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A SELECTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR TISSUE MOBILISATION IN LYMPHOLOGY
IASTM stands for Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilisation.
This technique utilizes stainless steel tools that complement the therapist’s hands, allowing for targeted work on all soft tissues, including skin, muscles, and fascia. These instruments enhance the precision of treatment compared to manual movement alone.
The Clinica Linfologica Italiana in Padua is one of the first facilities in Italy to incorporate the use of these instruments as part of a specialised therapeutic technique within our multidisciplinary programmes.
A CLINICAL PRACTICE DERIVED FROM GUA- SHA
The therapeutic technique we utilize has its roots in Gua-Sha, a form of therapy that dates back 3,000 years and is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Literally, GUA translates to “scrape or scratch,” and SHA translates to “heat.” According to traditional Chinese medicine, the practice of Gua- Sha promotes the revitalization of “CHI,” the vital energy that flows through meridians and across organs. Chinese medicine employs Gua-Sha to treat various systemic conditions.
At the Clinica Linfologica Italiana in Padua, we have studied this ancient practice and identified interesting potential applications in the treatment of scars and certain lymphatic disorders.
After several years of study by our therapists, we have developed a clinical protocol that leverages these specific tools and reworked manoeuvres derived from Gua-Sha to treat, as an additional component to our multidisciplinary programmes, scars, lymphoedema, and lipoedema.
GUA-SHA IN THE TREATMENT OF SCARS, LYMPHOEDEMA, AND LIPOEDEMA
The goal is to reduce fascial restrictions (the results of traumatic events affecting the tissue) and scar tissue (what remains of scars) through friction, compression, and gliding motions of the tools used on the tissue.
Thanks to the special stimulations provided by this technique, we can reduce fibrosis, improve lymphatic drainage, and stimulate microcirculation and the absorption of excess lymphatic fluids.
The effects of the treatment sessions are threefold:
- Mechanical Action (increasing the proliferation of fibroblasts)
- Circulatory Action (increasing local and distant blood flow)
- Reflex Action (modifying the activity of spinal nerve reflexes)
Our treatment technique using IASTM proves to be very effective not only in treating postoperative scars but also as a complement to our multidisciplinary treatments for lymphoedema and lipoedema.
