The Fascial Counterstrain Technique

"Strain and Counterstrain" was originally developed by an osteopathic physician, Lawrence Jones, DO, over a 40 year period starting in 1955. This revolutionary manipulation technique, the precursor to the modern Fascial Counterstrain developed by Brian Tuckey, PT, OCS, JSCCI, is an effective treatment for a variety of medical diagnoses.

Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) is a therapeutic, hands-on method, designed to release spasm in all tissues of the human body. Every organ, nerve, artery, muscle, ligament, tendon, vein and lymphatic vessel in the human body can actively spasm and produce pain in a natural, protective response to injury. Once this reflex spasm is triggered it can persist, spread & form hundreds of tender points. FCS works to release the tissue in spasm and the corresponding tender point by gently unloading the injured structure.

Gentle body positioning and compression or shortening of the strained structure works to effect a therapeutic release. By positioning the body against the strain or by applying a “counterstrain”, the structure quickly relaxes, thus reducing tension and immediately alleviating this primary source of pain. The elimination of this strain is quickly verified by simply checking the point, which is frequently no longer tender.

As a general overview, FCS utilizes diagnostic tender points to identify painful, reflexively protected and contracted tissues. Reflex tissue contractions occur in the body’s deep fascia layers, skeletal muscle tissues and or smooth muscle structures in response to a variety of mechanical or chemical insults.  Examples include trauma, surgery, postural strain, repetitive motion, infectious or viral conditions, even secondary to a long-term inflammatory diet.  This form of reflex muscular dysfunction, once present, can contribute to a multitude of symptoms and conditions. Some examples include musculoskeletal conditions in all regions of the body, chronic edema, weakness, digestive dysfunction, neuropathies, endocrine dysfunction, migraine and non-migraine headaches, visual disturbances, tachycardia, CRPS, peripheral arterial disease, balance disorders, seizures, tinnitus, depression, impaired immune system function, even systemic conditions like fibromyalgia.

FCS removes painful, reflexive tissue contractions from the body via a gentle hands-on process that involves slackening or decompression of the involved structures.  The treatments are completely painless making it a viable option for even the most painful or delicate cases.  FCS’s powerful, multi-system effects are believed to be due to the deactivation of deep fascial pain receptors (nociceptors) which maintain the body’s soft tissues in a persistent guarded or “over-protective” state.  During FCS treatments, there is a palpable, often visible reduction in localized tissue edema.  This combination of metabolite drainage and proprioceptive re-setting gives Fascial Counterstrain unparalleled carry over.  Many patients report lasting relief of chronic conditions after only one or two treatment sessions.

FCS embraces the concepts of holistic and osteopathic medicine in that it addresses the body as a whole.  By normalizing blood flow, muscular tension, vascular drainage, and neural input, FCS maximizes the body’s intrinsic healing capacity.  Multi-system diagnosis and manipulation is the key to correcting chronic and acute conditions of all types.  This treatment model allows the identification and correction of the source of a patient’s pain and disability, not just the surface symptoms.

PTSW is located in Winchester, VA utilized FCS techniques in our clinic to achieve great results and outcomes. Visit www.counterstrain.com or click the "Find our more" below.