FST (Flexed Stretch Technique) is an assisted stretching technique that can improve mobility, prevent injuries and pain relief while improving strength and athletic performance. The FST focuses on stretching the fascia – which covers muscles, bones and tendons.
FST differs from massage in that it involves manipulation of connective tissues in the body on a massage table, with no clothing removal necessary.
What is Fascial Stretch Therapy or FST?
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) is a specialized form of table-based assisted stretching that targets the fascia and joint capsule to optimize strength, flexibility, pain relief, and performance.
Unlike traditional stretching methods, FST focuses on the connective tissue system, including fascia, rather than solely treating individual muscles. Certified therapists utilize a series of controlled movements and stretches to specifically target the fascia and joints, providing a unique and comprehensive approach to assisted stretching.
Benefits of Fascial Stretch Therapy
FST offers a range of benefits aimed at improving overall well-being and physical performance:
- Improved Flexibility: By targeting the fascia, FST can help increase flexibility and range of motion in various areas of the body, allowing for improved functional movement.
- Pain Relief: Fascial stretch therapy can help alleviate pain by loosening and realigning the fascia, reducing tension and pressure on surrounding tissues.
- Enhanced Mobility: By restoring proper fascial alignment, FST helps improve mobility, making daily activities and exercise routines easier and more efficient.
- Performance Optimization: Athletes and active individuals can benefit from FST as it can enhance athletic performance by improving joint mobility, reducing the risk of injuries, and promoting optimal movement patterns.
What You Can Expect
Fascial stretch therapy is a type of assisted stretching. To experience it, wear comfortable clothing and lay on a table similar to what massage therapists use; then the practitioner will guide your through stretches to enhance flexibility and mobility.
This method works on the fascia, an extensive network of connective tissues surrounding muscles, nerves, bones, organs and joints. In addition, this therapy targets joint capsules to optimize mechanical functioning of joints while providing essential nutrition delivery services.
Ann Frederick created FST while working with professional athletes to reduce pain and injury. She found that fascial restrictions do not appear on MRI or CT scans, making treatment with traditional methods difficult.
FST provides light traction therapy as a safe method to safely open major joints in the body to increase range of motion; clients experience less muscle soreness, faster recovery from exercise/training sessions and overall better movement quality from this approach.
According to Kelsey Decker, NSCA-CPT and Education Coordinator for StretchLab, fascial stretching differs from traditional muscle stretching due to the multidirectional nature of the fascial lining. By incorporating stretches in multiple planes, FST aims to achieve a comprehensive stretch throughout the entire area, maximizing its effectiveness.
“Muscle connection typically goes in one direction whereas fascia goes in multiple directions,” explains Kelsey Decker. “It’s because of the multi-direction of the facial lining that it’s important to stretch in multiple planes to accomplish a complete stretch to the entire area.”
How It Works
Fascia is a complex network of interwoven connective tissue that wraps around nearly 650 muscles in our bodies, as well as every bone, tendon, ligament and nerve. Studies and research on fascia are beginning to change paradigms in stretching as well as other disciplines like manual therapy.
At its core, improving muscle pliability is the goal. Even dedicated yogis with flexible muscles may still possess dense fascia that requires pressure relief from foam rollers, lacrosse balls, therapy treatments or other means.
Once you find an experienced fascial stretch therapist, you will work together on a massage table to perform a series of stretches using hands-on traction, oscillation and circumduction techniques.
FST not only increases flexibility and muscle pliability; it can also relieve pain, relieve stress, remove toxins from the body, enhance strength and prevent injuries – it is a pain-free technique suitable for people of all ages and activity levels from professional athletes to Parkinson’s patients.
Safety
Contrasting with traditional stretching where muscles are isolated in one plane of motion, fST uses a trajectory that follows major lines of soft tissue (myofascia) around the body to find clients first point of resistance (R1) which falls well within their stretch tolerance and reduces injury risks.
Breathing techniques combined with constant traction and subtle glides of joints allow for deeper and more dynamic range of movement, decreasing muscle resistance while providing a less “yang-oriented” type of movement that may stimulate parasympathetic nervous system activation.
Fascial stretch therapy can benefit anyone cleared by their doctor for stretching and movement, including people suffering from chronic pain, fitness enthusiasts and athletes of any level. It makes an ideal addition to massage or physical therapy sessions as well as any training regimen.
Cost
FST may not be cheap, but with the right therapist you may discover it can significantly improve your wellbeing and decrease injury risk. Check with your insurance and Health Savings Account provider to see if they will cover part or all of the cost.
FST differs from conventional stretching in that it aims to stretch the fascia – the network of connective tissue surrounding muscles, nerves, bones, organs and joints – rather than stretching just muscle fibers directly. Each session typically entails gentle movements to remove pressure between joints, stimulate lubrication and improve flexibility within muscles.
FST is used by physical therapists, massage therapists, personal trainers and other fitness professionals to assist their clients with reaching optimal mobility and performance in life and sport.
Individuals cleared for movement by their physicians can also participate – weekend warriors or those suffering from injuries can do FST on themselves as part of an FST routine.
Exploring Fascial Stretch Therapy: How It Differs and Conditions It Can Treat
Understanding Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)
Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) sets itself apart from other forms of stretching by specifically targeting the fascia, the connective tissue enveloping muscles and organs, rather than solely focusing on isolated muscles.
This comprehensive and complementary system of table-based assisted stretching aims to identify and improve restrictions in the body.
During FST sessions, clients remain fully clothed, as manual assisted stretching techniques are employed. The therapy is pain-free and designed to induce relaxation while stretching the fascia, the fibrous tissue that runs throughout the body.
Key Principles of FST
FST is guided by the Ten Fundamental Principles, which encompass various techniques to optimize the therapy. These principles include the use of traction, oscillation, and circumduction, among others.
Unlike traditional static stretching where a position is held, FST emphasizes movement through a series of stretches to target both the fascia and joints. By implementing these principles, certified therapists can address fascial restrictions and joint mobility effectively.
FST aims to alleviate fascial tension, improve overall functional mobility, and enhance posture. Additionally, it has the potential to provide quick and efficient pain relief.
Conditions and Injuries Treated with FST
Fascial Stretch Therapy is a versatile approach that can be employed to treat a wide range of conditions and injuries, such as:
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Neck Pain
- Back Pain
- Tight Hips
- Muscle Strains
- Knee Issues
- Osteoarthritis
- Facet Joint Dysfunctions
- Pinched Nerves
Through pain-free and often enjoyable sessions, FST helps improve flexibility, mobility, balance, and symmetry of the body.
This comprehensive therapy focuses on restoring functional mobility throughout the entire body, not just isolated muscle treatment. It aids in reestablishing joint range of motion and reducing scar tissue formation.
FST can be particularly beneficial for chronic, long-standing, or treatment-resistant conditions that have not responded well to other interventions, offering relief where other methods may have fallen short.
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