Some injuries cause adhesions deep within the muscle and fascia where therapist need assistance to locate and treat the affected area properly. That’s where IASTM comes into play.
IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization) is any type of massage therapy assisted by tools. It focuses on the direct breakup of soft tissue and should only be administered by professionals specially trained to use these tools.
How It Works
IASTM is often used to relieve symptoms such as:
- Pain during or limited range of motion
- Problems with muscle control
- Problems with muscle recruitment
These symptoms are frequently caused by injuries such as:
- Carpal tunnel
- Tennis or golfer’s elbow
- Frozen shoulder
- Rotator cuff strains
- Arthritis
- MCL or LCL strains
- Plantar fasciitis
- Achilles tendonitis
Because individuals with soft tissue injuries often don’t seek help until the pain has become persistent, scar tissues and adhesions end up covering the area, making movement more difficult and causing pain and inflammation. To get the healing process under control, a massage therapist may choose to implement controlled microtrauma to the area through the process of IASTM.
This causes the body to reprocess the affected muscle and tissue in a more controlled way, breaking down the poorly remodeled scar tissue with the assisting instruments.
During IASTM Treatment
Because your therapist is breaking down reformed tissue, there will be some mild discomfort followed by soreness for a day or two afterward, but you should not feel any significant pain.
He or she will assess the injured area and evaluate the growth of the scar tissue. When an injury isn’t treated correctly from the start, the tissue regrowth can form incorrectly, causing pain and decreasing range of motion. The goal of treatment is to break that up so it can grow back properly.
Your massage therapist will begin by warming up the tissue. This is usually done through massage techniques used in standard massage therapy settings or through applied heat.
He or she will then move to the IASTM treatment portion of the session. By definition, your therapist will use specialized hand tools during your session. Every therapist or treatment center has a specific toolset they prefer to use, including MG Sports Massage.
Lastly, there will be light exercise to mimic normal movement.
After Treatment
IASTM treatments are a form of short-term therapy. Most people receiving this type of therapy attend two sessions each week for four to five weeks with noticeable change during the second week.
Your therapist will also often suggest at-home exercises to continue building flexibility and range of motion in the damaged area. These will usually be similar to the light exercise you experienced during the session.
There are many different tool options a therapist may choose to use in his or her practice; at MG Sports, we prefer RockBlades®.
How RockBlade® Treatment is Different
During a RockBlade® treatment, we’ll begin with an emulsion cream so the hand tool can smoothly glide over the surface area of the injury without forming a greasy residue, causing the tool slip in your therapist’s grip.
This particular treatment utilizes two tools based on therapy setting (e.g., in the clinic or out in the field): the Mallet and the Mullet. The Mallet is a heavier, surgical steel hand tool while the Mullet is lighter weight and made of polymer. They’re both created to do the same job, just in different settings; so if your therapist is using one on you versus the other, there’s no need to worry that you’re not getting the same results. The tools are designed to work with any part of the body, so your therapist will be able to treat you no matter the injury.
Once we’ve completed the IASTM, kinesiology tape will often be applied. It’s used to assist in the reduction of pain and inflammation, support muscle movement, and relax overused muscles. Rather than immobilizing these muscles, this type of tape allows for a full range of motion while still lending support.
If you’re suffering from prolonged pain that limits your range of motion or muscle control, contact us about a session with our RockBlade® IASTM treatment.