Fascial Counterstrain

What is Counterstrain?

Fascial Counterstrain, also known as Counterstrain, is a unique manual therapy technique developed by Dr. Jones, a Doctor of Osteopathy in the 50s and 60s. He discovered that by moving the body into a passive and relaxed position, tension and pain could be released from tissue with out any direct action to relieve it. Not only did this technique provide tremendous relief but it also was entirely painless without Dr. Jones ever having to press or aggravate the affected areas. Since then, Dr. Jones has passed on and Brian Tuckey, a Physical Therapist who studied with Dr. Jones has taken the system significantly further. Now with over 800 tender points and techniques, Fascial Counterstrain is a highly effective, incredibly specific and targeted set of techniques that can remedy even the most stubborn and chronic conditions

How does it work?

Fascial Counterstrain works by finding very specific tissues and areas of dysfunction that are contributing to pain or disease. These areas are first found through scanning the cranium to find where the cranial fascia is not moving. These areas have been carefully mapped and correspond to various tissues and areas found throughout the body. In a few seconds of scanning, the cranial scan can identify what type of tissues and where they are located. The precision can even narrow it down to the exact vertebrae in your spine without your spine ever needing to be touched.

After these areas and affected systems have been found, various tender points associated with the tissues in those areas and systems will be palpated. Positive signs of tenderness indicate dysfunction in the tissue. At this time, the treatment technique is applied and both patient and practitioner get to witness as the tenderness at the palpated point starts to reduce and most times disappear all together.

How will I feel afterwards?

Most people walk away from a Counterstrain appointment feeling incredibly relieved. While some will report complete resolution of their pain or symptoms, others might report significant or noticeable improvement. It is extremely rare that no change is noticed.

Instant results seen can be improved range of motion or ROM. Range of motion that is less painful or pain free. It is common with upper body treatment to feel as if you can stand upright with greater ease.

How long does the benefit last?

The general rule of thumb with Counterstrain is that the treatments are permanent. Once an affected tissue is treated, assuming the tissue is not aggravated or insulted by things like overuse, injury, illness, or intense emotional dysregulation, the dysfunction in the tissue will stay resolved. Very often however, pain levels and improvements can improve drastically and then creep back over time. This can happen as there are hundreds of tissues that can be causing symptoms and we will miss some of them. It is important to not that Counterstrain is not a one appointment cure, as we peel back the layers, other tissues will present as dysfunctional. A common course treatment can be 4-5 appointments.

This seems to good to be true, where is the proof?!

The scientific backing for Counterstrain lies in an article written by Brian Tuckey in the journal: Frontiers in Pain Research. In his article he lays out the rational of how chronic pain is happening in the body. When we have an insult to a tissue whether it is caused by mental, emotional, or physical causes, inflammation in the form of cytokines arise in the tissue. When the cytokines move into tissues and cause inflammation, the local lymphatic/venous system shuts down causing stagnation. The cytokines and the stagnation will then trigger nociceptors or pain receptors which send a signal back to the dorsal horns. Another signal is then relayed back to the local lymphatic/venous system to shut down further which will cause more stagnation and more pain and trigger the same response from the nervous system. This negative feedback loop will go on and on forever until the inflammation is removed from the tissue. That is where Counterstrain comes in, the releases are designed to drain the inflammation from the affected tissue and end the feedback cycle of pain.