Decrease Pain, Reduce Injuries and Improve Performance with Self Massage Techniques.
Self Myofascial release is a manual massage technique for stretching the fascia and releasing bonds between fascia, integument, muscles, and bones with the goal of eliminating pain, increasing range of motion and balancing the body.
The fascia is manipulated, directly or indirectly, allowing the connective tissue fibers to reorganize themselves in a more flexible, functional fashion. In addition Myofascial release (note the lower case r), can simply be considered a general manual massage technique any ‘lay person’ can use to eliminate general fascial restrictions.
Fascia is located between the skin and the underlying structure of muscle and bone, it is a seamless web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and skeletal structures in our body. Muscle and fascia are united forming the myofascia system.
Injuries, stress, inflammation, trauma, and poor posture can cause restriction to fascia. Since fascia is an interconnected web, the restriction or tightness to fascia at a place, with time can spread to other places in the body like a pull in a sweater. The goal of myofascial release is to release fascia restriction and restore its tissue health.
Trigger points are described as hyper-irritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. Trigger point researchers believe that palpable nodules are small contraction knots and a common cause of pain. Compression of a trigger point may elicit local tenderness, referred pain, or local twitch response.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myofascial_Release
Given many do not have the time or the finances to get work with a massage therapist on a daily basis you can perform myofascial release on yourself with the following massage tools:
1.Hands, Fingers, Forearms, Elbows, Knees, Feet
2.Trigger Wheel
3.Electronic Massagers, Foot Wheel, Intracell Stick (The Intracell Stick provides myofascial release and trigger point therapy by segmentally elongating muscle bundles).
4.Balls: Tennis Ball, Baseball, Golf Ball
5.Foam Rolls
The objective is to release trigger points (short-tight muscles that elicit pain when pressed) for approximately 20s.
Perform self massage for 2 min/station for total of 8 minutes.
#1: Foam Roll: Upper Back/Mid Back/Back Ext/Rot/Neck/Lats/Low Back/Calves/Hip Flexors/Quads/Groin/Shins/Side of Legs;
#2: Stick: Neck/Forearms/Calves/Shins;
#3:Baseball: Piriformis w/ Leg Cross Over & Other Tight Areas;
#4:Golf Ball/ Baseball on Arches & Pec Massage
In Health, Fitness & Vitality,
Brien Shamp BS CSCS CMT CHEK NLC II
Personal Trainer, Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach
www.BrienShamp.com
www.SFBayAreaBootCamp.com
www.MenloFit.com
650-654-4604
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