Soft tissue mobility is the goal of Graston Technique, a manual therapy application that uses certified Graston instruments made up of stainless steel to detect areas of dysfunction and treat patients with soft tissue injuries. The Graston set comes in different shapes, which are each formed and designed to treat an area of the body depending on the curvatures of the steel. Graston allows healthcare practitioners to access deeper soft tissue structures compared to manual massage, which is limited by finger pad compression upon contact. Due to the use of stainless steel in Graston technique, the practitioner is not limited to mobilizing only the superficial tissues, therefore making the therapy provide greater impact on the patient with regards to tissue restrictions.
Using Graston technique requires skill and training to allow the practitioner to properly detect soft tissue adhesions. The instruments are applied and run along the designated affected area, wherein adhesions and restrictions allow the patient and practitioner to feel roughness, lumps and areas that feel different compared to the surrounding soft tissue. This area will be treated through the same instrument repeatedly being run on it to break the adhesions under the tissue to permit the body to absorb it into the system. The sensitivity of the material makes the practitioner feel small changes in soft tissue tone, allowing precise treatment.
The time used for Graston technique only lasts around 3-6 minutes, in which time the patients will usually feel relief of their symptoms and less restricted in their movements. It makes rehabilitation time quicker and decreases the duration of treatment, allowing the patient to be more functional faster.
Currently, over 13,000 healthcare practitioners such as athletic trainers, physical, occupational and hand therapists, and chiropractors use Graston to treat conditions such as:
- Fibromyalgia
- Carpal Tunnel
- Neck and Back Pain
- Knee Pain
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Trigger Points
- Plantar Fasciitis (foot pain)
- Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
- Rotator Cuff Tendinitis (shoulder pain)
- Shin Splints
- Post-Fracture Pain
