What is Fascial Stretch Therapy™?
Fascial Stretch Therapy™ is an assisted stretching technique to help improve flexibility by lengthening the fascia. As time passes, the connective tissue surrounding the body can thicken and shorten. This can cause a wide variety of issues such as muscle tightness, strains, decreased blood flow and even headaches. FST is designed to alleviate these conditions.
What is Fascia?
Fascia is the connective tissue which covers everything from all of your organs, to the circulatory system, to the brain & nervous system, to the musculoskeletal system and even more.
What is a session like?
FST is done on the massage table with no sheets or lotion. The client wears comfy and flexible clothing. An ideal, full body session runs for 90 minutes, while an abbreviated, more focused session can run for a minimum of an hour.
Who should get FST?
Fascial Stretch Therapy™ can benefit EVERYONE! Whether you sit at a desk all day or are a professional athlete, FST works for you. Stress plays a major role in our lives and our bodies natural response is to tighten and stiffen. This can eventually lead to daily aches and pain, in the end causing a deterioration in one's quality of life.
If I'm stretched for a whole hour, will I even be able to walk afterwards?
The goal of FST is to relax your tissues and open your joints. Some soreness may be experienced up to 24-72 hours, but is different from person to person. However, as your muscles and joints begin to adapt to the stretch, you will feel light, relaxed and comfortable. You will also notice positive changes in your mobility and range of motion.
It sounds painful. Is it painful?
As long as you and I can communicate effectively, FST will not cause pain. Our focus is to bring your nervous system into a very relaxed state during the session, not amp it up and anger it with over-stretching or causing discomfort. Less truly is more in FST, as taking your nerves into a relaxed state will create an incredibly productive stretch.
Why can’t I just stretch myself?
You can! And oftentimes I’ll teach you how to perform stretches on your own so you can take control of your health. However, my knowledge, experience and tools allow me to stretch you in ways that are either incredibly difficult or impossible to accomplish on your own. All you have to do is relax and let me do the work.
How long do the results last?
Longer than a massage alone. Each session is specifically designed to cater to your body. If your goal is to become more optimal at your sport or lifestyle, you'll come in frequently at first, and taper down as needed once your fascia has adapted to the new state of flexibility. If you're stiff from recent unusual activity, it may only take a few sessions to get you back to feeling normal.
Doesn’t yoga provide the same benefits?
When you are in a yoga pose, the muscles that are supporting you are in contraction. So you can’t fully release the muscles being stretched. With assisted stretching, the rest of the body is completely relaxed and often stabilized through the use of special straps. This allows me to isolate the targeted muscles and to position and manipulate them more precisely and more effectively.
How is FST beneficial to ATHLETES?
FST provides an alternative method to conventional stretching and functional performance by improving flexibility, preventing injuries, reducing recovery time, and increasing circulation. As an athlete, it is always important to improve in these areas. FST techniques will help with strength, speed, athleticism, and endurance. Professional athletes utilize stretch therapy because, not only does it provide a proven way to develop proper range of motion, but more importantly, it improves outcomes in pain management associated with intense training and chronic pain that can result if the proper techniques are not used.
