Gua Sha

This original technique of scrapping muscles to relieve pain and tension was created in China more than 2,000 years ago. For a technique to stand the test of time, you know it is effective.

The term Gua Sha, which translates to “scrape” and “sand,” — refers to the scraping of the skin and the red dots (AKA blood) that rush to the surface of our skin, which resembles sand.

Tools made from stone or ivory were used to perform this ancient manual therapy technique.

The goal of Gua Sha is to stimulate a specific part of the body and improve blood flow — much like all forms of muscle scraping.

ASTYM

Astym (pronounced “A-stim”) is a type of muscle scraping that uses plastic tools instead of metal or stone. It is gentler than the other methods but uses the same principles of scraping over muscle

tissues, creating inflammation, and restarting the body’s healing process, allowing those tissues to recover finally.

Graston Technique

The Graston Technique uses a set of stainless steel tools when performing the treatment and is shown to improve pain levels and range of motion for people with injuries like low back pain or plantar fasciitis.

This treatment relies on Graston-specific tools that have unique angles designed to impact the muscle and connective tissue in the most effective way. Through its own techniques and protocols, it is the more modern approach to manual therapy using tools.

IASTM

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a skilled myofascial intervention used for soft-tissue treatment to deliver cross-friction massage.^[1]

You should know that IASTM is an umbrella term that covers all the previous techniques listed above. It combines other techniques using various tools and different designs.

It aims to break down scar tissue and dysfunctional muscles through a more intense approach, where it works in a painful or dysfunctional area of the body.

Bodywise Physical Therapy & Wellness

At Bodywise, we utilize many manual therapy techniques to help speed up healing and get you back to the activities you love. Our therapists have certification in multiple techniques and use many resources to complete your care.

Overall, we use IASTM as a broad-based term. However, we have therapists certified in The Graston Technique.