Graston Technique in San Francisco

The Graston Technique is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). Your provider uses specially designed stainless steel tools to find and treat scar tissue, adhesions and tight fascia in muscles, tendons and ligaments. Breaking up that restricted tissue helps restore movement, ease pain and speed healing.

TruSpine offers the Graston Technique at 50 Francisco Street, Suite 257, in North Beach / North Waterfront, near Fisherman's Wharf, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, the Marina and the Financial District. Book online or call (415) 421-1115.

Yes. Graston is the best-known form of muscle scraping, also called scraping therapy or IASTM. What sets it apart is the stainless steel tools, the specific strokes and the training behind them, so pressure and technique match the tissue being treated.

We use it for tendonitis, tennis and golfer's elbow, plantar fasciitis, Achilles pain, IT band syndrome, runner's knee, shin splints, rotator cuff and shoulder pain, neck and back muscle tightness, carpal tunnel symptoms, muscle strains, and scar tissue after injury or surgery.

The steel tools amplify what your provider feels, so they can pinpoint restricted tissue. Controlled strokes then break up adhesions and create a small, controlled stimulus that increases blood flow and signals the body to remodel the tissue into healthier, more flexible fibers. Stretching and strengthening help that new tissue heal in the right direction.

Patients come to us for less pain, better range of motion, faster recovery from strains and overuse injuries, and less scar tissue. Because it pairs well with adjustments and exercise, it helps results last longer.

Research shows it can. Systematic reviews of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization found it reduced pain and improved function in people with musculoskeletal pain, especially when it was combined with exercise. That is how we use it: as one part of a plan, never on its own.

You will feel pressure and some mild discomfort over tight or injured areas, but it should never be sharp or unbearable. We adjust the pressure to what you can comfortably tolerate.

Some redness is normal, and mild bruising can happen over chronic or very restricted tissue. It usually fades within a few days and lessens with each session. Ice afterward helps.

The most common are temporary redness, tenderness and mild bruising. Serious problems are rare when it is done by a trained provider. Read more in Is Graston Technique dangerous? and Can Graston cause nerve damage?

It depends on the problem and how long you have had it. Most patients come once or twice a week, with at least a couple of days between sessions so the tissue can recover. Many notice easier movement within the first few visits. We check your progress and adjust your plan as you go.

Yes. We use it on the bottom of the foot, the Achilles and the calf to free up tight tissue that loads the heel. See Graston Technique for plantar fasciitis. For stubborn heel pain we often pair it with shockwave therapy.

It can help knee pain driven by tight quads, IT band or calf tissue, such as runner's knee and patellar tendonitis. Read Graston Technique for knee pain, or see our knee pain relief program.

Yes. Breaking up and remodeling scar tissue is what Graston was designed for, whether the scar tissue came from an old strain or from surgery once it has fully healed. Learn more about Graston for muscle scar tissue.

Both treat soft tissue. Graston uses steel tools and broad strokes to treat larger areas of restricted tissue. Active Release Technique (ART) uses the provider's hands while you move the muscle through its range. We often use them together.

They share the same roots. Gua sha is a traditional Chinese scraping method. Graston adapted the idea into a modern clinical system with precise stainless steel tools, specific strokes and training, aimed at muscles, tendons and fascia.

Graston is not recommended if you take blood thinners or have a clotting disorder, a blood clot (DVT), an infection, a tumor, an open or unhealed wound, a recent surgery or fracture in the area, or an implanted device such as a pacemaker near the treatment site. Tell us your full health history so we can confirm it is safe for you.

We do not recommend it. Graston tools look simple, but the benefit comes from knowing what to feel for and how much pressure to use. Too much pressure or the wrong area can bruise or irritate tissue. We can show you safe self-care to do between visits.

Coverage varies by plan. We work with many in-network and out-of-network insurance plans, and our team can check your benefits before your visit.