Graston

The Graston technique is an innovative, patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively break down scar tissue and myofascial restrictions. The technique utilizes specially designed stainless steel instruments to specifically detect and effectively treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation.

The early Chinese may have been the first to promote health through using “instruments” on the soft tissues of the body. Those first devices were made of buffalo horn and jade. Interest in instruments to extend the “reach” of chiropractors, massage therapists, and others got a boost in the ’80s when David Graston suffered a debilitating sports injury. Graston’s disappointment with the rehabilitation methods of the day caused him to create several stainless steel instruments with various shapes and angled surfaces. These instruments were designed to augment hands-only approaches to healing.

Chiropractors, massage therapists and other “body workers”, have always worked their fingers into injured soft tissues to increase blood flow and break up restrictions. But fingers alone cannot detect restrictions at deeper levels, nor can they match the ability of the right instruments to treat the full range of restrictions. Today, several companies produce hand-held devices used to perform what’s known as instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM).