ARC’s strain/counterstrain has been much more useful to me for relieving severely clenched or damaged tissue than previous treatments at other PT institutions or therapeutic massage; it’s brought me long-term relief. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.
The “Master System”
One of the many benefits of Fascial Counterstrain is that it can be used to treat dysfunction in any of the body’s soft tissue systems. This includes the body’s master system, the nervous system. The nervous system controls the body’s pain perception, movements, senses, digestion, vascular flow, cognition, proprioception and emotional responses. Thus unimpeded function of the nervous system is vital for our body to maintain homeostasis, function normally and remain disease free.
The Specialized Covering of the Nervous System
Like all soft tissues in the body, the nervous system is enveloped entirely in deep fascia (connective tissue). The specialized fascia of the nervous system is called the epineurium, (see Figure 1.) Over 50% of every nerve is actually made of neural fascia. It covers and protects all of the nerves in the human body including those related to the muscles, skin, organs and vessels.
What are the Symptoms of Inflamed Nerve Tissue?
When inflamed or injured, the fascia of the nervous system can cause many symptoms such as numbness, “pinched nerves” or chronic muscle spasm anywhere in the body. Other common examples of nerve related conditions include: Carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic headaches, chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and even idiopathic (unknown cause) peripheral neuropathy.
How Does Fascial Counterstrain Alleviate Chronic Nerve Inflammation?
Fascial Counterstrain utilizes diagnostic tender points, named for specific neural structures, to diagnose and treat the entire nervous system. During a treatment, the inflamed nerve is identified via it’s specific “tender point” and then the nerve is “decompressed” via a specific fascial glide (see Figure 3). This pain free position is then held for 30-45 seconds during which time the valves of the local venous and lymphatic vessels of the nerve open, allowing all local nerve swelling to dissipate.
Who Developed Fascial Counterstrain for the Nervous System and How Can I Receive Treatment?
Fascial Counterstrain for the Nervous System was developed and copyrighted by Brian Tuckey PT, OCS, JSCCI who teaches Advanced Counterstrain Courses through the international Continuing Education company, the Jones Institute.
If you feel you suffer from symptoms related to fascial dysfunction of the nervous system, feel free to set up a detailed examination with one of the trained therapists at ARC Physical Therapy.