What is IASTM?

It is an application to injured soft tissue using instruments evolved from “Gua-Sha” that are usually made of stainless steel with beveled edges and contours that can conform to different areas of the body. This allows for mechanical stress penetration to the scar tissue, adhesions, and fascial restrictions formed by a previous injury at the deep fascia, loose connective tissue, and muscle/tendon layers.
Outcomes in research support that IASTM impact physiological changes by providing: (1) an increase in blood flow; (2) reduction in tissue viscosity; (3) myofascial release; (4) interruption of pain receptors; (4) and improvement of flexibility of underlying tissue.

How Does It Work?

It is suggested that IASTM is an effective treatment intervention for reducing pain and improving function in less than a three-month period by initiating: (1) increased fibroblast proliferation; (2) collagen synthesis; (3) maturation and the remodeling of unorganized collagen fiber matrix; (4) stimulates mechanosensitive neurons; (5) and found an increase in tissue perfusion and increase in the proportion of arteriole-sized blood vessels.

The effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization compared to other interventions on pain and function: a systematic review
Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for soft tissue injury: mechanisms and practical application
Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization