Fascial Stretch Therapy, also called FST, is an innovative system of manual techniques and training used on clients and patients by certified professionals that can rapidly eliminate pain, improve mobility, restore impaired function and enhance both athletic performance and recovery.
The following points are what make FST different than many other techniques:
- Pain free
- Rapid results
- Long lasting to permanent outcomes
- Many clients who have experienced other therapies and training report never feeling as good as after getting an FST session.
What to Expect in a Fascial Stretch Therapy™ Session?
After a conversation about your needs and goals, and then an assortment of functional movement tests and other assessments, you lie on a comfortable table, which has soft stabilizing straps that may be used to secure your body. The straps are used because the FST practitioner will be moving your body in particular ways to both assess and restore movement that has been lost, is painful and/or weak or is simply of poor overall mobility. Extremely gentle movements may be used if you are in pain or they may be more vigorous if you are training for an athletic activity. In any case, the session is created around your needs so specific goals are addressed.
Movements unique to FST will strengthen, lengthen and comprehensively balance your entire body. The brain and body are re-educated when neurological receptors called mechanoreceptors are stimulated because the majority of them are located throughout fascial tissue, which is the primary target of FST. Other receptors called ‘interoreceptors’ are also located throughout fascia, even around all the organs and have direct connections to deep parts of the brain (e.g. insula) that, among other things, are related to your sense of self and wellbeing. That is why people feel so good after FST.
Finally, many clients find themselves having to empty their bladders, as FST mobilizes the lymphatic system, resulting in decreasing inflammation and increasing the detoxification effect of moving blood and other fluids in the body.
The session ends with a movement-based home program based on your assessment findings and response to the FST session. Since the movements are specifically designed for you, compliance with your home program is necessary if you are to successfully achieve all of your goals.
By Chris Frederick, PT, KMI, Co-Director of the Stretch to Win Institute
Co-author of the new book “Fascial Stretch Therapy™”
StretchWorks 