Four pillars physical therapy
Building a Strong Foundation for Wellbeing
You can schedule a 55 minute in-person appointment for evaluation and initial treatment. Or a free 15 minute phone conversation to answer questions you may have.
Jessica Farrell, PT, DPT, CSC
Physical Therapist since 2009, specializing in Fascial Counterstrain since 2017.
What is Counterstrain?
Perhaps someone told you Counterstrain could help, but you aren’t sure what it really is.
Why four pillars?
A short intro to my treatment philosophy.
The details
On this page you’ll find all the important details: location, cost, what to wear etc.
Contact
Have questions or just want to talk with me before making an appointment? Fill out the contact form.
Jessica Farrell, Pt, DPT, CSc
I chose physical therapy over 20 years ago hoping to help my patients return to living life on their own terms, rather than being limited by illness, injury and poor health.Counterstrain makes that dream a reality every day. I’m so grateful to have a powerful tool that helps resolve chronic symptoms, free up tightness that isn’t needed anymore and generally activate the body’s own powerful healing mechanisms.I’ve been doing Counterstrain for almost a decade now, and l’m one of a handful of practitioners certified in the technique. Practicing physical therapy with an emphasis on Counterstrain has made me very comfortable seeing complex presentations. Many of my patients come in with chronic pain, dysautonomia, POTs, chronic headaches or other complicated constellations of symptoms that have not responded well to other treatments. I also provide effective care for people who are not dealing with complex challenges but simply want to feel better than they do today. It is possible, and I would love to help you get there!When I’m not in the clinic I enjoy riding my ebike around town, my mountain bike out on the trails, adventuring with my family on the rivers of the northwest, cooking delicious food, making ice cream and gardening.
The details
Location: 2208 SE 87th Ave Portland OR 97216What to wear: light and flexible clothing works best to allow ease of movement and effective hands on treatment.Cost: I charge $225 per 55 minute appointment for all evaluations and follow up appointments. You can also book 1 hour and 50 minute appointments which will also be billed at this rate. At Four Pillars Physical Therapy there is a cash and a card price for our services. Please contact for more information.Payment: I accept debit cards, checks, Zelle and credit cards. At Four Pillars Physical Therapy we offer a cash and a card price for our services. Please contact us for more information about our dual pricing structure.Insurance: I am not in-network with any insurance carriers. I am able to provide documentation so that you can seek reimbursement from your insurance using your out-of-network benefits.Medicare: I am not in-network with Medicare and can only see Medicare patients for wellness services. This means you will not be able to seek insurance reimbursement if you have Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Counterstrain
Gentle. Effective. Lasting relief.
Counterstrain is a hands-on technique that very specifically identifies irritations in the fascia or connective tissue of the body. By gently unloading these irritations or “dysfunctions”, I help the body drain away inflammation. This allows the body to fully heal the area by restoring blood flow, lymphatic drainage and appropriate nerve activation levels. I look at the fascia of all of your body systems. This includes your arteries, veins, lymphatics, digestive system, genitourinary system and your nervous system including your somatic, sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.Counterstrain is very helpful for pain (even if you’ve had it a long time!), post concussion recovery, POTS, dysautonomia, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, tethered cord, persistent nerve pain and irritation, headaches, craniocervical instability (CCI), osteoarthritis pain, long Covid, abdominal pain with no medical cause as well as athletic recovery, and generally feeling great in your body.
What sets Counterstrain apart?
-Gentle: Counterstrain works with your body by moving tissues in the direction of ease so you get lasting results with less pain during treatment.
-Thorough: Because we treat fascia across all body systems we identify issues that have not been addressed with other modalities.
-Specific: Using diagnostic procedures particular to Counterstrain we can identify what dysfunctions need to be addressed in order to help you really feel better. These dysfunctions can located be far from the site of your symptoms and might therefore have been overlooked many times.
Finally, if you want all the details on how Counterstrain works, click below for the research synthesis article published by Brian Tuckey, PT in 2021. It covers a novel pain theory and the proposed mechanism of Counterstrain.
Four pillars physical therapy
The four pillars of health — food, movement, sleep and mental well being — are essential for overall wellbeing and health. With well-built pillars you can live the life you want. However, it is easy to overlook or get used to neglecting one or more of these pillars. This weakens the foundation of your health and makes Counterstrain less effective.
At your first appointment we will do a brief assessment of your food, movement, sleep and mental wellbeing to identify what actions you can take to support your health. Making sure that your four pillars are as strong as they can be will make your Counterstrain appointments more effective and long-lasting.