What is Stretch for Strength?

What is Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)?

Fascial Stretch Therapy is a pain-free assisted stretching method that helps to improve performance, rehab injuries, and increase flexibility. Fascial Stretch Therapy addresses the fascia of your body, utilizing a massage table and stabilizing straps to achieve an optimal stretch of the fascial system. FST prioritizes use of breath and traction to unwind the tissue and provide the most relaxing experience possible. It is the most dynamic and functional way to improve fascia and achieve results, without needing to use pain. It utilizes reflexes and your nervous system in order to get the most flexibility and restore function in the fascial system.

• Fascial Stretch Therapy targets the joint capsule, where up to 47% of flexibility is locked.
• FST tunes the nervous system to the client’s needs: whether that is ramping up before an event, or winding down and relaxing.
• Using the nervous system, Fascial Stretch Therapy improves the muscle’s ability to activate as well as relax.
• Fascial Stretch Therapy treats the body as a whole structure, rather than in pieces.
• FST uses the fascial network to find the true source of pain and dysfunction, which is often not where the site of pain is.

Wait….What is Fascia?

Fascia is the connective tissue system of the body. This web of tissue penetrates through and wraps around nerves, muscles, organs, and any other cell or tissue. Fascia is the most prevalent tissue in the body; and its flexibility is vital to healthy circulation within muscles, joints, arteries, brain, and spinal cord. Fascia reacts to all forms of stress by tightening. It shows us it is important to not just focus on a single muscle or problem, but to look at the connective tissue around it help it relax so the problem is alleviated.

Who can use FST?

Anyone can use FST and gain benefits from it. From children to the elderly, to elite and professional athletes, to weekend warriors, to pre and post-natal women, to anyone trying to eliminate pain: FST can help everybody!