The Counterstrain Movement
Welcome to The Counterstrain Movement, a podcast where we talk about a little known physical medicine and manual therapy technique that is quietly revolutionizing how people approach recovery - from illness, injury, disease and trauma. It's called fascial counterstrain. Together we will explore where counterstrain comes from, how it works, the many conditions it can treat, and how it can help you.
The Counterstrain Movement
Treating Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Chronic Illness Using Fascial Counterstrain with Brianna Cardenas
In this episode, Brianna Cardenas, a physician assistant and athletic trainer, opens up about her personal journey with hypermobility syndromes and related comorbidities. Diagnosed after years of unexplained pain and health challenges, Cardenas discusses the importance of self-advocacy in navigating the medical system and the complexities of living with chronic conditions.
Cardenas shares how discovering Fascial Counterstrain, a specialized manual therapy, transformed her life. Counterstrain targets inflammation and restores lymphatic function, addressing chronic pain at its root. This multi-system approach can treat various structures and systems within the body, including the nervous, circulatory, lymphatic, and respiratory systems. Counterstrain has allowed Cardenas to regain not only her health, but also trust in her body again and experience improvements she thought were impossible.
Cardenas has not only integrated Fascial Counterstrain into her personal health plan, but she also uses it as a healthcare provider, offering her patients a path to relief from their chronic pain. She shares a touching story about how she was able to relieve her mother’s decades old chronic hip and lower back pain in just one session using Fascial Counterstrain. With a passion for expanding accessibility to Fascial Counterstrain, Cardenas envisions a future where this powerful therapy is available to more patients and integrated more broadly in medical practices.
Get In Touch:
- Brianna Cardenas on Instagram: @healedandempowered
- Element 7 Wellness in Poulsbo, Washington
- Healed and Empowered in California
Links to Resources:
- Patient-Oriented Mast Cell Disorder Resource: Mast Cells 360
- Patient-Oriented Mast Cell Disorder Resource: Mast Cell Disease Society
- Kellie Barnes MOMT, MPT in Portland, OR: Core Physical Therapy
Key Terms & Definitions:
- Pathology - the typical behavior of a disease
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - a connective tissue disorder (What is EDS?)
- Dura - dura mater is a thick membrane made of dense irregular connective tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord (Wikipedia)
- Mast Cell - our first line of defense reacting to things they detect shouldn’t be in our body
- Histamines - chemicals produced by your immune system
- Interstitial space - the space between cells in the body
The Bridge Back Project
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Find a Fascial Counterstrain Practitioner Near You:
Credits:
Host: Theora Moench
Editor: Haley Diaz
Executive Producer: Bridge Back Project
Music: bensound.com “New Frontier” - License code: PUUI20THRCM9CSDQ
