Physical Therapist use their hands to increase blood flow and break up restrictions in injured soft tissue, however, fingers alone can’t detect deeper levels of soft-tissue restrictions. Because of this, handheld tools were created to perform instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization.
IASTM is like a mild injury to the tissue which starts this process over again and helps the body to heal itself. It’s important to note that what gives IASTM the ability to reinitiate first-stage healing is that it is essentially reinjuring the body, although to a lesser degree, which may cause discomfort during the procedure and bruising afterward. Patients may experience soreness in the treatment area for a day or two following treament.