Fascial Counterstrain

Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) therapy is an innovative system of soft tissue manipulation developed by Brian Tuckey (PT, OCS, JSCCI), a board-certified orthopedic specialist.  The fascia in every organ, nerve, artery, muscle, ligament, tendon, vein and lymphatic vessel in the human body can actively spasm and produce pain in a natural, protective response to injury.  The types of injuries fascia would react to include surgery, trauma, prolonged repetitive motion, strained posture, viruses or infections, and long-term dietary sensitivities (usually inflammatory in nature). 

Once this fascia spasm is reflexively triggered it can persist, spread and cause the formation of many tender points. FCS works by releasing the tissues in spasm and corresponding tender points by gently unloading the affected fascial structure.

FCS therapy is a therapeutic, hands-on approach, designed to release fascial spasm in all tissues of the body.

Fascial Counterstrain therapists are skilled at helping the body to help itself relax tissue and “reset” the area back to a non-painful state. This concept can be applied to almost all types of patients because it is gentle and addresses an issue common to everyone.

The Process

We start by finding systems in the body that are reporting reflexively that there is a problem. This creates tightness, pain, and a tender point in the area. When that tissue is released, there is a significant decrease in local guarding and pain. 

This is all done without stretching or breaking down tissue to make the targeted tissue move better. When that tissue is released, there is a significant decrease in local guarding and pain. The gentle release encourages the nervous system to reset and then report that tissue as more normal. This allows the tissue to move better. 

The Fascial Counterstrain Effect

Fascial Counterstrain releases tension in the body’s tissues with a level of precision that is unparalleled in much of the manual therapy field. While the structures that get relaxed can be small in size, many of our patients tell us of how significant and noticeable the changes to their pain or condition are after just a few sessions with us.

Shoulder pain and impingement can be used as an example to illustrate how Fascial Counterstrain can help a common and persistent problem that many patients come to see us for. Shoulder impingement occurs when the small tendons of the shoulder rotator cuff muscles are pinched due to a decreased space between the top of the humerus (upper arm) bone and the underside of the collarbone. Very often the people experiencing this also have a forward or rounded posture to their shoulders. Picture how most of us sit if we’re hunched over our phone, or we’ve been at a computer using the mouse all day. 

Over time, this pattern creates swelling in the area or even a bursitis (swelling in the joint capsule). The rotator cuff muscles are constantly in a state of tension and spasm because of the stress on their tendons. This forward-shoulder posture is also a classic problem of shortened (contracted) structures in front and lengthened (stretched) structures in back. The lengthened structures about the shoulder and neck fatigue and begin to break down, causing more pain, spasm and inflammation.

Typical therapies will stretch the pectoralis (chest) muscles in the front, strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles, massage and relax the neck muscles, and mobilize the joint structures of the back, neck, and shoulder. Often this works just fine; however, many times it does not. 

The Fascial Counterstrain Difference 

We take into consideration all of the types of tissues in the area from multiple systems. In this shoulder impingement example, there will be tight tissue in front, but not just the pectoral muscles. There are arteries, veins, bursae, nerves, and viscera (organs), such as the lungs, and more to consider. 

Releasing the short, tight structures in front through relaxation versus traditional mobilization will allow the shoulder to achieve a better postural position. The nervous system will get signals reporting the relaxation, and will then “give permission” to tight and weak muscles to be less inhibited. Immediate strength gains can be seen and local pain and swelling decrease, further improving shoulder range of motion and even more decreases in pain. 

This concept of encouraging the nervous system to allow releases of tissues instead of imposing a stretch on them can be applied to just about any type of patient, from an elite weightlifter to someone who is wheelchair-bound.

The FCS way of gently releasing the body’s structures in tension is a relaxing experience, with the added benefit that patients can feel their tender points and pain literally disappear as each treatment is performed. FCS therapy uniquely addresses the entire fascial system throughout the whole of the body, making it an ideal complement to your wellness routine. A large number of our patients use FCS to complement and enhance the benefits they enjoy from things like massage therapy, chiropractic care, naturopathic medicine, and acupuncture, among others.

Our patients who make fitness or athletics a regular part of their week can feel the benefits of FCS in their endurance, strength, coordination, focus, and shorter recovery times. 

Taking tension off of tissues allows your body to have improved freedom of movement, increased strength & additional energy to put towards improved performance, rather than being held back by fascial problems. 

When important fascia problems are helped, it frees up your body’s own resources to help repair any damage incurred while you were out working hard or playing hard.

If you are trying to reduce pain medication or are trying to avoid it and its potential side effects altogether, it is well worth your time to investigate how Fascial Counterstrain therapy can make you feel better by reducing or eliminating your pain. There is really no risk to you because of how gentle of a therapy it is. 

FCS essentially helps the body and its tissues return ever-closer to a more normal, “factory settings” state. This then lets your body take care of you & itself better than it was doing before the injury occurred or before the painful condition developed. Sometimes we just need the right maintenance – just like a car that runs great as long as we take care of its individual parts when recommended.

Sometimes surgery is the only option. This is a fact. We propose, however, that there are quite a wide variety of situations where surgery is an option as opposed to the only option as a way forward for you.

If you are someone who would prefer to explore the less risky, less time-consuming, and usually much less expensive route – calling a Body Systems Anchorage Fascial Counterstrain therapist is one of the best next steps you can take before making any final surgery decision with your doctor.

To illustrate how a painful calcified nodule in the shoulder that seemed to require a second surgery turned out to be verifiably improved without surgery, we refer you to this cited case study