A FasciaBlaster is a plastic stick-shaped tool with “claws” of various sizes that is rubbed over bare skin with the objective of manipulating fascia.
The concept was invented by Ashley Black and is patented. Fasciablasters are classified as medical devices by the FDA. They come in different shapes and sizes for different applications.
The purpose of a Fasciablaster is to manipulate the fascia. Fascia is connective tissue in your body. If you think of a raw chicken breast, it is both the clear thin film just above the meat and the white stringy material you usually remove with a knife.
Fascia is present throughout the whole body and is inside the muscle, but there is also a thicker layer that is just above the muscle and below the fat. It’s my understanding that this thicker layer is what we are usually working with when using a FasciaBlaster product.
The process of using a FasciaBlaster
Using a FasciaBlaster is called “fasciablasting.” (I think this terminology sounds ridiculous and really negates the credibility of the device, but we’re stuck with the names the device’s creator decided on…) The basic process is that oil or some other lubricant is applied to bare skin and the FasciaBlaster is rubbed over that area briskly.
Heating the area of the body makes it work much better. This could involve heating the body in a sauna, with a heating pad, wearing a sauna suit or hot bath/hot tub. Some people use it in a hot shower, though I personally find that concept wasteful.
See creator Ashley Black demonstrating how to use a FasciaBlaster in this video:
Why do people use FasciaBlasters?
There are many reasons to use them. Most people seem to be initially attracted to cellulite reduction/removal and spot reducing fat in certain areas. And Ashley Black certainly leads with that claim, both in her advertising and her book, The Cellulite Myth.
There is a strong pain relief aspect to using FasciaBlasters. Chronic pain can be diminished and removed. I’ve certainly experienced that myself. This is helpful for people with fibromyalgia and other chronic pain disorders. Plantar fasciitis. Many people report that their migraines go away using Ashley Black’s Migraine Protocol (renamed “Upper Body Tension Relief”).
What first attracted me to the FasciaBlaster?
I did not have a large amount of cellulite going into this. And I can’t say the cellulite I did have bothered me very much. But I do have stubborn fat in certain areas, even though I am otherwise thin.
For me, it was really the concept of the spot reduction of fat and being able to contour the body. The idea of being able to get rid of my saddlebags and love handles was enticing enough for me to buy my first Faciablaster. I didn’t consider the pain-relieving aspects in my decision.
I saw a post from a Facebook friend who had had a result of freeing up her calf muscles (that had been bound up with tight fascia) using a device like a FasciaBlaster. I looked into it and bought right away.
Those initial motivations seem so far away from how the FasciaBlaster ended up impacting my life. More on that to come in further posts.
Some of my favorite FasciaBlaster tools:
