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How to use Myofascial Release Tools?

Myofascial Release Tools lengthen fascia, make it more flexible and improve its hydration. Myofascial release tools is a safe and very effective technique that exerts pressure over a period of time to elongate the fibers that make up the fascia in your muscles. The Mobilization Magic™ self-myofascial release tool is the best way to get relief from the comfort of your own home.

 

Fascia is the tuff silver membrane that surrounds all our muscles and organs, it transmits all the forces that your body experiences and reduces friction between individual muscles during movement. Fascia can withstand 2 tons of pressure per square inch which is not far off the strength of steel. Each Muscle also has a fascial / cartilaginous skeleton running down the core of the muscle to which all the contractile muscle fibers attach to. Shortening and increased stiffness of the fascia causes restricted range of movement, increased pain and restricted blood flow within the muscle. This shortening also inhibits the contractile elements of the muscle functioning properly causing loss of muscle strength and reaction time. Shin splints is a classic example of fascia restricting blood flow, in runners shin splints can force them to stop running due to pain.

Causes of Myofascial Pain

Myofascia has ten times more pain and movement sensors in it compared to muscle tissue, so when it is dysfunctional it causes profound disability and pain. Muscle Trigger Points are a very localised form of myofascial dysfunction.

Pain occurs due to pain sensors in the fascia and muscles having stress placed upon them, this stress comes from the tightness and stiffness of the fascia and the accumulation of metabolic waste products due to restricted blood flow.

Self Myofascial Release

Self-help is a fast-growing segment of the health industry. People are looking for ways to fix their own problems rather than relying on health professionals to do it for them. The reasons for this are many but the main ones are that people want to take control of their lives and the issues that they face. Reducing the cost of rehabilitating yourself is also a strong motivator. If you’re looking for effective muscle recovery without having to visit a professional, the Mobilization Magic™ self-myofascial release tool is just what you need.

Myofascial Release Tools

There is a plethora of Myofascial Release Tools on the market that offer varying degrees of effective relief of myofascial pain.

Most of them have a large diameter (150mm) like Foam Rollers and Trigger balls which is not able to concentrate the pressure required to stretch tight tuff fascia.

The Mobilization Magic Tool has a diameter of 25 mm which is the same diameter as a Therapists elbow. Unlike a Therapist, you can lay on the tool for longer and longer periods of time up the 30 mins so you can stretch the myofascial tissues in a meaningful and long-term sustained way.

Sideways Stretching ™

One of the important benefits of the MMT (unlike foam rollers, for example) is that it can be used to stretch muscles sideways, instead of lengthways (the conventional way). Sideways stretching is very effective in releasing adhesions and the fascial sheath continuum which surrounds all muscles and ‘sticks’ them to each other. Sideways stretching is particularly effective for muscles such as the Quads, Calf, Groin and Hamstrings.

See our video above for a demonstration of how easy it is to use the tool to achieve this ‘sideways’ stretch with the MMT.

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Nick-TO-Hamstrings
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Nick Neck Lateral stretch
Hip Pain Video capture
Shin Splints Video capture
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Nick-Hamstring-Stretch

See more on sideways stretching here

How Myofascial Release works

The Mobilization Magic tool effectively breaks down fascial restrictions and scar tissue. The introduction of sustained pressure to affected soft tissue causes the stimulation of local inflammatory response. The microtrauma that pressure causes starts a reabsorption process of fibrotic tissue or excessive scar tissue and promotes a chain of healing activities resulting in normalising the affected soft tissue. Adhesions within the soft tissue which may have developed as a result of surgery, immobilization, repeated strain or other mechanisms, are broken down allowing full functional restoration to occur

ADDITIONAL TREATMENTS FOR MYOFASCIAL RELEASE THERAPY
  • Muscle Stretching.
  • Dry Needling.
  • Posture training
  • Massage.
  • Heat.
  • Ultrasound.
  • Vibration
  • PNF Movement Patterns

Get your Mobilization Magic Tool here



Best Trigger Point Massage Tools

Trigger point massage tools help resolve problems with muscles that account for a very large proportion of the chronic myofascial pain people suffer all over the world. Muscles develop what people call knots, or myofascial trigger points, which can cause myofascial pain syndrome and dysfunction, which are small, local concentrations of electrical activity that can be detected by scientific instruments.

Myofascial Trigger Points TP display a typical pattern of localised tenderness and a tense band of shortened and weak fibres. Myofascial Trigger Points TP start with a muscle strain and becomes a site of sensitized nerves, increased metabolism and reduced blood flow. If left untreated it will become an area of scar tissue that does not stretch anymore and if there are enough of these trigger points, then the muscle will not function properly and cause ongoing problems. This often leads to myofascial pain in nearby joints and referred pain to other areas of the body. You feel the pain in one area, but the problem is in another area and so if you apply pain cream, heat, cold or massage to the area of myofascial pain it does not fix the pain because the problem is elsewhere. see the images to the right that show the referred pain areas.

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Trigger Point Therapy reduces myofascial pain at the location of the trigger point but also the referred pain away from the trigger point, increases movement, and allows the muscles to lengthen and become stronger. To treat Myofascial Trigger Points, enough pressure needs to be applied to the muscle to reach the TP which are often deep in the muscle and deactivate the electrical activity and unblock the blood flow again. Unfortunately foam rollers cannot produce the concentrated force required to treat and break up Trigger Points because of their large radii. That’s why the Mobilization Magic™ trigger point massage tool works so well with Myofascial Trigger Points.

Trigger Point Massage Tools

Pressure and Time make Diamonds and Happy Muscles

The reason this Trigger Point Massage Tool works so well is that it works on a material science concept called creep. Creep describes where a material has a concentrated force applied to it over time and that material yields to that force, an example of creep is when the gas spring of an office chair pushed through the   5 star base and drags on the floor. The gas spring crept through the base, just like the MMT tool creeps through your problem muscle like nothing else can and allows it to heal itself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creep_(deformation)#Examples

In 1983, Janet Travell & David Simons, published a book on Myofascial Trigger Point treatment that revolutionised the treatment of myofascial pain and forms the basis of how they found that Trigger Points occur at the point where a nerve enters a muscle. Trigger Points result in muscles which have been stressed by accidents, sports, occupational stress, and overuse. Once a Trigger Point develops, it can remain for life unless properly treated. The Myofascial Trigger Point restricts range of motion of the muscles and decreases blood flow, reducing nutrients and oxygen to the muscle. This in turn causes a build-up of  waste products including lactic acid, these chemicals stimulate pain nerve endings making them more sensitive, creating a vicious cycle that damages the nerve and muscle tissue and increases your pain and makes the muscle shorter and tighter.

These effects are not confined to the local muscle as tight contracted muscles can compress nerves and blood vessels causing sensations like throbbing, burning, numbness, pins & needles, coldness and swelling of upper and lower limbs.

Pressure applied to the Myofascial Trigger Point is called Ischemic Compression, Acupressure, Shiatzu and the Magic Elbow by some Chinese masseuses. Normal muscles do not contain Trigger Points, nor do they have taut bands of muscle fibers, are not tender to firm pressure, exhibit no local twitch responses and do not refer pain to other areas in response to firm pressure. Women are statistically more vulnerable to Trigger Points than men. There are two different types of stimuli that activate Trigger Points. Firstly there are direct stimuli like acute overload (unusual exercise), overwork fatigue (Shoulder/Neck and Lower Back muscles)  chilling or gross trauma. Secondly there is indirect stimuli like other Trigger Points, visceral disease, arthritic joints and emotional stress.

The reason the Myofascial Trigger Point and the pain that is felt are often in different areas is not completely understood, it does have to do with the fact that nerves in muscles are part of a nerve distribution area like a tree which is serviced by a spinal segment in your spinal cord. The spinal cord segment is like a little computer and interprets the signal from Trigger Points before it sends it to the brain and in that process your brain interprets the pain being in a different location within the nerve distribution.

Using the Trigger Point Massage Tool

When using the trigger point therapy tool on a new spot only use it for a minute or so to see if it increases your myofascial pain for longer than a few minutes and reduce the pressure exerted by the roller or trigger point therapy tool by placing pillows or towels on top of or either side of these tools. If there is no sustained increase in pain after a few hours slowly increase the amount of time by a few minutes each time you use the tool. If you feel this spot is the centre of where you feel tightness and pain, you can spend 30 minutes or more on that spot until the tool melts deeply into the muscle and releases the trigger point and muscle fascia. Hot packs or even better hot baths greatly improve the effectiveness of these techniques as warm/ hot muscle stretch and give way more easily.

The beauty of this trigger point therapy tool is within your tolerance you can eventually lay on this tool for 30 minutes or more which penetrates deeply into the muscles in a gentle way. You will feel it slowly sink into the muscle over time as the tissues yield to the pressure. No other approach I know of enables you to put the right amount of pressure on these trigger points and very tight muscles for extended periods of time which is what they need to reverse the problems of many years.

You will get accustomed to this pressure quickly and so the way to progress this procedure is to use the trigger point massage tool in its tall option, which increases the pressure the tool exerts. Again, start this new use with only a few minutes to start with to ensure there is no increase in myofascial pain.

Always stretch the muscle before and after using the tool, notice if there is any increase in range of movement after using the trigger point massage tool ?

Trigger Point Therapy Roller Exercises

Foam Rollers are used all over the world to treat Trigger Points TPs and tight fascia, unfortunately foam rollers cannot produce the concentrated force required to treat and break up TPs because of their large diameter. Foam Rollers have a 150 mm diameter which produces a diffuse pressure that can increase pain by stirring up the nerves in the area and increase muscle spasms. Therapists use their elbow or thumb to treat TP’s and apply enough force to increase the pain initially but as the pressure is continued to be applied the pain melts away and the dysfunctional biology returns to normal.

Pain and tightness in muscles and connective tissue at the front, back and side of joints can cause pain and reduced range of movement of the joint.

Conventional stretching of these muscles has some effect on the pain and restricted range of the joint, but this can only help to a limited extent because stretching tends to stretch the parts of the muscle that are not constrained and stuck down by adhesions that develop around a tight painful muscle.

Getting Started with Trigger Point Therapy

Step 1

It is recommended that you take a hot bath or apply a hot pack to the affected area before you begin using the tool. Warm muscles stretch and give way more easily and this will greatly improve the tool’s effectiveness.

Step 2

Lay the muscle or joint onto the tool. Rate the pain you feel while using the tool from 1 to 10 (with 1 being the least pain and 10 being the greatest). Your pain when resting on the tool should not be more than 4-5.

Step 3

If your pain is greater than 5, place a towel or a cushion over the tool, or on either side of it, to reduce the amount of pressure, which should reduce the pain to a level of 5 or below.

Step 4

When you feel the position of the tool is in the correct central point where you feel tightness and pain, you can start off laying on the tool for a few minutes to make sure the tool does not increase your pain. If after a few hours rest everything is ok you can start increasing the time on the tool. Once you are comfortable with the tool you can spend 30 minutes or more resting on that same spot (watching TV or reading) until the tool melts deeply into the muscle or joint and releases that trigger point and muscle fascia

Step 5

The pain should begin to decrease within the first couple of minutes and continue to reduce as time goes on. If you notice no improvement within about five minutes, the muscle or joint may be too inflamed and may require the application of an ice pack. Try again later.



This Is the No 1 IASTM Tool used at Home

Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization IASTM tools are instruments used by therapists for fascia soft-tissue mobilization.

blankThis Mobilization Magic IASTM tool is Australia-made and Designed by an Award Winning Physical Therapist.

These tools are usually operated by a professional therapist because it is not possible to use IASTM tools that are normally associated with IASTM treatment on yourself easily. The Mobilization Magic soft tissue mobilization tool allows you to mobilize yourself in the comfort of your home.

How to use these Mobilization IASTM tools?

All you have to do is lay on the MMT tool for successively longer periods of time up to 30 mins so gravity, your body weight and time releases trigger points, the fascia and connective tissue (CT) in the skin and the underlying muscle as seen in the image right. By stretching the fascia you will increase your range of motion and be able to do things you have not been able to do for years.

Muscles have a cartilaginous/fascia skeleton that runs down the core of it, seen in the diagram below. It is difficult to stretch this skeleton by other approaches but using this MMT tool especially in sideways stretches works very well in bending the fibres in a direction that breaks up stiffness and adhesions.

hamstring pain reliefhamstring pain relief

headache orange circlegroin stretchgolfers elbow

 

How this IASTM Therapy Tool works

This soft tissue mobilization tool effectively breaks down fascial restrictions and scar tissue. The introduction of sustained pressure to affected soft tissue causes the stimulation of local inflammatory response. The microtrauma that pressure causes starts a reabsorption process of fibrotic tissue or excessive scar tissue and promotes a chain of healing activities resulting in normalizing the affected soft tissue. Adhesions within the soft tissue which may have developed as a result of surgery, immobilization, repeated strain or other mechanisms, are broken down allowing full functional restoration to occur.

Our IASTM Therapy Tools stimulate:

  • A flexible and well-maintained, healthy fascial network.
  • Improved (soft) tissue perfusion.
  • Improved range of motion.
  • Mobilization of the soft tissue fascia.
  • Loosening of adhesions in the connective tissue.
  • Treatment of trigger points.

The most common conditions Mobilization Magic IASTM Tools are used for:

  • Back Pain
  • Hip Pain
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Neck Pain & Headaches
  • Heel Pain /Achilles Tendinitis
  • Patella tendonitis
  • Adhesive Capsulitis
  • Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Iliotibial Band Friction Syndrome
  • Surgical or Traumatic scars
  • Ligament Sprains
  • Non-Acute Bursitis
  •  RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
  • Muscle Strains and tightness
  • Shin Splints
  • Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q Is IASTM Therapy safe?

A Yes, IASTM Therapy has been used world wide for over 100 years with no reported adverse reactions to it. There are some reasons (Contra-indications) to not use it which can be found here.

Q What is Fascia?

A Fascia is the glue that holds our bodies together. All the forces that our bodies experience are transmitted by the fascia, without fascia we are just a pile on bones. See Fascia Facts



Neck Pain and Headaches can be fixed quickly

Lay on your back use the short option in several positions with hand on forehead then with rotation with hand on side of head. Use pillows or towels under the head to start with to reduce the pressure if required, in what ever position you use the tool. Caution just start with the weight of your head so you can get used to how it feels, do not rush this process.

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Nick Neck Lateral stretch
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Relieve Your Neck Pain & Stiffness

Do not push with your hand as you may use too much pressure and cause an injury, just use the weight of your arm. In Side lying use the tall option with hand on side of head to increase the side bending, again do not use any force just use the weight of your arm. Put towels or pillows under your head if the pressure is too strong to start with. The MM tool works brilliantly on the neck, the 25 mm diameter of the tool is the exact diameter needed to get those joints moving and soften the often very tight muscles there. Headaches and pain behind the eye are caused by referred pain from pinched nerves in your upper neck. Place the tool under your upper neck just below the skull to open up the space where these nerves are and take the pressure off them. Place a pillow or towel under your head to start with so there is not too much pressure. If you have had whiplash like in a car accident or know you have an unstable segment in your neck you should avoid that segment with this tool. Ask a health professional if in doubt.

If you have a clicky neck, then using this tool helps remove those clicks by getting the other segments either side to move better. Be very careful with using this tool on your neck as the tool can produce a lot of force, your neck is a delicate structure and can be injured if you push, only use the weight of your arm do not push. Once you are used to having the pressure on your neck you can try to move the head left and right to increase the amount of rotation your neck has. Place you hand on the side of your head and gently move your head to one side, hold it there and your head will be able to gradually move further in that direction as the joints and muscles loosen up. Move the tool to a lower segment and repeat what has been said above. To loosen your neck in side bending you need to lay on your side using the tall option on the tool.

Again, do not push your head just use the weight of your arm to move the head gently into side bending. Hold it there and your head will be able to gradually move further in that direction as the joints and muscles loosen up. A warm muscle stretches much quicker than a cold one so using a hot pack or having hot bath helps a lot. You can spend up to 30 mins in one spot per session if you feel that the tight fascia is giving away over time. Caution: If you feel pins and needles, numbness or spots in front of your eyes, move the tool to another spot. Keep your eyes open whilst doing this stretch.



Headaches require Myofascial release of your neck muscles

Lay on your back use the short option in several positions with hands on forehead then with rotation with hand on side of head. Use pillows or towels under the head to start with to reduce the pressure. In Side lying use the tall option with hand on side of head to increase side bending. The MM tool works brilliantly on the neck, the 25 mm diameter of the tool is the exact radius needed to get those joints moving and soften the often very tight muscles there. Headaches and pain behind the eye are caused by referred pain from pinched nerves in your upper neck.

Place the tool under your upper neck just below the skull to open up the space where these nerves are and take the pressure off them. Place a pillow or towel under your head to start with so there is not too much pressure. If you have had whiplash like in a car accident or know you have an unstable segment in your neck you should avoid that segment with this tool. Ask a health professional if in doubt? If you have a clicky neck, then using this tool helps remove those clicks by getting the other less mobile segments either side to move better.

Treatment Exercises For Managing Headaches

Be very careful with using this tool on your neck as the tool can produce a lot of force, your neck is a delicate structure and can be injured if you push, only use the weight of your arm do not push. Once you are used to having the pressure on your neck you can try to move the head left and right to increase the amount of rotation your neck has. Place you hand on the side of your head and gently move your head to one side, hold it there and your head will be able to gradually move further in that direction as the joints and muscles loosen up. Move the tool to a lower segment and repeat what has been said above.

To loosen your neck in side bending you need to lay on your side using the tall option on the tool. Again, do not push your head just use the weight of your arm to move the head gently into side bending. Hold it there and your head will be able to gradually move further in that direction as the joints and muscles loosen up.

A warm muscle stretches much quicker than a cold one so using a hot pack or having hot bath helps a lot. Caution: If you feel pins and needles, numbness or see spots before your eyes move the tool to another spot. Keep your eyes open at all times when working on your neck.



Top IASTM Tool for Crossfit

Searching for top-notch massage products for CrossFit? The Mobilization Magic Tool MMT is proving to be the Crossfit Massage Tool of choice. Our MMT is a self-myofascial release tool that produces strong concentrated pressure required to stretch the very tuff strong myofascial fibers. Crossfit is such a brutal sport that takes a heavy toll on a cross-fitters body.

Most Mobility tools have a large diameter—like 150mm—for foam rollers and trigger balls. This size diameter produces a diffuse pressure profile which struggles to stretch tight fascia effectively.

The beauty of the Crossfit Massage Tool MMT is its two heights for different parts of the body, with a 25mm diameter, which creates the concentrated force required to stretch seriously tight muscles and fascia.

Tight hips are a significant inhibitor of overall mobility and Crossfit competence. If your hip is tight, getting the body part loose again is no easy feat. Luckily, the Crossfit Massage Tool MMT can direct the whole of your body weight into its 25 mm surface. This action melts its way through the many tight layers surrounding the hip.

Tight calves are another area that cross-fitters work on a lot, as those muscles get worked a lot. As one of the leading massage products for CrossFit, the Mobilization Magic tool magically melts through to the very tight layers of the calf. When you first get the 20-minute mark on your calf, you will feel an increase in pain. This is because the tool has worked its way through the superficial Gastroc muscle of the calf—and is pressing on the deeper pressure-sensitive Soleus. Just take your calf off the tool until the pain subsides. Then, place your calf right back on the tool so the Crossfit Massage Tool can continue to melt through the tight layers.

Crossfit Mobility

Crossfit Mobility requires that muscles be at the functionally optimum length and that joints Range Of Movement (ROM) be as loose as needed to perform the daily workout of the day (WOD)

Cross-fitters use a Crossfit Massage Tool like the Mobilization Magic Tool to get them back in the box performing as hard as they possibly can.

Some of the benefits of using Crossfit Mobility Tools like the mobilization Magic Tool are:

  • Better Performance
  • Pain Relief
  • Speed-up recovery and DOMS decrease
  • Increases blood flow
  • Cleared-up lactic acid
  • Broken-up scar tissue
  • Released Knots/ Trigger Points
  • Increased Range of Movement


Myofascial release your shoulder muscles

Do you often feel discomfort in your shoulders, characterised by concentrated pain points? We offer a shoulder massage tool that you can use at home to self-manage aching muscles so that you don’t have to learn how to live with unease in your body.

Pectortalis- Chest Video capture
Lateral Shoulder Nick
Shoulder Video capture

 

Loosen up Tight Muscles With Our Massage Tool for Shoulder Stiffness

The shoulders are a complex joint surrounded by an intricate network of muscles that easily knot under tension. This is how you can help restore the ease with which you move your upper body with our massage tool for shoulder pain:

  • The first step is to move your arm in different directions to find out where exactly the pain is. Once you’ve discovered the sore spot, and depending on where this is, either lay on your front, side or back and place the massage tool under the problem area.
  • Do this for as long as your shoulder can stand the pressure.
  • With each new session, you’ll find that you can increase the duration you use the tool, which is most effective if used for at least 10-20 minutes.

Restore Flexibility With Our Shoulder Massage Tool

The massage tool takes away stiffness by improving blood circulation in the area to provide relief from tight muscles and painful joints. Here are some of the added benefits you can expect when using this therapeutic device.

  • Not finding the time to take care of your aches and pains is no longer an issue since you can use this convenient massage tool while watching TV or reading.
  • Besides improving the range of movement in your shoulders, regular use of the massage tool will also strengthen muscles.
  • You can also use the massage tools to loosen pectoral muscles by placing them underneath your pecs while dangling your arms over a table or bench.

Discover this corrective tool that simultaneously enhances muscle function.