As travel PT professionals may know, soft tissue therapy is far from new. But in the last few decades, the technique has been gaining ground among Western practices.
Soft tissue therapy is the manipulation of the soft tissues of the muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments. It works to alleviate discomfort associated with everyday and chronic conditions. Occupational stress, muscular over-use and long-lasting pain may warrant a patient to visit a physical therapy professional who specializes in this treatment.
Background
Thousands of years ago, Chinese practitioners were among the first to help reduce pain and problems by using instruments like ceramic spoons on the soft tissues of the body. The first devices were also made of buffalo horn and jade.
The interest in the techniques surged in the 1980s when David Graston suffered a debilitating sports injury. Graston's disappointment with the conventional rehabilitation methods led him to create several stainless steel instruments in various shapes and angles surfaces. These would evolve into a specialized treatment that has worked patients worldwide.
Modern treatments
Today, several companies produce hand-held devices used to perform instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) or ASTYM, "a-stimulation" of the body's natural healing response. Travel physical therapists must be licensed in either technique to perform it on patients.
Physical, occupational and even massage therapists have always used their fingers and palms to focus on pain points in the body, stimulating blood flow and breaking up knots and other restrictions. But to access restrictions at deeper levels, instruments like the ones Graston popularized may be the most effective. Most instruments are made of stainless steel, and others come in aluminum and polymer.
As travel physical therapy professionals may know, IASTM and ASTYM regenerates healthy soft tissues and can reduce unwanted scar tissue that may be causing pain or restricted movements. Most importantly, these instruments often address the root of the problem instead of simply palliating symptoms. Many approaches resolve tendinopathies, scar tissue problems and other soft tissue dysfunction.
While most people think of scarring as on the top of the skin, the biggest problems often stem from scar tissue that forms inside the body around tendons, joints, muscles and ligaments. The fibrous, strong scar tissue is meant to provide reinforcement to the area, but it sometimes ends up limiting movement and triggering pain.
How it works
In general, chronic soft tissue problems arise from scarring or degeneration. For patients, this might come in the form of tendinitis, a broken ankle or injured rotator cuff. More generally, degeneration can be the result of factors such as age, intense use, improper movement, disease and weakened muscles. After there is inadequate healing, the body's soft tissue may degrade, and over time tissues wear down. Degenerated tissues are weak and susceptible to injury.
To help patients visualize the injury, you could have them to think of muscles as angel-hair spaghetti noodles. When the muscles are healthy, they line up evenly like a box of uncooked noodles. But after wear and tear or a sudden injury, the muscles begin to look more like a cooked batch, with fibers tangled and knotted.
IASTM and ASTYM treatments work to straighten out the braided muscle fibers, which in turn lessens stress put on tendons and ligaments.
Patient reactions
Patients' reactions to soft tissue therapy vary widely. Some find it extremely effective for healing and can feel an immediate difference in range of motion afterward. However, others dislike the "crunching" sensation – when the fascia is broken up – and may find minor discomfort. These techniques may also cause bruising, which, in small amounts, is a normal part of the healing process.