Fascial Counterstrain Physical Therapy
Whole-Body Care for Pain and Dysfunction
Our Approach
Specializing in Fascial Counterstrain
You've tried to push through the pain. You've stretched, rested, maybe seen other providers. And yet something still isn't right.
That's a familiar story — and often a sign that the underlying source of the problem hasn't been identified yet.
When something just isn't right
When the body is injured or under prolonged stress, it protects itself. Sensors throughout your tissues can get stuck sending "danger" signals long after the original threat is gone, keeping muscles, nerves, and fascia locked in a guarding pattern. Over time, that pattern becomes the problem itself — whether it shows up as pain, numbness, tingling, restricted movement, or simply something that doesn't work the way it used to.
Fascial Counterstrain works by finding and releasing those patterns at their source — gently, without force. It's designed to identify and address dysfunction across all of the body's systems: vascular, visceral, nervous, and musculoskeletal. Because fascia surrounds every nerve, organ, blood vessel, and muscle, releasing it can have effects well beyond the area that hurts.
This is why the range of conditions that respond to FCS is broader than most people expect. Knee arthritis that hasn't improved with other treatment. A rotator cuff surgery that healed structurally but still doesn't feel right. Tendinitis or tendinopathy that keeps returning despite rest and rehab. Chronic back or pelvic pain that imaging doesn't fully explain. Even digestive complaints — bloating, motility issues, persistent gut discomfort — that have lingered despite other interventions. These aren't unrelated problems. They often share a common thread: unresolved fascial and neurological tension that the body hasn't been able to clear on its own.
FCS HELPS to restore balance & function across Many of the systems of the body
Musculoskeletal Conditions
Neck, back, and sciatic pain; joint stiffness; limited mobility
TMJ dysfunction, headaches, and migraines
Shoulder, hip, knee, foot, and ankle pain
Persistent or complex pain conditions (arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc.)
Whole-Body and Systemic Concerns
Chronic or unexplained pain
Post-infection or immune-related inflammation
Swelling, fluid congestion, or circulatory issues
Digestive discomfort or breathing limitations
Autonomic or stress-related dysfunction, including fatigue, dizziness, and sleep disruption
Posture, Recovery & Performance
Postural strain, scoliosis, and repetitive-use patterns
Post-surgical recovery and scar restriction
Sports injuries, overuse issues, and post-activity recovery
Core dysfunction, compensatory bracing, and movement inefficiency
Pelvic Health & Core Dysfunction
Pelvic pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and nerve-related tension
Postpartum recovery and abdominal wall healing, including diastasis recti abdominis (DRA)
Bowel, bladder, and intimate function concerns
THE Therapist
Cristina Shupe, MPT — Physical Therapist and Fascial Counterstrain Specialist
Cristina has spent nearly 30 years doing what she loves: helping people feel better.
She specializes in the treatment of chronic pain, complex conditions, and movement dysfunction, using Fascial Counterstrain alongside evidence-based rehabilitation and therapeutic movement. Her approach is grounded in careful listening and correlative thinking — taking the details patients share about their symptoms seriously, tracing them back to their source, and building treatment around what's actually going on.
That combination of clinical precision and attentive care is what allows her to effectively treat conditions that have been misunderstood, overlooked, or simply haven't responded to other approaches.