Graston Technique/IASTM

Graston technique allows us to detect and treat areas of adhesions in muscles, tendons and ligaments that can reduce our range of motion and cause pain.

In the healing process, our body attempts to repair those areas by creating “scar tissue,” much like the scar that forms on the skin when you have scraped or banged your knee. Over time, we can have a build up of this fibrous scar tissue, particularly in the muscles, tendons and ligaments that get a lot of use. This can lead to pain and dysfunction because this replacement tissue lacks the strength and flexibility of healthy tissue (in some areas it may even mat down and entrap a nerve).

The Graston Technique® allows us to better detect and treat these areas because it uses a stainless steel instrument that glides along a patient’s muscle, tendons or ligaments, with the right amount of pressure to detect just where the adhesions or restrictions are located.

When these knots or bands of scar tissue are encountered, both the clinician and the patient sense a restriction, almost like a speed bump or a granular feeling. The instrument can then be used to identify and treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation. Stretching exercises are used to promote re-alignment of the fibers into the normal pattern of healthy tissue.

The benefit of the Graston Technique® is not only in detection of restrictions or adhesions, but also in the amount of improvement that takes place in a short amount of time. This allows us to increase range of motion and decrease these adhesions to allow for better tissue glide which results in more efficient movement patterns with less pain. 

Commonly used to treat conditions such as: