What is Fascial Counterstrain? AKA Counterstrain
- Coach Izzy
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Article 1 of 6 of "That Was Not A Muscle" companion series
Fascial Counterstrain (FCS)—the modern version of Counterstrain—is the most astonishing and effective modality I’ve yet studied. This indirect method is based on solid scientific principles but its peculiar ability to address even the most complex conditions with finesse and gentleness gives it a veneer of mystery.
I’ll admit that FCS appears unconventional because, rather than singling out a component, it operates from where the multiple dimensions governing pain and dysfunction converge and interact. This approach is the product of extensive research in the multiple branches of science investigating complex pain and dysfunction.
Ultimately, it was Brian Tuckey—one of Dr. Jones four original instructors—who dedicated thousands of hours to go over all the valuable research and put the pieces of the puzzle together. The end result is a trainable manual therapy system based on the one universal principle established by the late Dr. Jones:
Follow the direction of ease.
Since this direction of ease is dictated by autonomic mechanisms, its path is not capricious or random. Prior to the summer of 2021, had you asked me what those mechanisms were, I would’ve told you that they were aberrant protective reflex arcs affecting the fascial networks. That’s no longer the case. While the answer was correct, it was not complete.
What is Fascial Counterstrain (FCS)?
Defining the essence of FCS was not easy. We knew we were shutting off aberrant reflexes but it was difficult to explain how without resorting to heavy scientific language. Trying to explain what perpetuated their intrusive presence was even more complicated.
That all changed on August 22nd, 2021, when Brian’s years of research were summarized in the paper Impaired Lymphatic Drainage and Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis in Chronic Musculoskeletal and Idiopathic Pain Syndromes which was officially published in Frontiers in Pain Research. In this paper, Brian presents a novel hypothesis that identifies a potential driving factor in the creation and perpetuation of chronic pain and dysfunction.
This in turn, allowed a new theoretical rationale to emerge which made a plain-language definition possible. So, when we are asked, what is Fascial Counterstrain? we can say:
“Fascial Counterstrain is a complex process that identifies and removes trapped inflammation from all tissues in the body. The technique uses specific tender points to identify the location of inflammation which may impact any tissue in the body including muscles, ligament nerves, organs, or blood vessels.”
The aforementioned did not change the fact that we are still shutting off aberrant reflexes, but we no longer have to go on multidimensional anatomical explanations. Instead, we can now direct our attention to a more relatable outcome: draining the trapped inflammation perpetuating the condition. After all, it’s this trapped inflammation what keeps the protective reflex arcs in a self-sustaining loop. You can access the article via the QR code, or the link below.
It’s important to acknowledge that while the topic of inflammation as a driver of many of the conditions that baffle the medical community keeps growing in momentum, only a handful understand its deeper nature. If you’ve arrived here from the link in my book, this is the first installment of a 6-Article series created to help you cement the information you learned in The Nuts and Bolts of Fascial Counterstrain chapter.
Now that you’re familiar with the formal definition of Fascial Counterstrain, it’s time to explore the nature and interaction of trapped inflammation and our physiology so we can understand the power of its theoretical rationale. For this, we need to understand that when it comes to fascial treatment, there’s a lot more than just myofascia.
See you in the next installment
Until next time, I wish you a joyous and pain-free life.
The topics in this series are covered in-depth in the book That Was Not A Muscle, available now at your favorite online book retailer. | |
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All photographs, illustrations, graphics, videos, and other media contained in or associated with this publication are the intellectual property of Izzy Sanchez, Integrated Healing and Strength Systems, Inc., and Mar en Hoguera Media, LLC, and are protected under United States and international copyright laws. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, display, modification, publication, or use of these materials in any form is strictly prohibited. Any infringement of these rights may result in civil and/or criminal penalties, and violators may be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent permitted by law. All biomedical illustrations created with BioRender. |
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