NEW TOOLS

FASCIAL STAR

Fascial Star – the IASTM tool for manual therapy

IASTM tools are manual therapy instruments and, based on clinical reasoning, are extremely useful in the treatment of fascial restrictions, soft tissue fibrosis, chronic pain and even acute inflammation.

The correct use of the Fascial Star

With the Fascial Star, you can perform various manoeuvres whilst benefiting from the tool’s ergonomic design for the therapist’s hand. This is not guaranteed with other IASTM tools, which often cause strain on the therapist’s hand after prolonged use.

With the Fascial Star, you can effectively eliminate fascial restrictions and treat scar tissue through friction. Thanks to the ‘microtrauma’ to the soft tissue structure, treatment with the Fascial Star induces mechanical stimulation and a neurophysiological response. This microtrauma allows for the ‘resorption’ or remodelling of fibrosis or excess scar tissue, facilitating a neurophysiological reaction that results in the remodelling of soft tissue structures.

Fascial Star is a highly effective non-invasive approach for treating fascia in certain musculoskeletal conditions, whether chronic or acute.

Several studies have shown that myofascial trigger points are frequently associated with numerous painful clinical conditions, such as migraine, tension-type headache, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, neck pain, shoulder pain, epicondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, pelvic pain and whiplash syndrome.

Even scarring and adhesions resulting from trauma or surgery can be easily treated with Fascial Star.

Therapeutic indications for IASTM

Therapeutic indications include:

• Restricted joint movement
• Problems with muscle fibrosis or scarring
• Skin scarring
• Pain during movement.

Some ‘conditions’ (very often of myofascial origin) that derive enormous benefit from, as well as being suitable for, treatment are:

Epicondylitis and epitrochleitis

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Neck pain

• Shoulder GIRD
• Plantar fasciitis
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Patellar tendinitis
• Achilles tendinitis

The effects can be summarised in three points:

• Mechanical action
• Circulatory action
• Reflex action

Various studies have examined the benefits of using IASTM at a cellular level. These benefits include increased fibroblast proliferation (extracellular matrix – ECM), reduced scar tissue, enhanced vascular response and remodelling of the disorganised collagen fibre matrix.

Contraindications

Possible contraindications for the use of IASTM are:

• The quality of the tissues (and therefore the skin)
• Wounds, infections, tumours
• Inflammation (relative contraindication only in the presence of inflammation)
• Dysesthesia (i.e. altered sensitivity in the patient)
• Neurological or circulatory disorders such as venous thrombosis

Traditional types of cupping

1. Flash cupping 
2. Dry cupping  – is probably the most widely used method.
3. Wet cupping 
4. Cupping with massage 

Fascial cupping is a new method of cupping application, which takes into account new knowledge in neurology, the enzymatic and chemical effects of cupping therapy, and skilful, controlled and specific application for optimal results.