techniques
Fascial Counterstrain (FCS)
This is our primary technique. Fascia is a connective tissue covering every structure in the body; nerves, vascular tissues, organs, bone, ligaments, cartilage, and muscle chains. Due to injury or prolonged poor posture or body mechanics, inflammation can become trapped in this fascial layer, creating a feedback loop of pain, stiffness, tingling, numbness, weakness, and/or other nervous system dysfunction. Using gentle, targeted fascial compressions we can restore normal tissue quality, joint mobility and strength, and ease pain by calming the nervous system. It is a powerful technique with a very gentle delivery making it compatible with both acute injury (sprains/strains, post-operative, post-replacement, car accidents, etc) and chronic pain (fibromyalgia, post-concussion, migraines, anxiety, depression, PTSD, residual pain from old injuries/fractures).
For a peer-reviewed, technical explanation of the mechanisms of chronic pain and what we’re treating, click here.
For a peer-reviewed, accessible explanation of FCS and its underlying mechanisms, click here.
For a look at a peer-reviewed, proof-of-concept paper describing improvements in patients with PTSD, depression, and anxiety after a series of 3 FCS treatments, click here.
Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT)
These complimentary techniques are vibrational and trigger point therapies most often used to soothe muscle-specific dysfunction and facilitate better movement for athletics, post surgery, joint replacement, or fractures.
For more info click here.
Movement Therapies
These complimentary techniques include Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Original Strength (OS) movement patterns, and region-specific activation and strength. AIS includes gentle, cyclic contraction and lengthening of isolated joint range of motion. OS integrates a series of joints through foundational movement patterns that include head nods/turns, rocking patters, and rotational patterns.
Fascia is a strong, dense connective tissue in the body that wraps and covers every other structure in the body (nerves, veins, organs, bones, cartilage, ligaments, muscle—everything).
When we experience an insult to our tissue (trauma, infection, postural stress) our immune system will initiate an inflammatory response that includes the release of chemicals called cytokines that stimulate pain receptors and initiate fascial contractions around the affected tissue. These facial contractions can compress vascular channels that entrap these inflammatory cytokines, creating a cycle of ongoing inflammation, pain, and dysfunction.
Using a groundbreaking osteopathic manual therapy technique called Fascial Counterstrain (FCS), we can identify the inflamed tissue via a combination of cranial/spinal motion testing and tenderness found in affected tissues. Using these tender points as our guide, we apply very precise, gentle fascial compressions to create slack in the tissue around the inflamed structure which allows the inflammation to drain. As the inflammation drains, the tissue normalizes and the various distress signals to the nervous system stop. The body disengages the fascial contractions and pain free movement is restored. This tender point treatment process happens in real time over the course of about a minute, and each 50 minute treatment will typically address 6-10 tender points.
We can fast track your way out of pain and dysfunction by getting to the root of the problem. We tend to have great results treating unexplained pain/tingling, post-concussion syndrome, chronic and acute back and neck pain, anxiety, depression, PtSD, post-surgical recovery, post joint replacement recovery, and unresolved pain and dysfunction stemming from old sprains/fractures.