Fascial Stretch Therapy

Fascial Stretch Therapy 2018-04-17T20:09:37+00:00

What Is Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)?

Fascial stretch therapy is an assisted stretching technique that targets the muscles and especially the fasciae, which are the connective tissues that surround muscles, bones and joints. Think of fasciae as an integrated web of tissues that unify the body. Made up of fibrous connective tissue, fasciae attach, stabilize, enclose and separate muscles and other internal organs.

Similar to ligaments and tendons, fasciae contain collagen. But while ligaments join bone to bone, and tendons join muscle to bone, fasciae surround muscles and other structures.

Injury, trauma, inflammation and poor posture can cause fasciae to shorten and tighten, which then puts pressure on nerves, blood vessels, bones, organs and the brain. The result can be pain, restriction of motion and structural misalignment and it could impair both your daily functions and athletic performance. FST can make a difference with all these issues. It has been found to help ease pain associated with medical problems such as fibromyalgia, pelvic pain, respiratory dysfunction and chronic stress injuries. And the therapy has also helped in wound healing, trauma recovery and muscle repair.

By utilizing gentle stretching techniques and then moving on to strengthening exercises, our clients have seen their pain disappear. Problems that have troubled them for years have been cured.

Some of our clients have started to incorporate FST into their daily workout routines as the stretches help improve their sports performance and flexibility. Not only that, FST can help build and define specific muscle groups and provide strong core muscle support.

What Are the Benefits of Fascial Stretch Therapy?

FST is one of the most innovative and popular ways for modern and effective pain control. Chronic pain can be debilitative and restricting, limiting your enjoyment of life and your ability to interact with the people you love. Medications and external solutions such as topical ointments with heat and ice that are designed to relieve pain may, in fact, only mask the pain temporarily without addressing the underlying issues.

Natural pain relief is more effectively treated via the use of FST. Through this therapy, you will be able to repair damaged muscles and tissue by strengthening the fasciae surrounding your muscle and re-patterning the brain. In this way, you can realize healing and pain management effectively and permanently.

Myofascial stretch therapy and fascia stretching exercises are highly beneficial for regaining flexibility, balance, posture improvement and muscle functioning. As we age, we lose as much as 10 percent of our range of motion every 10 years unless we take proactive measures to retain our flexibility. Flexibility is not a physical attribute that is automatic; it is it something we must continually work and strive for. Flexibility is also joint specific; so, while you may have good flexibility in some parts of the body, you may not have it in others.

Myofascial therapy relieves shoulder, neck and back pain caused by myofascial tightness throughout the fascial system of connective tissues that surround every muscle, nerve, blood vessel, organ and bone in the body. Pain accompanied by a limited range of motion is a typical symptom of problem areas.

Debilitating migraine headaches, with their various underlying causes including injury, poor posture and muscle inflammation and disease, can be effectively treated with myofascial release sessions. Restoring flexibility and releasing muscle tension are natural and highly effective results of FST.

Although FST has a great many purposes and advantages, perhaps one of the least known and most important is its use in the treatment of symptoms caused by conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Of the several kinds of bodywork therapies, FST is one of the most effective in managing the side effects of these conditions. While these two conditions are still relatively mysterious, what we do know is that they have some common denominators that make them both responsive to FST.

Sciatica is one of the most painful of all back-related maladies. This is because sciatica is a result of pressure on the sciatic nerve at the nerve root. One of the most common reasons is a herniated disc or bulging that causes compression on the nerve nearest the spine. The result is excruciating pain.

The soft tissue work that is defined by FST is especially effective when combined with chiropractic and osteopathic manipulation. Taken together, these are courses of treatment that help prevent and control chronic pain caused by sciatica and the misalignment of the body structure.

Preparation for and recovery from athletic or recreational activities are critical to maintain a healthy body. One of the most important aspects of FST is its inherent ability to prepare our muscles, joints and connective tissues not just for athletic events but for all the usual life activities healthy adults enjoy. As much as 50 percent of our flexibility is locked up inside our joints. Ordinary stretching doesn’t improve flexibility to the extent possible, and, when done incorrectly, can even put added stress on your joints.

FST’s unique process focuses on fasciae as the key to achieve optimum strength, flexibility, performance and pain relief. It can both relieve and prevent problems with our delicate system of joints and connective tissues. 

Who Should Use FST?

Consider fascial stretch therapy if you:

  • Suffer from chronic aches and pains
  • Want to maintain or improve your mobility as you get older
  • Participate in athletics
  • Need relief from the symptoms of fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease
  • Want to improve your overall flexibility and well-being
Learn How FST Has Helped So Many