1
We scan the area with the instrument.
IASTM in Cherry Hill & Burlington.
Some tissue is too stiff and fibrous for hands alone to unstick. We use a stainless steel instrument to find it, then work it loose.
What It Is
A tool that finds what hands can miss.
Old injuries, overuse, and chronic tightness can leave tissue bound down in scar and fascia. It can stay that way for years, resistant to stretching or massage alone.
IASTM stands for Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, the technique family that includes Graston. Your therapist glides a stainless steel tool across your skin. The edge catches on tissue that’s bound down, in a way a finger sometimes can’t feel.
From there, controlled strokes break up the restriction and bring blood flow to the area. That kickstarts your body’s own healing response. It’s normal to see mild redness after, sometimes light bruising, and both fade within a few days.
Mild redness after is normal, and temporary
What It Helps
Where IASTM shines.
If tissue feels stuck no matter how much you stretch it, scar tissue or fascial restriction is often why.
The tendon pain that flares with every rep
The first steps out of bed that ache
The grip that gives out before you expect it
Stiffness that lingers no matter how much you stretch
The shoulder that never quite loosens up
Scar tissue from an old injury that never fully faded
What A Session Looks Like
Three steps, one visit.
2
We work the restricted tissue loose.
3
We move the joint through its new range.
Why It Works
Four reasons it earns a place in your plan.
Finds restrictions your hands might miss.
Speeds up your body’s healing response.
Breaks up old scar tissue safely.
Fits the plan you’re already on.
Questions, Answered
IASTM, no mystery.
Most people feel firm pressure and some mild discomfort as the tool moves over restricted tissue, not sharp pain. Your therapist adjusts pressure to what you can comfortably handle the entire time.
Sometimes. Mild redness or light bruising is a normal response as blood flow increases to the area, and it typically fades within a few days. We’ll always tell you what to expect beforehand.
Graston is one branded version of IASTM, and the term IASTM covers the whole technique family. We use professional-grade stainless steel instruments and the same core method, regardless of the brand name on the tool.
Book Your Visit
Ready when you are.
Request a time and a real person calls you back, usually within two business hours. No phone tree. No ‘someone will reach out.’ Just a plan.
- Hours Mon–Thu 8am–7pm, Fri 8am–2pm
- Prefer to talk now? Call either office. Cherry Hill 856-424-0993 Burlington 609-880-0880
- Same-week appointments available
5.0 · 607 Google reviews
Typical response: under 2 business hours
Step 1 of 6
Request sent.
That’s the hard part done. We’ll call during business hours to lock in your time. Most people are on the schedule same week.
Visit Us
Care this good, this close.
Specialized Physical Therapy – Cherry Hill
Specialized Physical Therapy – Burlington
- 11 Cadillac Road, Burlington, NJ 08016 (opens in a new tab)
- 609-880-0880
- Fax: 609-227-4423
- frontdesk@specializedphysicaltherapy.com
- Mon–Thu 8am–7pm, Fri 8am–2pm