What is the Graston Technique?

The Graston Technique

Chiropractors, massage therapists, occupational therapists, osteopathic doctors, and physical therapists are the ones who use the Graston Technique the most. It is a type of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilisation used to help people heal from injuries.

A water skier who was just starting out and hurt his knee badly came up with the method. He was upset by how few people recovered from surgery and regular therapy, so he talked to medical professionals and used his experience as a machine operator to make the tools. In 1994, the method was given a patent.

How does the Graston Technique work?

The The Graston Technique is a manual therapy that uses stainless steel instruments to perform muscle mobilization. The tools are used in two ways: 

• After identifying the muscle knot or tissue, practitioners use the tools to disperse it, which rehabilitates function and mobility.
• Practitioners move the instruments over the skin to find any muscle knots, fibrous tissue or scar tissue that can cause the patient pain or restrict movement.

It could take anywhere from six to twelve treatments to see real effects from the technique. Your doctor or nurse can tell you how long your treatments will last and when you can expect to feel better. What you're trying to treat and how bad your symptoms are will determine what to do.

Graston Technique Benefits

The benefits of using the Graston Technique include:

• Pain relief
• More mobility in soft tissue
• Fewer mobility restrictions in fibrous tissue
• Fewer muscle spasms
• Increased blood circulation to Tissues
• Improved flexibility

Graston Technique Risks

The good things come with danger. It's too bad that not many of the benefits of this kind of therapy have been thoroughly researched by scientists. Instead, case reports and studies are done on muscles and tissue that are not human.

The risks of the Graston Technique include:

• Bruising of the skin where the treatment was performed
• Failure to provide relief
• Redness of the skin where the treatment was performed
• Spontaneous connective tissue release, which happens when scar tissue breaks away from healthy Tissue

For what types of conditions is the Graston Technique used?

Among the several ailments that the Graston Technique can be applied to is carpal tunnel syndrome. A disorder of the carpal tunnel, which is a small space where tendons and ligaments meet the median nerve, is known as carpal tunnel syndrome. The median nerve becomes trapped in the tunnel as a result of overusing the muscles and tendons, which causes discomfort, weakness, and numbness in the hand and fingers.

Besides its use for carpal tunnel syndrome, the Graston Technique can also be used for:

• Ligament sprains, such as of the ankle, knee or wrist
• Myofascial pain, which can develop in any muscle in the body
• Other musculoskeletal imbalances, such as rotator cuff injuries or trigger finger
• Plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the tissue that connects the toes to the heel bone
• Scar tissue caused by surgery or trauma
• Tendonitis, which occurs when a tendon is inflamed