Essential Self-Paced Graston Technique® Training
Want to add instrument-assisted soft-tissue treatment to your clinical toolkit?
Essential Self-Paced gives you a complete, online certification pathway built for real clinic schedules. Earn CEUs and sharpen practical soft-tissue skills while staying fully available for patients—on your timeline, from anywhere.
12 CEUs included
Self-paced
45,000+ Graduates
Used by physical therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, and rehabilitation professionals worldwide
Backed by peer-
reviewed research
Improves soft tissue
mobility & function
Used across orthopedic, sports & rehab settings
Today's patients expect better outcomes.
Today's clinicians need better tools.
Soft-tissue restrictions, chronic pain, post-surgical adhesions, and mobility limitations are some of the most common (and frustrating) challenges in modern rehabilitation.
Yet many clinicians still rely on:
Generic manual therapy techniques that lack precision or consistency
Subjective tissue assessment with limited feedback
Inconsistent treatment results across patients and conditions
Continuing education that sounds good—but doesn't translate into daily clinical practice
The result?
Slower patient progress. Plateaus in care. Frustrated patients—and missed opportunities to differentiate yourself as a skilled, confident specialist in your field
The Graston Technique® changes that.
Graston Technique® is a form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) that uses specially designed stainless-steel instruments to detect and treat restrictions in muscles, fascia, and connective tissue.
By applying controlled strokes to affected tissues, clinicians can address scar tissue, fascial restrictions, and mobility limitations while encouraging improved movement and healing.
Graston Technique® is used by physical therapists, athletic trainers, chiropractors, and other rehabilitation professionals to help patients recover from injuries, improve range of motion, and restore function.
Why clinicians use Graston Technique®
Clinicians use Graston Technique® to help address common soft-tissue problems seen in daily practice, including:
Tendinopathies
Post-surgical scar tissue
Chronic soft-tissue restrictions
Sports injuries
Mobility limitations and pain
The instruments allow practitioners to detect tissue restrictions and apply precise treatment pressure that can be difficult to achieve with hands alone.
And when applied correctly, it becomes a powerful clinical differentiator
for your practice.
What you'll be able to do after the course
By the end of training, you will be able to:
Identify indications and contraindications for Graston Technique® therapy
Understand physiological tissue responses and healing mechanisms
Perform soft-tissue assessment using GT instruments
Apply IASTM confidently to major body regions
Select appropriate instruments and strokes for each condition
Integrate treatment protocols with therapeutic exercise
Explain benefits, risks, and expected outcomes to patients
This is foundational certification that elevates both your skillset and your professional credibility.
How it works
Register and get instant access
Once enrolled, you receive immediate access to all course materials — no waiting periods or start dates.
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Complete the online modules
Work through comprehensive video lessons covering Graston Technique® fundamentals, clinical applications, tissue physiology, and treatment protocols. You may pause and revisit content anytime.
Pass the Knowledge Assessment
After completing all sections, you will take a comprehensive final exam that tests your knowledge and understanding of the course material.
Complete the skills evaluation
In addition to the Final Exam, passing of the GT Practical Skills Assessment is required to complete the Self-Paced Essential Training. Upon submitting the survey you can expect to receive an email from one of our Clinical Advisors within 72 hours to setup your virtual Skills Assessment.
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Earn your certification & CEUs
Upon successfully passing the final exam and assessments, you will receive your official Graston Technique Certificate of Completion via email.
You will receive a certificate of course completion, which includes all the relevant information needed to submit to your state licensing board for 12 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).
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Instruments required (loaner option available)
To participate in the hands-on labs, you must have access to Graston Technique instruments.
If you don't already own a set, you may purchase the bundle with our training (with a discount) or we offer an instrument loan program with a refundable deposit. After you register for the course, we will send you an email where you will have the opportunity to sign up for the loan program.
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Included bonuses and professional benefits
Your enrollment also includes:
90 days of free access to Wibbi
A digital exercise platform supporting continued learning and clinical development.
Discounted membership if you choose to continue after the trial
Graston Provider Directory eligibility
Upon completion, you can create your professional listing in the official Graston directory. Boost your visibility to patients and referral partners searching for certified providers.
2 month free trial of our Premier Membership
Along with keeping your listing live, get additional features and benefits.
Learn from one of the most
respected experts in the field
Your training is led by two Graston Technique instructors. Together, they have trained thousands of clinicians worldwide.
Mike Ploski is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, certified athletic trainer, and one of the original Graston Technique providers and instructors, now serving as a Clinical Advisor for Graston Technique, LLC. He brings over 30 years of clinical experience, including medical staff roles with the PGA Tour and professional motorsports.
Dr. Jackie Shakar has been a Clinical Advisor and Lead Instructor for Graston for over 17 years. She has been licensed in Massachusetts as both a Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer since 1983. She maintains a clinical practice at Central Mass PT and Wellness in West Boylston Massachusetts.
Register now and save!
Choose your package:
Essential Self-Paced Training
- Essential Self-Paced Training
- 12 CEUs
- Essential Training Manual (Digital Edition)
- Wibbi 90-day free trial
- Graston Premier Membership (2 months FREE), including your own Graston Provider Directory listing
Essential Self-Paced Training + 6-Piece Instrument Set
- Essential Self-Paced Training
- 12 CEUs
- Hardcopy Essential Training Manual (130+ pages)—shipped to you
- Wibbi 90-day free trial
- Graston Premier Membership (2 months FREE), including your own Graston Provider Directory listing
- 6-Piece Graston Instrument Set (valued at $2,395)
- 4-oz jar emollient (valued at $22.99)
Here's what our certified clinicians have to say...
Great course and instruction. This course has put me on track to make a huge difference for my patients.
Forever Fit Physical Therapy & Wellness
In my nearly thirty years of physical therapy practice, I have frequently been presented with devices that claimed to enhance my hands in applying manual techniques. As I developed my own palpation skills I thought that nothing could feel more than my hands. This is something I had often heard from other physical therapists as well.
When I attended Graston Technique® Essential training, I quickly found out that the description of the instruments and technique was accurate. The resonance of the instruments was most striking to me. I was able to locate soft tissue restrictions quickly and with precision. As good as I thought my palpation skills were, the Graston Technique® enhanced them and now I am able to help patients achieve goals in less time with less energy. The design of the instruments helps me to isolate the treatment of soft tissue lesions and progress to appropriate exercise programs. I benefited from interaction with other clinicians in discussing disease processes, dysfunction and rehabilitation protocols by completing Advanced training.
I feel that I have optimized my use of the Graston Technique®. And I am proud to say that twelve of my co-workers are now GT Certified. It is a very effective tool in my treatment of failed back syndrome, total joint replacement and foot problems. The Graston Technique® is a well-designed concept that is easily applied to evolving connective tissue research and leads to very good outcomes.
Oleander Rehabilitation Center-New Hanover Regional Medical Center
I am a very experienced Physical Therapist. Graston Technique® Is Simply A ‘slam Dunk’ Intervention. Restoring range of motion post-op; ridding athletes of chronic, nagging injuries; mobilizing scars; treating acute athletic injuries before they become chronic; and curing patients of chronic neural tingling is easy and fast.
The Graston Technique® instruments allow me to easily detect and treat soft tissue lesions that even well-trained hands cannot. I love this technique–and will use it for the rest of my career. (I have already started getting all of my therapists trained in the Graston Technique®, because I consider it a skill every excellent Orthopedic Physical Therapist must have.)
Bechtel Physical Therapy
A great course to take and invest in. A lot of the things taught can be used immediately in the athletic training room.
Ferris State University
I have been treating patients with Graston Technique® since 2008 and it has yielded positive results in a variety of pathologies! I just became one of the proud new owners of Dynamic Physical Therapy in Charleston, WV, and we treat patients and athletes with GT daily to supplement their treatment plans. It is a staple in our clinic.
Dynamic Physical Therapy
Graston Technique® allows me to place my athletes in their sport-specific positions in order to precisely isolate and release soft tissue restrictions that are interfering with their optimal movement patterns. It has been a key factor in returning both my professional and recreational athletes to the top of their game, be it track & field, golf, triathlons, or ultra running.
Robyn Pester Physical Therapy, Inc.
Enjoyed the training! I can’t wait to take what I learned back and use it on my athletes.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
The Graston Technique® has been an excellent component to incorporate in our treatment plans. The dynamic component allows you to treat your athletes in a functional sports specific position to realistically treat their restrictions.
Georgia Southern University
The Graston Technique® has been an instrumental tool in my treatments for the baseball athletes I work with on a daily basis. It has not only been useful in rehabilitation of injuries but also in helping athletes with enhancing their overall athletic performance. As we know soft tissue restrictions play an enormous role in movement pattern dysfunctions. Having the Graston Technique® in hand to help reduce these restrictions gives me an added advantage to combat these faulty patterns and get my athletes back to where they can perform at a high level of competition and possibly prevent overuse injuries.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Designed for busy clinicians.
This is the same foundational Graston Technique® certification trusted by thousands of clinicians, now delivered in a fully online, self-directed format.
This format may be ideal if you:
Have a demanding clinic schedule or rotating shifts
Travel frequently or cannot commit to fixed training dates
Want certification and CEUs without taking time off work
Value the ability to pause, review, and revisit lessons as needed
If you’re looking for structured instruction without calendar constraints, the self-paced format provides a clear, guided path to certification on your timeline.
Earn 12 Continuing Education Units
This course qualifies for 12 Continuing Education Units, allowing you to:
Fulfill licensure requirements
Invest in skills that directly improve patient outcomes
Strengthen your resume and professional positioning
This is foundational certification that elevates both your skillset and your professional credibility.
Licensing board requirements vary by state and region and are subject to change. Please contact your state licensing board to confirm CEU eligibility for your specific discipline.
Register NowCourse Syllabus
Everything you need to become Graston certified.
Self-paced Essentials Course
12 hours
Complete on your schedule