So first of all, what is IASTM?
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation (IASTM) is an increasingly popular treatment used by therapists around the world, but how does it differ from manual therapy?
How does it differ from manual therapy?
IASTM aids the breakdown of scar tissue by providing movement, re-alignment, and lengthening of healing fibres. Alongside this, it is a pro-inflammatory treatment acting as a catalyst to speed up the healing process of target tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments).
Why do we use it in clinic?
IASTM is of great benefit to our therapists in multiple ways:
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- Decreases fatigue and stress on therapists when transmitting force during Soft Tissue Massage. (It must be highlighted this is not to replace our hands, it is simply a supplement to aid and enhance treatment)
- Treats acute and chronic conditions
- Speeds up treatment by breaking down scar tissue
- Enables a force to be provided to a broad focus area as well as small specific areas. For instance, different tools can be used for different parts of the body! The larger tools for bigger parts of the body like quadriceps or hamstrings. The slighter ones for smaller parts like metacarpal joints (simples!)
What injuries do we treat with HawkGrip?
- Tendinopathies
- Neck pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- IT Band Syndrome
- And many more