IASTM and GRASTON TECHNIQUE™ — Etobicoke, North York and Lakeshore
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and the patented Graston Technique now at Alleviate Physiotherapy! No more aches, sores, trigger points or chronic pain with our treatment, as our therapists are trained in the use of these special techniques. Read more to find out…
Manual mobilization and deep-tissue healing is done in the Graston Technique using different types of instruments that are usually stainless steel and rounded. In order to speed the healing of soft tissue, this technique has gained much momentum in the physiotherapy and chiropractic community.
Graston Technique: A Diagnostic Tool
Mike Ploski, a Graston Technique Clinician and Instructor, says, “Graston Technique includes added tools that clinicians use between their hands to diagnose irregularities in the tissue and even identify fibrosis.”
This leads to the added information that it is not just used as a soft-tissue healing technique but also a tool that enables clinicians to identify and treat tissue damage that might be arising out of a number of causes.
Identification and Resolving
Once the tissue is identified, the tools used in the technique enable the clinicians to undertake physiotherapist/chiropractic procedures that can heal the affected tissue. The goal is to resolve the patient’s problems and it has been generally observed that there is an added benefit achieved because of using the tools instead of hands because it provides a firmer and blunter edge to achieve the desired results.
Conditions Treated:
- Lower back muscle strain or sprain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Achilles Tendinosis
- Cervical sprain/strain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Rotator Cuff Tendinosis
- Shin Splints
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
The Graston Technique uses rounded stainless-steel tools that are usually of convex or concave shape; this ensures that the treatment provides a deeper and more intense manual therapy that acts as an additionality to the use of. Physiotherapists use this technique in two ways:
- Running the tools over the patient’s skin to feel for scar tissues (muscle knots/ Trigger point), also known as the areas that cause the pain and restrictions
- Using the tools in order to further damage the tissue and promote the restoration of mobility and function
The use of cross-friction massage rubs against the grains of previously scarred tissue which will try to damage the tissue even more in order to rehabilitate it. The idea is that if you scar the tissue even more, it will increase blood flow to the area and it will Alleviate the healing process. The amount of pressure used can be modified depending on the patient’s tolerance. researchers have found that light pressure is just as good as moderate to strong pressure when it comes to the Graston technique.
Fun Fact: At Alleviate Physiotherapy we use a number of techniques under Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) – one of which is Graston Technique.
Why Graston of IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization)?
The main goals of this technique are to reduce the pain and improve the mobility and Range of Motion (ROM) of the joint or affected area. There are major benefits from using this technique in the healing process of different conditions. The mobility improvement and pain relief usually occurs at the same rate. The speed at which the Graston Technique heals is very quick and usually only takes 6-12 treatment cycles in order to see improvements.
Neurological Benefits
What’s even better is that Graston Techniques also has neurological benefits because the mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors respond to it. These receptors are sensory cells that respond to mechanical pressure that is caused by the manipulation. This is what also allows it to be a potential resolution to chronic conditions that were thought to be unresolvable.
Why the hype?
Simply put, not many people are familiar with this technique and few patients ask for it to be done to them. Awareness is the key to helping more and more patients recover and reach their mobility goals: which is always our single-point focus @ Alleviate Physiotherapy. We believe that patient education is the key and since the popularity of this treatment technique has gone up, patients need to be made aware of its effectiveness and existence. If they are not fully educated on these techniques, their journey to rehabilitation might be slow.
