A Month to Celebrate Movement Professionals
October is a big month for movement professionals. National Physical Therapy Month, National Chiropractic Health Month, and National Massage Therapy Awareness Week (October 19–25) give us the perfect reason to recognize the people who keep others moving and performing their best.
Physical therapists, chiropractors, and massage therapists each bring unique skills to recovery, performance, and pain management, but they’re united by a shared commitment to restoring movement and improving quality of life.
At HawkGrips, we’re proud that our IASTM tools and clean-ingredient topicals are trusted across these disciplines to make treatments more effective and comfortable– for both the patient and the clinician. And while we’re here to celebrate the professionals who make movement possible, we’ll admit, we’re also celebrating the small part HawkGrips plays in their success.
Different Paths, Same Purpose
Across disciplines, the goal is the same: helping people move better and feel better. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is one of the key techniques that connects them– used by PTs, chiropractors, and massage therapists to improve mobility, relieve pain, and speed recovery.
Each profession brings its own approach to IASTM: PTs often focus on post-op recovery and restoring range of motion; chiropractors use it to support joint adjustments and reduce soft tissue restrictions; massage therapists incorporate it to enhance tissue health and relieve chronic tension.
HawkGrips tools support all of them, helping clinicians get better results without added wear and tear while reducing strain on their own hands.
From Post-Op to Performance: How PTs Use IASTM
This October, we celebrate physical therapists and the expertise they bring to helping patients move, recover, and thrive. PTs work across a wide spectrum, treating post-surgical patients regaining range of motion, athletes recovering from soft tissue injuries, and individuals managing chronic pain or overuse conditions.
IASTM is a key part of many PTs’ treatment toolkits. Using HawkGrips, therapists can efficiently address soft tissue restrictions linked to conditions like tendinopathies, post-op scar tissue, or limited joint mobility. The stainless-steel instruments give clinicians valuable tactile feedback, helping them feel subtle tissue changes beneath the skin so they can identify and target problem areas with accuracy.
By combining their manual expertise with the precision of HawkGrips tools, PTs can improve mobility, enhance circulation, and accelerate recovery, while also reducing the strain on their own hands.
Ken Johnson, PT at Johns Hopkins Hospital, puts it best:
“The hands of a skilled manual therapist are only as good as what is in them. That’s why I won’t ever let my HawkGrips instruments get out of reach.”
We honor the expertise and care PTs bring to every session, and we’re so proud that HawkGrips can play even a small role in helping them deliver better outcomes for their patients and themselves.
Chiropractors: Restoring Alignment and Enhancing Soft Tissue Health
Chiropractors play a key role in helping patients move and feel their best by focusing on spinal health, alignment, and the overall function of the musculoskeletal system. Their hands-on approach relieves pain but also helps restore balance, mobility, and performance across the entire body.
In practice, many chiropractors use instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to complement spinal adjustments and improve soft tissue health. By addressing muscle tightness, fascial restrictions, and chronic inflammation, IASTM helps prepare the body for more effective adjustments and longer-lasting relief.
Dr. Michael F. Donohoe DC shares:
“Using HawkGrips has allowed me to address many myofascial problems for my patients. I have successfully treated plantar fasciitis, carpal tunnel, post-operative scar tissue reduction, acute and chronic myositis, chronic crepitus, and more.”
Adam Maurer DC, a Sports Chiropractor who has worked with professional athletes across multiple organizations, adds:
“I have been exposed to many different instruments and treatment equipment. HawkGrips, in my opinion, has the highest quality equipment with the best customer service.”
We’re grateful for the many chiropractors already using HawkGrips in practice and excited to keep expanding our footprint in this incredible field!
Supporting the Hands That Heal: IASTM in Massage Therapy
Massage therapists are movement specialists in their own right, helping clients recover from training, manage chronic tension, and improve overall well-being through skilled hands-on work. Whether they’re working with athletes, weekend warriors, or anyone in need of relief, their goal is to restore balance, reduce pain, and improve performance.
Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) has become a valuable complement to traditional massage therapy, allowing therapists to reach deeper layers of tissue and address restrictions without overworking their hands. Using HawkGrips, massage therapists can efficiently treat chronic tightness, scar tissue, and fascial adhesions while maintaining the flow and control of their manual techniques.
The ergonomic design and cross-hatch grip of HawkGrips tools make a major difference during long sessions, giving massage therapists better control and reducing the physical strain that often comes with repetitive deep-tissue work.
Benny Vaughn, LMT, ATC, CSCS, BCTMB, describes the versatility of our signature HGPro Multi-Tool best:
“Your ability to work in any area of the body that you can touch with your hands, you can do with this one tool.”
Clinicians like Greg G., LMT, who has worked with NFL athletes, use HawkGrips to take treatment results to the next level, combining expert hands-on skills with tools designed for performance and comfort. He talks about why he loves HawkGrips in this testimonial on Instagram.
Massage therapists are experts at helping others recover and recharge, and we’re glad HawkGrips can help them do the same, making every treatment more effective while protecting the hands that do the work.
Proud to Support the Clinicians Behind Every Recovery
Whether it’s a PT helping a post-op patient regain strength, a chiropractor restoring balance and alignment, or a massage therapist easing chronic tension, all share one mission: helping people move and live better. Here’s to every clinician dedicating their career to helping others thrive, this month and every month.
And at HawkGrips, we’re happy to support that work, providing tools that make treatments more effective, efficient, and sustainable for the hands that make healing happen.