Graston Technique
Graston Technique
The Graston Technique is a form of manual therapy known as soft-tissue instrument-assisted mobilization. It is one of a number of manual therapy approaches that uses instruments with a specialized form of massage/scraping the skin gently.
The therapy is designed to help the practitioner identify areas of restriction and attempt to break up scar tissue.
The general goals of the therapy are to reduce the patient's pain and increase function through a combination of:
- Breaking down the scar tissue and fascia restrictions that are usually associated with some form of trauma to the soft tissue (e.g., a strained muscle or a pulled ligament, tendon, or fascia).
- Reducing restrictions by stretching connective tissue in an attempt to rearrange the structure of the soft tissue being treated (e.g., muscle, fascia, tendons, ligaments).
- Promoting a better healing environment for the injured soft tissue.
There are six specific tools used in performing this technique, each used to apply different types of pressure. Some tools can be used throughout the entire body, while others are designed to be used on specific areas like the biceps, hamstrings, etc. Your physical therapist will assess your condition and choose the appropriate tools to treat you.
Once they choose their toolkit for your treatment, your specialist will rub each affected area with the instruments using very strategic, carefully chosen movements. They will rub each area for 30 to 60 seconds. The exact number of sessions varies depending on the patient’s condition, but most patients are recommended to receive Graston treatments twice a week (with 48 hours between sessions) for several weeks
