“Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Manipulation (IASTM).” This is a course designed for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants teaching the foundational material that most PTAs and PTs did not learn while in school.
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.
Why use IASTM?
Significantly increases range of motion (ROM)
Decreases peripheral resistance whereby increasing tissue temperature
Decreases pain
Increases microcirculation
Increases tissue perfusion and alters micro vascular morphology in the vicinity of healing knee ligaments
Accelerates tissue and ligament healing
Reduces the compression forces on the clinicians hands, especially the DIP joint
Course Material
This course was designed to be systematic, evidenced-based and most importantly, have direct application that can be used immediately with your patients. The course material nicely compliments a one or two-day live seminar on IASTM offered by other CEU providers. In 2018, it is our intent to also offer both a one-day and two-day IASTM live seminar courses that will compliment the home study course. It will provide the attendee with the ability to gain and understand new knowledge on IASTM, learn how to assess more efficiently and practice the skills learned from the home study course. The course comes with the following:
A 150 page comprehensive CEU approved course manual that has over 240 references is divided into twelve distinct and separate chapters. The course is filled with over 100+ illustrations and graphics to enhance the learning experience. Deliverly is sent electronically from PTCS to the customer or a physical manual can be shipped at an additional fee.
The student will have access to over 70 videos that compliment and review each of the twelve chapters of the IASTM Home Study Course. To access these videos, each student is required to provide a sign in on our secure website.
All examination costs are included. To earn respective CEUs, a student must sign in on our secure website verifying to PTCS who they are. Once verified, PTCS requires every student to take an online 25 question multiple-choice examination. This examination can be taken anytime or are your leisure. Once the examination is complete and the student earns a score of 75%, the CEU certificate is sent directly to the student from PTCS.
Course description
The course is divided into twelve separate chapters. Which are listed below. The reason we choose this order, is that the material synergistically blends and compliments the previous chapter.
Chapter 1: Foundation and why behind of IASTM
Chapter 2: Research and effectiveness of IASTM
Chapter 3: Principles and benefits of IASTM
Chapter 4: Physiologic and neurophysiologic responses of IASTM
Chapter 5: Type of tools available
Chapter 6: Type of strokes, application and use
Chapter 7: Indications, precautions and contraindications with IASTM
Chapter 8: Fascia, fascial chain and the fascial slings
Chapter 9: Trigger points and adaptive shortening
Chapter 10: Clinical Patterns of Movement Dysfunctions and using IASTM
Chapter 11: IASTM techniques for upper body including cervical, shoulder, thoracic and elbow regions
Chapter 12: IASTM techniques for lower body including lumbar, hip, knee and ankle regions
Course Objectives
At the end of this course, the participant will be able to:
Understand the foundation and origin of Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) and the latest research as it applies clinically.
Understand the principles and benefits of IASTM and be able to apply this new knowledge with their patients in the clinic setting the next day.
Differentiate between the different types of IASTM tools available.
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.
Identify when IASTM is indicated and contraindicated.
Understand, learn several different types of strokes using IASTM tools and be able to practice and apply them with appropriate patients.
Apply and use IASTM with common movement dysfunctions affecting the cervical spine, thoracic region, lumbar spine, hip, knee and ankle. Then be able to apply the IASTM concept with each of these dysfunctions in a safe and justified manner based on their clinical reasoning skillset.
Identify what a trigger point is, and how to use the IASTM tool to treat them respectively, taking into consideration the latest research and using safe, clinical reasoning.
Understand common movement dysfunctions of the cervical, shoulder, spine, hip, knee, arm, and foot, using evidenced based research combined with clinical pattern recognition, to treat soft tissue dysfunctions using IASTM tool combined with manual therapy and myofascial release.
Demonstrate competent rationale for IASTM treatment progressions by combining clear assessments with an evidenced based practice (EBP) approach to care.
Course Duration
1 Month / 18 Hours
Mode of Study
Online (Self Study) + Assessment