I became a big fan of this technique at my very first treatment session in which the Counterstrainer barely moved my head and a back pain that had been plaguing me for over a decade disappeared and has still not returned. After a number of other symptoms were cleared during visits to other Counterstrainers, I was convinced to see the founder of Fascial Counterstrain, Brian Tuckey for my familial and congenital Benign Essential Tremor. I had learned at that time that Brian had been working on brain tissue, even though up until this point I thought Fascial Counterstrain (FCS) was only for musculoskeletal aches and pains.
I had spent a lot of time and money trying to alleviate my tremor. Name a conventional or alternative treatment and I tried it with minimal and temporary improvement. And the tremors were progressively getting worse so I was motivated to try anything, even if it involved going to Maryland and paying out of pocket. I received a pre-treatment from one of his colleagues and didn't notice much, but the following day I walked into the office with awful tremors and I walked out 90 minutes later feeling 80-90% better than I had in years. For the first time in decades I had the ability to walk and hold a cup of hot tea in my left hand and drink it without calamity and I felt more stable on my legs than I had in a very long time.
I made an agreement with myself that if the tremors were still gone at 3 months, I would sign up for the Foundations class. In August 2024, I recognized that this was definitely not a placebo effect and immediately signed up for a class in NYC being held in a few weeks.The information I learned was overwhelming yet fascinating and I was nervous that I would never pick up the manual skill required to sense the areas of treatment. I'm now 4 classes in, seeing benefits in my patients daily, and have the mindset of continuing through all the classes that currently exist and new classes as they come out. The great news is that even at the Foundations level, I was helping patients feel better as soon as I got back to the office.
Out of the 16 classes currently available I have taken 4 and am set to take 5 more in 2026.
This treatment involves soft tissue manipulation. First we start with a cranial scan to find the system and location of greatest congestion, then we go to the area to feel around for trigger/tender points. There may or may not be some discomfort in that area, but it is only an area used for monitoring improvement. That spot has an associated movement to help relieve the tension in the spot. That movement could be something like moving your arm across your body or turning your head in a specific direction.
The trigger point is a reflex of the internal dysfunction and represents on the surface of the body where there is trapped inflammation or Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis. If you are particularly interested in the scientific aspect of FCS, Brian Tucky published a journal article about the physiologic mechanism that causes pain and dysfunction and how FCS is capable of releasing it.
Is it like...?
What is FCS capable of treating?
Anything. I personally have had chronically swollen ankles, damaged nerves, dislocating bones, and my brain all treated by FCS successfully and permanently. I have treated patients for digestive complaints, pelvic pains, migraines, anxiety, and every sort of body ache you can imagine. Since I'm newer to the practice, we sometimes get to a place in which I know I can't do more. However, I can refer you on to other Counterstrainers in the area, or if it isn't too bothersome you can wait for my next training. Every point I clear is decreasing your total inflammatory load so even if it's not the perfect point or all the points you need, it would still be helpful.
Also, recently a fellow Naturopathic Physician and Counterstrainer, Holley Christy, ND published a study showing that FCS significantly decreased PTSD in First Responders. The participants were all receiving psychiatric medication and mental health therapy that elicits mild progressive improvement over time. Once the participants received FCS, they saw a dramatic improvement over the control group, and that improvement was sustained.
What should I expect during treatment?
You will usually be laying face up on a table, but some treatments need to be in a seated or face down position. All treatments are fully clothed and generally very relaxing. I usually do all the moving, but sometimes I ask for your participation. Any time there is a tender point or treatment near a sensitive area, or might have a peculiar hand positioning, I try to verbally describe what I am trying to accomplish. For example, there are some pelvic and low back treatments in which I need to push on the pelvic floor. For these, I use a folded up towel to push on your pelvic floor. There are also a small number of positions in which my hand is over your neck or mouth, so I am very clear about what this could feel like so that you have the opportunity to decline or mentally prepare for something that may feel triggering.
After treatment you may feel a little tired or dizzy and some patients have reported a noticeable increase in urine. Gentle movement after treatment is good, as is resting. Follow your intuition and schedule with what feels the best. I only recommend avoiding exercise that will build up lactic acid after treatment (that sore muscle feeling with activity).
I had spent a lot of time and money trying to alleviate my tremor. Name a conventional or alternative treatment and I tried it with minimal and temporary improvement. And the tremors were progressively getting worse so I was motivated to try anything, even if it involved going to Maryland and paying out of pocket. I received a pre-treatment from one of his colleagues and didn't notice much, but the following day I walked into the office with awful tremors and I walked out 90 minutes later feeling 80-90% better than I had in years. For the first time in decades I had the ability to walk and hold a cup of hot tea in my left hand and drink it without calamity and I felt more stable on my legs than I had in a very long time.
I made an agreement with myself that if the tremors were still gone at 3 months, I would sign up for the Foundations class. In August 2024, I recognized that this was definitely not a placebo effect and immediately signed up for a class in NYC being held in a few weeks.The information I learned was overwhelming yet fascinating and I was nervous that I would never pick up the manual skill required to sense the areas of treatment. I'm now 4 classes in, seeing benefits in my patients daily, and have the mindset of continuing through all the classes that currently exist and new classes as they come out. The great news is that even at the Foundations level, I was helping patients feel better as soon as I got back to the office.
Out of the 16 classes currently available I have taken 4 and am set to take 5 more in 2026.
- Foundations - August 2024
- Viscera - April 2025
- Lymphatic Venous I - August 2025
- Lymphatic Venous II - October 2025
- Coming next year: Arterial, Nervous System I, Nervous System II, Diagnostics, Musculoskeletal Periosteum I.
This treatment involves soft tissue manipulation. First we start with a cranial scan to find the system and location of greatest congestion, then we go to the area to feel around for trigger/tender points. There may or may not be some discomfort in that area, but it is only an area used for monitoring improvement. That spot has an associated movement to help relieve the tension in the spot. That movement could be something like moving your arm across your body or turning your head in a specific direction.
The trigger point is a reflex of the internal dysfunction and represents on the surface of the body where there is trapped inflammation or Interstitial Inflammatory Stasis. If you are particularly interested in the scientific aspect of FCS, Brian Tucky published a journal article about the physiologic mechanism that causes pain and dysfunction and how FCS is capable of releasing it.
Is it like...?
- Myofascial Release - No. MFR works to stretch the fascia around the muscle. FCS moves the tissue into a more relaxed state to get the fascia to release the inflammation and allow it to heal and recover naturally.
- Lymphatic Massage - No. Lymphatic Massage uses a technique to push lymph in an attempt to get it through areas of restriction. FCS removes the area of restriction so that the lymph can move on it's own.
- Acupressure - No. Acupressure applies pressure to tender points associated with Acupuncture points along the meridians. FCS finds a tender point, but uses it without pressure to monitor the efficacy of the movement of the body we are doing somewhere else. Also, there are more than triple the number of FCS points currently and they mostly do not correspond to the meridians.
What is FCS capable of treating?
Anything. I personally have had chronically swollen ankles, damaged nerves, dislocating bones, and my brain all treated by FCS successfully and permanently. I have treated patients for digestive complaints, pelvic pains, migraines, anxiety, and every sort of body ache you can imagine. Since I'm newer to the practice, we sometimes get to a place in which I know I can't do more. However, I can refer you on to other Counterstrainers in the area, or if it isn't too bothersome you can wait for my next training. Every point I clear is decreasing your total inflammatory load so even if it's not the perfect point or all the points you need, it would still be helpful.
Also, recently a fellow Naturopathic Physician and Counterstrainer, Holley Christy, ND published a study showing that FCS significantly decreased PTSD in First Responders. The participants were all receiving psychiatric medication and mental health therapy that elicits mild progressive improvement over time. Once the participants received FCS, they saw a dramatic improvement over the control group, and that improvement was sustained.
What should I expect during treatment?
You will usually be laying face up on a table, but some treatments need to be in a seated or face down position. All treatments are fully clothed and generally very relaxing. I usually do all the moving, but sometimes I ask for your participation. Any time there is a tender point or treatment near a sensitive area, or might have a peculiar hand positioning, I try to verbally describe what I am trying to accomplish. For example, there are some pelvic and low back treatments in which I need to push on the pelvic floor. For these, I use a folded up towel to push on your pelvic floor. There are also a small number of positions in which my hand is over your neck or mouth, so I am very clear about what this could feel like so that you have the opportunity to decline or mentally prepare for something that may feel triggering.
After treatment you may feel a little tired or dizzy and some patients have reported a noticeable increase in urine. Gentle movement after treatment is good, as is resting. Follow your intuition and schedule with what feels the best. I only recommend avoiding exercise that will build up lactic acid after treatment (that sore muscle feeling with activity).