scraping (iastm).
“WORKING OUT THE CRUNCHIES”
Fascia, when it's healthy, is smooth, hydrated, and supple — capable of gliding freely between layers as your body moves. When it's been through injury, surgery, repetitive strain, or years of accumulated tension, it forms adhesions: dense, disorganized patches of bound tissue that restrict movement, create friction, and are often the exact source of the nagging pain and stiffness that won't go away.
Scraping — formally known as Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) — is one of the most effective tools available for breaking up those adhesions and restoring the smooth, healthy fascia underneath. PAQO describes it both: “working out the crunchies” or "ironing out the wrinkles."
how it works
Specialized stainless steel instruments are used to apply precise, directional pressure along fascial lines — identifying areas of restriction by the texture and resistance the tool detects in the tissue, and systematically working through those adhesions to break them apart and promote healthy fascial remodeling.
The technique is direct and specific. It can feel intense — particularly in areas with significant adhesion or scar tissue — but that intensity is productive. Clients consistently report that the areas worked on feel dramatically freer and smoother in the sessions and days that follow.
what it addresses.
IASTM is particularly effective for:
Scar tissue from surgeries, injuries, or trauma — including old scars that are still creating restriction years later
Chronically bound fascia that hasn't responded to stretching or compression work
Achilles tendon pain and restriction
Plantar fasciitis and foot fascial restriction
Tennis elbow and forearm adhesions
Carpal tunnel-related restriction in the forearm and wrist
Areas where previous injury has left disorganized, dense tissue that limits mobility
Scraping is especially valuable for clients who have had surgeries or significant injuries and have never fully regained the freedom of movement they had before. The scar tissue that forms as part of the healing process is often what's still holding the body back — and IASTM is one of the most direct ways to address it.
What to expect
Like cupping, scraping is incorporated into sessions based on what PAQO identifies as the most effective approach for your body that day. It is frequently used in combination with Fascia Stretch Therapy and myofascial release — breaking up specific adhesions that then respond more fully to the broader fascial work.