Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization and Manual Therapy

Effective treatment for muscle, ligament and tendon injuries

Manual therapy

Manual therapy is a form of physical therapy using specific hands-on techniques including manipulation and mobilization. Our physical therapists can treat soft tissues and joint structures for the purpose of reducing pain and increasing range of motion. Manual therapy can also help reduce soft tissue inflammation and promote tissue repair.

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a technique we often use in physical therapy. IASTM works like a standard massage, but specialized instruments are used in place of a physical therapist’s hands. These instruments allow more direct treatment of the soft tissues involved with movement. The tissues include: Muscles Fascia, connective tissue that surrounds and separates muscles Ligaments, tissue that connects bones to other bones Tendons, tissue that connects muscles to bones IASTM can involve broad or targeted treatments. The former would be used for large muscle groups, such as an injured back, the latter for an injury to a particular area. By using different tools, angles and pressures, your therapist can focus on a specific layer of soft tissue during treatment.

Conditions that typically respond well to IASTM:

Carpal tunnel syndrome
DeQuervain's tenosynovitis
IT band syndrome
Lateral epicondylitis
Medial epicondylitis
Plantar fasciitis
Post-surgical scarring
Post-traumatic fibrosis
Strains (spinal and hamstring)
Tendinitis (wrist, rotator cuff, patellar, Achilles)
Trigger finger
Trochanteric bursitis

The benefits of IASTM

Targeted IASTM treatments can have a number of benefits, such as:

Faster pain relief
Improved mobility
Quicker rehabilitation and recovery

IASTM focuses on specific areas to relieve stiffness and improve range of motion. This allows you to perform exercises your physical therapist recommends to strengthen the injured area, which promotes healing and can help restore your normal function.

Good candidates for IASTM

Anyone with soft-tissue pain, injuries or conditions can benefit from IASTM. These often include athletes, warehouse workers or others who perform a repeated motion many times per day. Some of the many conditions we can treat with IASTM include:

Excessive scar tissue
Forms of tendinitis or tendinopathy, including Achilles tendinitis, golfer’s and tennis elbow
Muscle and ligament strains
Running injuries, such as plantar fasciitis and iliotibial band syndrome (IT band)

However, some patients are not good candidates for IASTM. If you have a degenerative joint condition, such as arthritis, IASTM may help relieve pain in the tissues surrounding the joint but not in the joint itself. In addition, anyone with the following conditions should not receive IASTM therapy:

An active form of cancer
Bone fracture
Diabetic neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that can occur with diabetes
Peripheral artery disease (PAD), a circulatory condition that reduces blood flow to the arms or legs