FASCIAL COUNTERSTRAIN

​

​

Fascial Counterstrain alleviates chronic fascia and muscle tension from the body via a gentle, hands-on process that "deactivates" the body’s deep fascial pain receptors by draining trapped cytokines/inflammation from the inter-cell or interstitial tissue space. 

 

Key points to Counterstrain treatment:  

​

During treatment we use very specific diagnostic "tenderpoints" on the surface of your body along with patterns of tension to identify the exact tissue(s) involved

 

The tenderpoints are not directly treated like trigger point therapy, massage, dry needling, etc.

 

We monitor the tenderpoints for the change in tenderness during treatment and then also re-evaluate your previously identified painful/restricted motions after treatment to confirm the effects of the treatment

​

The treatment is relatively pain free

​

The treatment should not need to be repeated for the same tissue unless you have a new strain

​

It is purely based on anatomy and not something like acupuncture meridians  

 

Even though you may have a structural issue like arthritis, disc herniations, meniscus tears,   etc. you may ALSO have this type of problem affecting that same painful area and you may  still have tremendous benefit from treatment 

​

To read more about the Fascial Counterstrain techniques, visit counterstrain.com by clicking the link below and view the "For Patients" page.   To learn more about the originator, Brian Tuckey, PT, OCS, JSCSCI, visit counterstrain.com by clicking the link below and view the "For Practitioners" page.  Also available on this page is a pilot study video which shows the diameter of a vein that is engorged to nearly twice its normal size by backpressure from a fascial constriction, and how it normalizes within minutes after Brian provides the necessary treatment.  The link to this video is under "Tools to Learn More" near the bottom of the page.  

​

​

 

Origin of Counterstrain

 

In 1955 Dr. Lawrence Jones D.O. FAAO, discovered that positioning a patient for comfort could correct complex spinal disorders. The accidental discovery occurred after he helped a patient with severe low back pain try to find a comfortable sleeping position.  This patient had previously shown no improvement with medical treatments from two previous practitioners and Dr. Jones to that point.  Dr. Jones noted in his book that he had tried all of the manipulations and treatments that he knew without success and "only stubborness prevented me from admitting I was stumped."  

 

After a period of experimentation, a position was identified in which the patient was completely comfortable (on his back, knees rolled up toward his head and rotated off to one side).  After a 20 minute trial in this position (to see if this was a viable sleeping position,) the patient was able to stand fully erect for the first time in several months. Shortly thereafter the patient made a full recovery.  Jones was amazed and began attempts to reproduce this effect with other patients.   He was successful and named the technique Strain and Counterstrain based on the concept that the body suffered a "strain" that caused the dysfunction, and he applied a "Counterstrain" to the body to correct the dysfuction.  Dr. Jones then identified that there were specific, consistent, palpable "tender points" or small areas of extreme tenderness that could be used to identify the presence of these dysfunctions.  Through the remainder of his career Dr. Jones identified approximately 200 dysfunctions and treatments utilizing his positional release concept.  These treatments are still taught through the Jones Institute.

 

Over the past approximately 20 years, Brian Tuckey, PT, OCS, JSCCI developed Fascial Counterstrain, an unique and natural progression of Dr. Jones's groundbreaking work.  With the knowledge that contracted fascia is actually the primary problem, Brian was able to identify the exact tissue related to each tender point, and also greatly expand the number of tender points and treatments due to greater specificity of the exact tissues involved.  This has provided more complete corrections of dysfunction and symptoms for patients.  Brian continues to "map out" the possible dysfunctions that can occur in the body and is hopeful to finally complete this "life's work" within the next few years.   

​

​

​

​

​