Strain Counterstrain Therapy in Santa Barbara
Strain Counterstrain Therapy at Schwartz Sports Massage in Santa Barbara is a gentle, pain-free manual therapy technique developed by Dr. Lawrence Jones. It works by placing the body in a position of comfort to release muscle spasms and tender points, deactivating the neurological patterns that cause chronic pain and tension.
Unlike techniques that use direct pressure, Strain Counterstrain relies on passive positioning and subtle repositioning of tissues. This makes it especially well-suited for clients who cannot tolerate deep tissue work, those in acute pain, and anyone with sensitive nervous system conditions. Common areas treated include the neck, shoulders, low back, hips, and extremities.
Amanda integrates Strain Counterstrain Therapy with myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and other modalities to create a comprehensive, individualized approach to pain relief. Sessions are available at our Santa Barbara clinic at 4213 State St, Suite 206.
What to Expect in a Strain Counterstrain Session
Counterstrain is the gentlest technique offered at this practice, and it surprises most people who expect hands-on work to hurt.
The session starts with palpation. Amanda locates tender points, small specific areas of tissue that stay irritable and guarded, often nowhere near where you feel the pain. Once a point is found, she moves the surrounding joint or limb into the exact position where that tenderness drops away, usually a position of shortening and comfort rather than stretch.
You hold there for about 90 seconds. Nothing is forced and nothing should be painful. In that time the nervous system stops signaling the muscle to guard, and the tissue releases on its own. She then returns the area slowly to neutral and re-checks the point.
A session runs 60 or 90 minutes and typically works through several related points rather than one. Because nothing is pushed against, there is no soreness afterward. Most people leave feeling looser and unusually calm, and some feel tired for a few hours as the nervous system settles.
Who Is Strain Counterstrain Best For?
Counterstrain suits the situations where deep pressure backfires.
Acute injuries and flare-ups. When an area is too irritable to press into, this is often the only hands-on work that helps rather than aggravates.
People who tense up during deep tissue work. If you brace against pressure, you are fighting the treatment. Counterstrain sidesteps that entirely.
Long-standing pain that keeps returning. Guarding patterns held for months do not respond to force. They respond to being given permission to let go.
Sensitive or pain-heightened presentations, including fibromyalgia and other conditions where the nervous system is already turned up.
Older clients and anyone post-surgical. Gentle enough to use where vigorous work is not appropriate.
Athletes mid-season. No post-session soreness means no lost training days.
Amanda is trained through the Jones Institute, the organization founded on Dr. Lawrence Jones's original work. Very few practitioners in Santa Barbara offer this technique.
How Strain Counterstrain Fits With Other Techniques
Counterstrain is rarely the whole session. It is usually what makes the rest of the work possible.
A guarded, irritable area will not accept myofascial release or deep tissue work. Press into it and it braces harder. Counterstrain calms the guarding first, and the tissue then responds to the more direct techniques that follow.
A typical sequence: Counterstrain to settle the irritable area, myofascial release or deep tissue work to address the restriction underneath, then mobility work so the change holds once you leave.
It also pairs well with visceral manipulation, since both work with the nervous system rather than against it. And it is often the right starting point for anyone arriving after physical therapy has plateaued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Strain Counterstrain hurt? No. If anything hurts, the position is wrong and gets adjusted. This is the technique used precisely when pressure is not tolerated.
How is it different from massage? A massage applies pressure into tissue. Counterstrain does the opposite. It removes tension by positioning the body so the tissue can shorten and release on its own. No lotion, no strokes, no force.
How many sessions will I need? Most people feel a change within the first session. An acute problem often settles in two to four. A pattern held for years usually takes longer. Amanda will give you an honest estimate after assessing you.
Can I combine it with other work? Yes, and most sessions do. Counterstrain often opens the door for deeper techniques in the same appointment.
Who is it not for? It is not a substitute for medical care. If something needs imaging, a diagnosis, or a physician, Amanda will say so and refer you.