IASTM Home Instruction Course

by Pinnacle Training and Consulting Systems
Chris Gellert, PT, MMusc & Sportsphysio, MPT, CSCS, C-IASTM
Founder and CEO

What is IASTM?
IASTM uses a bevel edge instrument, which adds shearing stress to soft tissue to facilitate and enhance the body’s healing response. The ability to focus a technical force along a small contact surface to your patient’s target tissue, and do so with a relatively high level of comfort for both the patient and treating therapist is one of the best features of this technique.

Because your time is precious, you can study this material at your convenience and learn how to integrate IASTM with your current manual therapy techniques to compliment and enhance your results even more! A manual therapist has a toolbox of manual techniques. Every clinician shoulder learn the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind IASTM, but learn how this will compliment myofascial release, soft tissue massage, joint mobilizations and other effective manual interventions while saving your hands. IASTM is a simple, yet effective, manual therapy technique that will help you achieve better results with your patients.

Course Objectives
At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Interpret and list two sources on the foundation and origin of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM) and the latest research as it applies clinically.
• Apply the fanning stroke with a patient who has active or latent trigger points in their upper trapezius muscle.
• Independently defend selection of one IASTM tool and treatment plan for a specified clinical condition.
• Correctly compare mechanical and physiologic responses of IASTM when provided with a case study.
• Explain three key differences between a fascial resriction and muscle tightness.
• Identify two indications and two contraindications of IASTM for an instructor named clinical condition.
• Explain the rationale behind IASTM by comparing mechanical vs.neurological responses using the most current research.
• Understand what fascia is, how to identify common fascial restrictions using the IASTM and latest research.
• Based on instructor specified example indicating evaluation findings, will accurately choose the IASTM technique to manage the condition.
• Compare the difference between the clinical patterns of spinal stenosis, spondylosis and lumbar radiculopathy in terms of each diagnoses behavior of symptoms, clinical findings, and common muscle imbalances.
• Compare an active trigger point vs.a latent trigger point for patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia.
• Justify the IASTM tool selected based on the presence of trigger points in a therapy evaluation.
• Design a plan of care, including the IASTM, for a patient diagnosed with either a rotator cuff repair, subacromial decompression, shoulder impingement or similar diagnoses