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Graston Technique Seminars: Using IASTM tools- What are the Rules?

Matt Hajzl, DC • May 5, 2021

Although Graston Technique seminar tools are no longer under patent and the profiles are freely available to the public, the term "Graston Technique" is trademarked and can only be used in advertising by practitioners trained by the GT company.  Before discussing 5 important rules regarding using IASTM (instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization) instruments you might be interested in a little history of the GT company.

The Physiofit IASTM technique company is "open" to using all brands of instruments.

History, that only a few people 
know about Graston Technique

I got the inside scoop on the genesis of Graston Technique by David Graston himself in a personal meeting at his gym in Indiana the day he was "locked out" of the company that he founded and told he could not use his own name in any marketing of IASTM tools.  David was an excellent promoter and attracted the physical therapy department at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana along with a millionaire venture capitalist.

In all fairness, David did sell his interest (including his patents and the rights to his name) to the venture capitalist.  So, it's not like his work was "stolen" from him.  If anyone was truly upset, it was the PT Department at Ball State who funded original research and created the scientific rationale that would be used to sell the technique to professionals.  Soon after David left, the lead physician at Ball State also left to create his own company- ASTYM (augmented soft tissue mobilization).

In the early years, the GT company (now totally owned by the venture capitalist) attracted some top names in soft tissue therapy and sports medicine like Drs. Warren Hammer, and Tom Hyde.  By 2014 Dr. Hammer had become closely involved with bringing Fascial Manipulation to the US from Italy (and translating the medical texts to English); Dr. Hyde founded his own IASTM company called FAKTR (functional kinetic treatment & rehab); and the venture capitalist sold GT to a physical therapist.  
5 Important Rules- IASTM Tools 
at Graston Technique Seminars


1.  Alternative Brands are not Allowed - Unlike newer IASTM seminar companies that allow you to use your IASTM tool of choice, the GT company requires use of their exact profiles.  The essence of their product is the legacy of the six geometries/ six tools.  This approach has served the company well for over two decades and many professionals have been trained this way.

2.  GT Teaches Proprietary Technique- While many soft tissue techniques openly site common historical literature and have evolved with new developments, GT still relies on the few studies where their instruments were exclusively used.  The essence of the teaching is that you fit various profiles to body and perform sweeping, fanning, cross friction, and or "J" strokes.  Rather than basing technique on the direction of tissue strokes, newer approaches see IASTM instruments merely as extension of the hand to potentiate any and all manual therapies.

3.  You Cannot Advertise Graston Technique with IASTM tools- Unless you have both taken the Graston Technique Seminar and purchased GT instruments you may not advertise that you perform the trademarked technique.  You would need to describe your therapy as Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization, or instrumented myofascial therapy, or gua sha.  Most clinicians prefer the freedom to evolve their technique practice under the expansive umbrella of IASTM.

4.  Graston Technique Seminars do not Teach New Approaches- By virtue of the restricted protocols, GT cannot add to the knowledge base of soft tissue therapy without needing to acknowledge approaches not under the purview of proprietary control.  

5.  You are not Required to Purchase GT Tools- At Graston Technique Seminars you are not required to buy their instruments. Many clinicians see GT seminars as a basic introductory course and know they have both more versatile and less expensive options.  Back in 2001, the 6 piece set cost $4,000.  Now, its about $2,800... but other quality sets (with better ergonomics and profile features) can be purchased  for under $500US.


It's Your Choice - alternatives to 
Graston Technique Seminars

Consider that instead of looking for Graston Technique Seminars as your introduction to IASTM you might be better off with a seminar company like FAKTR that integrates many more advanced therapies and allows you to use the IASTM instrument of your choice.  On this website you will find a 45 Technique Primer PDF for free download on the Technique page.

As a recommendation for the most advanced learning in manual soft tissue therapy I cannot more highly suggest the Fascial Manipulation Seminars.  Luigi Stecco, MD and Carla Stecco, MD have finally accurately described what soft tissue "lesions" actually are.  As if that wasn't great enough they have created the most advanced diagnostic approach based on newly discovered fascial anatomy and kinetic movement chains.


An Alternative brand will give you new advances in IASTM 
tool  geometry & you are free to practice how you please.
A picture is worth a thousand words.  The MyoBar G+ Series gives you all 6 GT profiles in only three (small, medium, & large) scaled to anatomy tools.  We also solved the ergonomic problem of the legacy profiles by adding integral grip features like finger scallops and hollows.  More treatment contacts per tool is a win for efficiency as is the inclusion of a classic Trigger Point Tool milled from 304 surgical stainless steel

Now that you know the rules regarding Graston Technique Seminars and the use of IASTM tools you are free to make more educated decisions as to how to proceed in learning a very effective niche soft tissue therapy for myofascial conditions and sports injuries.  Please, contact me any time with any questions regarding instrumented technique.  This work is my passion and the more clinicians that practice it in an unobstructed way, the better!
About Dr. Matt Hajzl
I attended the first Graston Technique seminar in Chicago in 2001 and realized the potential of instrumented soft tissue therapies could be improved greatly with three things: expanded range of profile geometry, ergonomic hand hold features, & non-proprietary educational resources. In 10 years, MyoBar has become a leader in the field with thousands of instruments in use in the United States and over 50 countries worldwide.
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