Fascial Stretch Therapy
What is Fascial Stretching Therapy (FST)?
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a form of assisted stretching done on a massage table that focuses on the fascia and joint capsule to achieve optimal strength, flexibility, pain relief, and performance. This is a painless stretching method, usually done on a massage table, which can provide almost instant results.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is a smooth silky lining of connective tissue which has 2 different layers and these layers surround and hold all your organs, blood vessels, bones, nerve fiber, and muscles in place. The majority of the fine nerve endings, lymph, and blood capillaries are also found in this connective tissue “fascia”.
Think of Spider-Man’s costume underneath your skin, a web-like structure that enables enhances how muscles slide and glide one over the other to create movement.
Who created FST?
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is an effective manual therapy technique developed by Anne and Chris Frederick. FST is a manual therapy method for mobility, stretching and flexibility performed by the therapist. Fascial stretching therapy is a method of manual therapy that focuses on the connective tissue system rather than isolated therapy of a single muscle. Certified FST therapists evaluate it as active, passive and resist degrees of motion in functional positions and movements. FST should begin with the assessment of passive and active mobility in the affected areas of the connective tissue system, followed by manual treatment. Therapy begins at the deepest level, that is, in the joint capsule, and passes through all the layers of fascia leading to the surface layer.
The purpose of FST is to restore proper nerve mechanics in situations where the central or peripheral nervous system is limited and / or movement is not optimal. Therefore, it leads to activation of nerves and muscles that have been previously suppressed, as well as normalizing muscle groups that are also hyperactive. The client is also given a home exercise program to be an active partner on the road to health, well-being and active life.
Not to be confused with “other” stretch therapist providers, only certified stretch therapist that have gone through extensive hands on training and testing have completed the Fascial Stretch Therapy institute, Stretch to Win!
How can FST help?
- Reducing Pain
- Reduced joint aches and pains
- Prevention of injuries
- Improved balance and flexibility
- Increased joint awareness
- Improved posture and mobility
- Joint decompression
- Speed up post workout recovery
- Better quality of sleep
- Decreased levels of stress
Problems with the fascia that does not glide smoothly can lead to physical pain. Tensions in the fascia can contribute to minor injuries and unnatural movements or postures that increase your chances of putting unwanted pressure on your nervous system. These minor injuries can also contribute to movement compensations.
Constant tension or tension held anywhere in your body reduces blood circulation. By reducing tension, FST improves blood circulation and restores optimal and blood flow to your muscles.
Rehabilitation
People often resort to sports medicine, surgery, massage or stretching to repair injury or tear scar tissue, which can be painful. Injuries and operations that eliminate many can damage or disrupt the fascia. Once this happens, it can further restrict your freedom of movement, making movement painful.
FST can help loosen or align the fascia. This helps to restore mobility, which is one of the main goals of physical therapy. Of course, FST cannot replace physical therapy, but it can complement some of the activities associated with it.
Find out how we incorporate both FST + Massage Therapy for the ultimate recovery session.
You don’t have to sacrifice the game you love over problems that can be fixed.
Sincerely,
Jose Chacon, LPTA, LMT
Owner and Founder of Omni Wellness & Performance
