Counterstrain tender points, region by region
Counterstrain is indirect and passive: you find a tender point, then fold the body around it until the tenderness fades, and hold. The positions below are starting points; you fine-tune each one by how much the tenderness drops.
The method
- Find the tender point and set a baseline (the patient rates it as 10).
- Move the patient passively into the position of ease until the tenderness drops by at least 70% (to 3 or less), ideally more.
- Hold about 90 seconds with a light monitoring finger. Do not keep pressing the point.
- Return slowly and passively to neutral, then recheck tenderness and motion.
The shorthand
F and E: flexion and extension. St / Sa: sidebend toward or away from the point. Rt / Ra: rotate toward or away. ABD, ADD, ER and IR for the limbs.
The rest of this guide is for founders
Founders get every guide, endless cases with an AI tutor, and Anki export of their misses. Here is what is inside:
- The method
- Anterior cervical
- Posterior cervical
- Anterior thoracic
- Posterior thoracic
- Anterior lumbar
- Posterior lumbar
- Sacral
- Ribs
- Anterior pelvis and hip
- Posterior pelvis and hip
- Upper extremity
- Lower extremity
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