The Evolution of Manual Therapy

Over the summer, the LSU GA’s and staff members attended an in-service about a unique manual therapy called Fascial Distortion Model or FDM.  Casey Hummel, who trained us in FDM described 6 different model types: Trigger Bands, Continuum Distortions, Cylinder Distortions, Herniated Trigger Points, Folding Distortions, and Tectonic Distortions.  These models are used to treat almost every musculoskeletal injury.  After an athletic trainer performs a detailed evaluation and determines the underlying issue for the patient, the athletic trainer can then choose which model will provide the optimal outcome for recovery. They  attended a 2-day seminar on FDM and receive a certification upon completion.  The 2 days were divided into upper and lower regions.  They spent some of that time in lectures but majority of the seminar was hands-on and very interactive.  Coaches and student-athletes that have been struggling with both chronic and acute injuries that they felt would benefit from FDM served as models.  Mallory Mickus, assistant athletic trainer for gymnastics said, “This seminar deepened my knowledge of myofascial techniques and provided specific reasoning behind why these techniques are used.  It was that missing puzzle piece to tie manual therapy and myofascial techniques together.”