The category, not one brand.
IASTM stands for Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization. It is the umbrella term for treating fascia and muscle with a rigid tool instead of fingers and thumbs. Graston is the best known branded system inside it. There are others, and they differ in shape, edge and material.
The reason to pick up a tool at all is leverage and feedback. Steel or a hard polymer transmits texture a fingertip cannot pick up through a layer of muscle, and it lets a clinician put a shear force in at a precise angle without wearing their hands out over a full day of patients. We choose the instrument and the stroke off what the tissue needs, not off what is trending.
How we run instrument work here.
Screen The Region First
Movement and hands before any tool. The instrument is not the assessment, it confirms one. If your restriction is a joint problem, running steel over the muscle on top of it will not fix anything.
Pick The Tool And The Stroke
Broad, blunt edges for large areas like a quad or an IT band. Smaller contoured edges for a tendon or a scar. Angle, pressure and direction all change with the target.
Follow It With Movement
Instrument work on its own is temporary. We finish with range of motion and loading through the treated tissue, because that is what tells the body which pattern to rebuild.
What our patients say.
"I had a great experience at The Complete Athlete. I highly recommend Jacob Wetz for your physical therapist."Kelli B. · Google Review
Schedule an Appointment
No referral needed. Texas direct access lets us treat you for up to 30 consecutive business days without one.
Your first visit is a full one-on-one evaluation with a Doctor of Physical Therapy. We find out what the tissue is doing first, then decide whether an instrument belongs in your plan.
You’re all set.
We’ll reach out within one business day to confirm your appointment. If you need to speak with us sooner, call us directly.