book into Japanese and began publishing it in 2004. It was in 2004 that the special relationship between Dr. Typaldos, the FDM and AKOMA began with seminars in Alaska in February and June. He was asked to lecture in Alaska again in June 2005 and arranged an FDM International Meeting so that his friends from around the world could join him in the friendly atmosphere of Alaska. Alaska and AKOMA will always hold a special place in his heart because they provided the warmest reception to him and the FDM.
The Fascial Distortion Model, although known for its highly effective techniques, is more importantly a way of looking at and contemplating injuries and their treatment that should change the practice of medicine. It was Dr. Typaldos’ desire that the Fascial Distortion Model not only revolutionize the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, but that it would also revitalize medicine by providing new insight into cardiology, internal medicine and neurology.
Dr. Typaldos never intended to form a non-profit organization. AFDMA was formed by a group of FDM practitioners who were personally trained by Stephen Typaldos and desired to promote and carry on his work in the United States, but the organization was not formed until August 2007, over 16 months after his death.
