The Fascial Distortion Model, or FDM, was developed by an orthopedist named Dr. Stephen Typaldos. He made a key discovery over the course of several years of studying and treating patients: When someone experiences a soft tissue injury, more often than not there is a fascial component that’s not being addressed. FDM is both a diagnostic tool and an effective treatment model that takes guesswork out of the equation for the doctor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWZjtOxr1LI
What exactly do we mean when we talk about fascia? Fascia is the connective tissue covering the muscles in the body. When you contract one or more muscles, this tissue helps the muscles to work together effectively. Like our skin, fascia is also considered to be one of the body’s rich sensory organs. Whatever mechanism of injury the patient may have experienced (such as a strained muscle or damaged connective tissue), damage has likely been done to the fascia as well. It’s highly innervated and extremely uncomfortable if damaged.
Myofascial release, Graston Technique, and Active Release Technique (ART) are all great options, but they only address the tissue or fascia directly underneath the doctor’s hands. FDM also pays attention to the patient’s subconscious cues and how they describe their pain. Body language (such as grabbing certain areas) or uncertainty of the origin of the pain are examples of factors that are taken into consideration. The doctor is then able to determine what kind of fascial distortion the patient is experiencing and choose a treatment that is most appropriate to repair the distortion.
Of course, the patient first needs to undergo orthopedic testing and functional testing. We will also take their complete history into account. From there, how the patient describes their injury will go a long way towards identifying what the type of problem is and how it should be treated. The FDM allows both the diagnosis and treatment to go hand-in-hand. Essentially, these two components are discovered at the same time.
Soft tissue injuries also have the ability to spread or move pain to other areas of the body.
In previous posts, we’ve mentioned that the location of the patient’s pain isn’t necessarily where the actual issue is. (For example, neck pain may come from a problem in the low back.) If a patient was to come in and say their pain has moved from the right side of the body to the left side, it wouldn’t be cause for concern. Instead, it’s a signal that the treatment is working. We just need to keep going to get rid of the issue completely.
Overall, patient feedback and body language is key with FDM. It takes much of the guesswork out of the process of both diagnosis and treatment. When the fascia is the source of pain, we’re able to nail down the issue and develop a very effective course of action.
If you’d like to learn more about how we use the FDM to diagnose and treat the issue you’re experiencing, contact us online or give us a call at (918) 743-3737.
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