Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) is a form of strain/ counterstrain that was originally developed by Dr. Larry Jones and modified by his last student, Brian Tuckey. It is a passive manipulation of the body’s deep fascia to reduce sympathetic hyperactivity and reduce inflammation and protective muscle spasm of the sympathetic nervous system.
What Makes Strain-Counterstrain Therapy so Different from Traditional Exercise-Based Therapies?
While traditional therapies focus on muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments, Fascial Strain-Counterstrain looks at the whole body including the lymphatic system, nerves, fascia, organs, muscles and even the arteries and veins. All structures of the body have a wall of fascia that serves as a support system, but more recently it has been found to be highly innervated by specialized nerves that respond to painful stimuli and inflammation.
This fascia serves as the “eyes and ears” of the structure and will tell the rest of the body how the structure is doing and if some form of trauma has occurred. Another property of fascia is its ability to contract over time as a form of protective reflex after injury or over stimulation of these specialized nerves. For example, the wall of the common Carotid has a wall of fascia and once overstretched, it may tighten the artery and pull the cervical spine into a side bend and rotation that will strain the neck away from neutral alignment. FCS is a manual therapy that shortens the structure and relieves the protective mechanism to restore normal alignment and alleviate spasm.
Over time, these hyperactive structures may produce inflammation and dysfunction, depending on the location and anatomy involved, producing a multitude of symptoms as commonly seen in spinal arteries, spinal veins, and cranial/dura fascia.
Fascial Strain-Counterstrain Therapy in Erie, PA
This technique is not new, but has been expanded upon greatly over the last 20 years and therefore is relatively new to the medical field, as well as in the Erie, PA area.
Fascial Counterstrain can be used all over the body to treat a wide variety of diagnoses and shows marked gains in pain management therapy for alleviating pain and restoring mobility and function.
If traditional therapy is unsuccessful or too painful, this may be a beneficial alternative. FCS can be combined with traditional physical therapy to assist in making exercise more tolerable and successful.
Niagara Therapy, LLC has therapists skilled in Fascial Strain-Counterstrain therapy and are able to assess the entire body for pain and dysfunction. If you would like to benefit from FCS, please schedule for an appointment in physical therapy at our facility
