Usefull Links
Group 1: Top Academic Databases & Publishers
This is the source for rigorous scientific knowledge. Best for finding raw data, clinical trials, and systematic reviews on Gua Sha and IASTM.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 1 | PubMed | pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov | The world’s largest biomedical library (NIH); primary source for clinical trials. |
| 2 | ScienceDirect | www.sciencedirect.com | Elsevier’s platform; hosts numerous rehabilitation and physical therapy journals. |
| 3 | Cochrane Library | www.cochranelibrary.com | The gold standard for “Systematic Reviews” and evidence-based medicine. |
| 4 | PEDro | pedro.org.au | Physiotherapy Evidence Database; specifically for PT research (Highly Recommended). |
| 5 | Google Scholar | scholar.google.com | A broad search engine for scholarly literature across all disciplines. |
| 6 | ResearchGate | www.researchgate.net | Social network for scientists; often allows direct requests for full-text papers. |
| 7 | SpringerLink | link.springer.com | Publisher of many books on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). |
| 8 | Wiley Online Library | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Hosts essential journals in anatomy and therapeutic sciences. |
| 9 | JOSPT | www.jospt.org | Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy; key source for IASTM research. |
| 10 | JACM | liebertpub.com | Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine; frequently publishes Gua Sha studies. |
| 11 | BMC CAM | www.biomedcentral.com | BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies; a hub for open-access scraping research. |
| 12 | Taylor & Francis | www.tandfonline.com | Publishes various journals regarding manual therapy and rehabilitation. |
| 13 | Sage Journals | journals.sagepub.com | Includes journals covering holistic nursing and integrative health. |
| 14 | Wolters Kluwer | www.wolterskluwer.com | Medical publisher of the Lippincott series (LWW) and rehabilitation resources. |
| 15 | Europe PMC | europepmc.org | The European equivalent to PubMed for life sciences literature. |
Group 2: Graston & IASTM Industry/Brands
This covers official protocols, IASTM tool specifics, and training/certification details for Graston and its competitors.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 16 | Graston Technique | www.grastontechnique.com | The Official Authority; features provider lookup, certification, and research lists. |
| 17 | HawkGrips | www.hawkgrips.com | Major competitor; features an educational blog on IASTM science. |
| 18 | RockTape (RockBlades) | www.rocktape.com | Famous for “RockBlades”; focuses on movement therapy and fascia scraping. |
| 19 | Gua Sha (Nielsen) | www.guasha.com | Dr. Arya Nielsen’s official site; the scientific authority on traditional Gua Sha. |
| 20 | FMT Education | rocktape.com/education | Fascial Movement Taping; offers courses on instrument-assisted therapy (formerly consolidated). |
| 21 | Smart Tools | www.smarttoolsplus.com | A leading IASTM tool provider with an education hub for clinicians. |
| 22 | FAT-Tool | www.fat-tool.com | Focuses on the “Fascial Abrasion Technique” and tissue mobilization. |
| 23 | SASTM | www.sastm.com | Sound Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (created by the Graston founder). |
| 24 | Sidekick Tool | www.sidekicktool.com | Consumer-focused scraping tools with very accessible, high-quality educational blogs. |
| 25 | Technica Gavilan | www.technicagavilan.com | IASTM tools and techniques specifically designed for treating athletes. |
| 26 | EDGE Mobility | edgemobilitysystem.com | Run by a physical therapist; offers tools and practical rehab advice. |
| 27 | Fibroblaster | www.fibroblaster.com | An established brand of IASTM tools with technique resources. |
| 28 | M2T-Blade | m2tblade.com | A Canadian brand integrating IASTM with chiropractic techniques. |
| 29 | Koala Q | www.koalaq.com | Focuses on myofascial release tools and muscle recovery. |
| 30 | Scraping Therapy | scrapingtherapy.com | A niche site dedicated specifically to the discussion of scraping techniques. |
Group 3: Professional Associations
These institutions set the industry standards. Best for finding official position statements and regulatory standards for IASTM and Gua Sha.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 31 | APTA | www.apta.org | American Physical Therapy Association; sets high-level standards for PTs. |
| 32 | NATA | www.nata.org | National Athletic Trainers’ Association; primary users of Graston in sports. |
| 33 | ACA | www.acatoday.org | American Chiropractic Association; resources for chiropractors using IASTM. |
| 34 | AMTA | www.amtamassage.org | American Massage Therapy Association; covers Gua Sha in massage contexts. |
| 35 | CSP (UK) | www.csp.org.uk | Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (United Kingdom). |
| 36 | Physio-Pedia | www.physio-pedia.com | The “Wikipedia” for PTs; offers detailed anatomical breakdowns of IASTM. |
| 37 | NCCIH | nccih.nih.gov | National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (US Govt). |
| 38 | WCPT | world.physio | World Physiotherapy; global resources for physical therapists. |
| 39 | NSCA | www.nsca.com | National Strength and Conditioning Association; focuses on recovery science. |
| 40 | ACSM | www.acsm.org | American College of Sports Medicine; covers injury prevention and care. |
| 41 | Acupuncture Today | www.acupuncturetoday.com | Leading news source for acupuncture and Oriental medicine practitioners. |
| 42 | Pacific College | pacificcollege.edu | Top US school for Chinese Medicine; publishes academic articles on Gua Sha. |
| 43 | Bastyr University | bastyr.edu | Natural medicine university; research on alternative therapies. |
| 44 | ABMP | www.abmp.com | Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals. |
| 45 | NASM | www.nasm.org | National Academy of Sports Medicine; covers corrective exercise and recovery. |
Group 4: High Authority Media & Health Portals
These sites offer general, medically reviewed information suitable for patient education and trends.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 46 | Cleveland Clinic | www.clevelandclinic.org | Top-Tier Hospital; provides trusted, medically reviewed articles. |
| 47 | Mayo Clinic | www.mayoclinic.org | Top-Tier Hospital; excellent for definitions and patient advice. |
| 48 | Healthline | www.healthline.com | High-traffic portal covering both medical Graston and beauty Gua Sha. |
| 49 | WebMD | www.webmd.com | The most common source for general medical definitions and side effects. |
| 50 | Verywell Health | www.verywellhealth.com | Expert-written content focusing on specific conditions and therapies. |
| 51 | Medical News Today | www.medicalnewstoday.com | concise, evidence-based medical news and summaries. |
| 52 | Spine-Health | www.spine-health.com | Vertical Authority; detailed guide on Graston for back pain/sciatica. |
| 53 | Livestrong | www.livestrong.com | Focuses on fitness, diet, and injury recovery techniques. |
| 54 | Men’s Health | www.menshealth.com | Popular media covering muscle recovery and fitness tools for men. |
| 55 | Women’s Health | www.womenshealthmag.com | Popular media covering wellness trends and facial Gua Sha. |
| 56 | Runner’s World | www.runnersworld.com | The go-to source for running injuries (e.g., treating plantar fasciitis). |
| 57 | Shape | www.shape.com | Lifestyle and fitness magazine focusing on active living. |
| 58 | Self | www.self.com | Wellness site covering self-care and health management. |
| 59 | Byrdie | www.byrdie.com | Authority on Beauty; extensively covers Facial Gua Sha techniques. |
| 60 | Vogue | www.vogue.com | High-fashion magazine; frequently reports on beauty/wellness trends. |
| 61 | Goop | www.goop.com | Lifestyle brand known for popularizing alternative therapies (controversial but influential). |
| 62 | MindBodyGreen | www.mindbodygreen.com | A hub for integrative health and holistic lifestyle content. |
| 63 | Prevention | www.prevention.com | Focuses on preventive medicine and natural remedies. |
| 64 | Everyday Health | www.everydayhealth.com | Reliable info for managing daily health conditions. |
| 65 | Insider | www.insider.com | Often features “I tried this therapy” experiential journalism. |
| 66 | Refinery29 | www.refinery29.com | Trends and health topics aimed at young women. |
| 67 | Allure | www.allure.com | Beauty expert publication; covers skincare tools and techniques. |
| 68 | Elle | www.elle.com | Fashion and beauty magazine. |
| 69 | Harper’s Bazaar | www.harpersbazaar.com | High-end fashion and skincare advice. |
| 70 | PopSugar | www.popsugar.com | Fitness and pop culture site. |
Group 5: PT Education & Expert Blogs
These websites are run by well-known physical therapists and experts. Best for “How-to” guides, technique demos, and clinical opinion.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 71 | MedBridge | medbridgeeducation.com | Top PT Education; offers accredited online courses for IASTM. |
| 72 | The Prehab Guys | theprehabguys.com | Influential group focusing on injury prevention and rehab exercises. |
| 73 | Squat University | squatuniversity.com | Discusses soft tissue mobilization in the context of lifting heavy weights. |
| 74 | Physio Network | physio-network.com | Summarizes the latest research for physiotherapists. |
| 75 | Mike Reinold | mikereinold.com | Blog of a world-renowned physical therapist and sports medicine expert. |
| 76 | The Manual Therapist | themanualtherapist.com | Dedicated to OMPT (Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy) strategies. |
| 77 | Dr. John Rusin | drjohnrusin.com | Integrates strength training with physical therapy principles. |
| 78 | Pain Science | painscience.com | Critical Analysis; offers deep, skeptical dives into scraping mechanics. |
| 79 | Physiotutors | physiotutors.com | Famous for high-quality educational videos and tutorials. |
| 80 | MoveForwardPT | choosept.com | The APTA’s official consumer-facing information portal. |
| 81 | Breaking Muscle | breakingmuscle.com | High-quality articles on fitness science and recovery. |
| 82 | T-Nation | t-nation.com | Hardcore strength training site; discusses recovery methods deeply. |
| 83 | Stack | stack.com | Focused on training and recovery for student-athletes. |
| 84 | BarBend | barbend.com | News and advice for weightlifting and powerlifting communities. |
| 85 | The Ready State | thereadystate.com | Founded by Kelly Starrett; focuses on mobility and tissue maintenance. |
Group 6: Anatomy & Broad Science
These resources provide the anatomical foundation. Best for understanding fascia, soft tissue structure, and general science.
| # | Website Name | Domain | Description |
| 86 | Anatomy Trains | www.anatomytrains.com | The Authority on Fascia; essential for understanding “meridians” and lines. |
| 87 | Fascia Research Society | fasciaresearchsociety.org | Dedicated to the latest scientific developments in fascia research. |
| 88 | Kenhub | www.kenhub.com | Excellent visual resource for learning human anatomy. |
| 89 | Visible Body | www.visiblebody.com | 3D anatomical models and physiological visualizations. |
| 90 | Innerbody | www.innerbody.com | A comprehensive guide to human anatomy systems. |
| 91 | Radiopaedia | radiopaedia.org | A wiki for radiology; useful for seeing soft tissue injury imaging. |
| 92 | ScienceDaily | www.sciencedaily.com | Aggregates the latest research news summaries. |
| 93 | EurekAlert! | www.eurekalert.org | A global news service operated by the AAAS (Science). |
| 94 | Natural Medicine Journal | naturalmedicinejournal.com | Peer-reviewed journal for integrative medicine practitioners. |
| 95 | Townsend Letter | townsendletter.com | The examiner of alternative medicine; forum for non-conventional therapies. |
| 96 | Massage Magazine | www.massagemag.com | Industry trade magazine; covers IASTM techniques for massage therapists. |
| 97 | Chiropractic Economics | chiroeco.com | Business and practice management resource for chiropractors. |
| 98 | Dynamic Chiropractic | dynamicchiropractic.com | News source regarding chiropractic techniques and tools. |
| 99 | Practice Update | practiceupdate.com | curated medical news and expert insight for clinicians. |
| 100 | YouTube | www.youtube.com | Search specific channels: Bob & Brad (Famous PTs) or Graston Official. |