IASTM Therapy: What Is It and Why Do You Need It?
If you’ve little or no idea about IASTM therapy, then you should know that IASTM stands for Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. It is basically a massage that employs specifically designed tools to help improve the health of your muscles and tissues.
IASTM therapy has proven its worth in providing a wide range of benefits, like increased flexibility, reduced pain, improved circulation, etc. If you’re trying to find a way to improve your overall health and wellbeing, IASTM therapy may be the right solution for you!
What Can IASTM Therapy Do?
IASTM Therapy involves holistic and conventional treatment methods to assist with managing problems associated with restricted or painful motion motor control. It is an effective way to target tight and congested fascia which is often the cause of muscle pain. Not only does it alleviate your muscle pain, but it also fortifies your joint mobility.
Other benefits of physical therapy soft tissue mobilization include subsided inflammation, elimination of chronic pain conditions and increased natural collagen production. Moreover, there is no downtime needed afterwards so you can continue your day as usual.
How Does IASTM Therapy Work?
The aim is to stimulate soft tissues without breaking or rupturing them, enabling deeper penetration of the implant. It’s not at all complicated as it may seem; IASTM therapy involves using controlled microtrauma to trigger a local inflammatory response in the soft tissue area.
In this way it breaks down any cross-linking that may be present and increases the extensibility of the tissues. The practitioners implement this with special instruments, applying precise pressure and strokes to areas of dysfunction. The instruments work to loosen and break up scar tissue, knots, and restrictions in the muscles and connective tissues.
Which Technique is Best?
There are a range of techniques that can be used by practitioners, but the most contemporary one is the Graston Technique, which is a form of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. The Graston Technique is a manual therapy method that uses instruments and is one of the only techniques to do so.
It’s designed to help the clinician in identifying where restrictions exist and trying to break up scar tissue to allow for improved movement. The Graston Technique enables the practitioner to go deeper into the tissue as required while being conscious of your pain and tolerance.
The Bottom Line
Physical therapy soft tissue mobilization is a versatile and powerful treatment option for a wide array of conditions. A trained clinician will employ a specially designed tool to allow for treatment over areas within the muscle, tendon, or scar tissue. This treatment has been proven to facilitate healing and help increase the flow of fluid in and around the pain area. Patients often see improvement of function after one to four treatments. Patients with a range of different symptoms associated with chronic pain, muscle spasm or scar tissue buildup may benefit from IASTM. In the bottom line, if you’re trying to find a way to improve your overall health and wellbeing, IASTM therapy may be the exact solution for you.