Fascial Stretch Therapy
Decrease muscle tension and improve your flexibility!
WHAT IS FASCIA?
Fascia is a continuous 3D network of connective tissue which holds our whole body together - from muscles to bones, nerves, and organs!
Due to its characteristics and properties, it helps provide structural support to our body and the way it moves while also playing an important role in overall health and function. Its structure can be impacted by immobility, injury, surgery, repetitive movement or other lifestyle factors. When its function is compromised, it can contribute to tension, pain, limited mobility as well as a decreased strength and performance - whether in daily activities or sports performance.
WHAT IS FASCIAL STRETCH THERAPY (FST)?
Fascia Stretch Therapy (also commonly called “FST”) is a painless assisted stretching technique that focuses on the various fascial chains throughout the body and joint capsule and is very efficient at reducing tension and increasing range of motion. This technique was developed by American physiotherapist Ann Frederick in 1996 as a way to assess and treat mobility in professional athletes she worked with.
When delivered by an experienced kinesiologist or massotherapist, FST helps improve flexibility, mobility and overall body function, making it beneficial for everyday life and sports performance. By gently stretching the fascia, FST can relieve tension, reduce pain and improve circulation, enabling individuals to move more freely and comfortably in their daily lives. For athletes, this therapy can improve performance by increasing range of motion, promoting faster recovery and preventing injury. Whether you're looking to improve your daily activities or optimize your sporting performance, FST can be a valuable addition to your wellness program.
There are ten principles of Fascial Stretch Therapy treatment:
1) Synchronize breath with movement
2) Tune nervous system to current needs
3) Follow a logical order
4) Range of motion gains without pain
5) Stretch neuromyofascia, not just fascia
6) Use multiple planes of movement
7) Target the entire joint
8) Get maximal lengthening with traction
9) Facilitate body reflexes for optimal results
10) Adjust stretching to current goals
Our certified fascial stretch therapists work with these 10 principles throughout their session with their patients to help them not only gain flexibility in a given area, but throughout the whole body.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM FASCIAL STRETCH THERAPY?
Fascial Stretch Therapy is a great addition to your recovery routine and, in general, your daily life because it can help with so many things! You could benefit from FST if:
You sit for long periods of time
Whether you sit for prolonged periods because you work at a desk, spend a lot of time driving, are a wheelchair user, are a parent of infants and toddlers, or for leisure, Fascia Stretch Therapy can help release tension in areas that are overactive and shortened such as the hip flexors, the pectorals, and neck muscles.
You are physically active
Whether you are a regular gym-goer, an athlete, or someone who leads an active lifestyle, FST can help increase your passive and active range of motion of joints that are often involved (such as the shoulder for swimmers and nautical athletes), allowing you to move more freely and also generate strength more efficiently and with more power.
You are injured
FST can be a great addition to your rehabilitation plan in helping you create more mobility in stiff joints and therefore help reduce the need for compensations.
You are looking to increase your levels of physical activity
Whether you are trying to add more movement to your day by integrating more walking or are picking up a new sport, FST can support your goal of being more active by helping you reduce muscle tension and prevent injury by increasing your range of motion to that required in your sport and allow you to be stronger at larger ranges, and more agile.
You do not like other methods of muscle relaxation
While other techniques to help release tension (like massage) or to increase flexibility (like yoga) can be beneficial for many, they may not be a method you like. Fascia Stretch Therapy can be an interesting option to explore that will help you achieve those same goals.
You live a busy, stressful lifestyle and need to relax
Due to the different techniques employed throughout the treatment, Fascia Stretch Therapy helps calm the nervous system and help patients feel more relaxed.
You have a lot of joint pain or chronic pain
There can be many drivers that impact one’s experience of pain, if your fascia is contributing, you might experience an improvement in your pain through FST.
Prevent injury… and re-injury, such as
Low back pain
Neck and shoulder pain
Lower body pain (knee, hip, ankle)
Plantar fasciitis
etc.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
Dress comfortably!
Wear comfortable light clothing that allows for movement - just like if you were going to exercise.
Assessment
The first session is 90 minutes in duration. In this first appointment, your therapist will start with an assessment involving off-table static posture analysis, movement screens, and on-table assessment.
The intention is for your therapist to understand how your body behaves in relation to its environment and to the task required and identify which fascial lines or which muscles need release. It also permits your therapist to start analysing the relationship between different areas of your body that have discomfort.
This step is crucial since it helps guide the therapist’s techniques throughout the session.
Treatment
As for the treatment, the patient is fully clothed and lays on the treatment table. Stabilizing table straps are used to help provide more stability and improve the impact of the stretch. The certified therapist will guide you through a series of dynamic assisted stretches with the intention of releasing tension amongst different layers of tissues. Your therapist also understands that the nervous system heavily influences the way we hold tension in our body and therefore will use different techniques such as oscillatory, rhythmical movements and breath cues to help keep your nervous system relaxed.
Your certified FST therapist will end the session with a few recommendations for you to help maintain the benefits of the treatment. Based on their background, they may even provide you with some advice on beneficial exercises to integrate.
Follow up appointments
Patients usually feel an improvement in the way their body feels and moves after the first session. However, because our body is dynamic and adapts to the way we use it, tension may return overtime. Depending on how long the ailment has been present and the requirements on the body, some people may need more than one session.
In a follow up session, a few minutes are dedicated to a mini-assessment for the therapist to evaluate progress and better design their treatment.
Patients can choose between follow-up sessions between 60 and 90 minutes.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GET FST?
If you are an athlete, it’s important to time your Fascial Stretch Therapy appointment with your training or competition schedule and to communicate that schedule with your therapist.
If you’re thinking of starting to run again or are taking some time off, integrating FST as part of your general preparation can help you improve your range of motion to help your body move more efficiently.
Test yourself! Every person responds to a FST treatment differently. Some may need a day to recover while others may need a little more. So if you’re planning a race in the next few months, it would be beneficial to book an appointment early on in the season to test it out.
THE GIFT OF RELAXATION
Offer relaxation to one of your loved ones with our gift certificates. On sale in our clinics where you will choose the amount that corresponds to your budget. No expiration date and valid in all of our locations, for the service of your choice. Your gift will please anyone who receives it and simply wants to enjoy a moment for themselves.