As an athlete, recovery is crucial to improve overall athletic performance. High intensity training with constantly varied movements can have a severe impact on your connective tissues, joints, and mobility. Over time scar tissue can form creating exercise induced adhesions and calcifications called muscle knots. These knots can create muscle tightness and tension which can disrupt training, making you more susceptible to injury, and causing muscle soreness and pain. We’re going to talk about a training implement that help you improve recovery and optimize performance called the Musclestache.
What Is The Musclestache?
Bobby Baum, creator and co-founder of Musclestache has been a licensed massage therapist, specifically treating athletes, most notably CrossFit Games Athlete Sean Sweeney, aka The CrossFit Cowboy and guiding them to optimize performance over the last thirteen years,
Training implements such as a lacrosse ball and foam rollers can assist in myofascial release (MFR) however the problem is that they’re not ergonomically designed to fit the contours of your body efficiently to effectively treat and release chronic soft tissue injuries.
The Musclestache effectively breaks down fascial restrictions and scar tissue, through its ergonomic design. The tool provides athletes with the ability to locate restrictions and treat the affected area with the appropriate amount of pressure. Myofascial release can assist in treating scar tissue by improving blood flow and alleviating connective tissue and muscle restrictions.
“The Mucslestache effectively breaks down fascial restrictions, letting you pivot around your bodies edges, with a convex and concave design to treat differing muscle groups,” says Baum.
“Graston tools can cost practitioners and physical therapists up to $3500 for the entire set, to help with precise detection and treatment of fascial restrictions. Not only that but the end consumer, doesn’t have access to those types of tools, since they’re marketed and made for practitioner use only. The Musclestache is affordable and can be used in replacement of all those tools and be just as effective.”
How Does The Musclestache Work?
It’s really pretty simple. The musclestache is an instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) tool. It has a concave and convex side, which is made to align with the contours of your muscle tissue. By applying pressure to a specific area of treatment, you intentionally create inflammation, which directs blood flow and stimulates the healing process faster, by releasing any impeding restrictions within the soft tissue. Starting from a distal to proximal position, scrape inwards from the affected area. With this scraping technique you will uncover problem muscle knots. Through several brushing and scraping motions, which can sound like you’re walking through gravel, you will effectively treat your problem area with myofascial release.
What Is The Musclestache Indicated To Treat?
After an injury occurs, soft tissue repair itself in an unsystematic way, forming scar tissue and calcification if the injury is not addressed appropriately. While sacr tissue is not painful, it can create issues with mobility and limit your range of motion, which can contribute to chronic pain.
Much like other IASTM tools, the Musclestache is indicated can help treat several common conditions such as
- Medial Epicondylitis, Lateral Epicondylitis
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Neck Pain
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
- Patellar Tendinitis
- Tibialis Posterior Tendinitis
- Heel Pain/Achilles Tendinitis
- DeQuervain's Syndrome
- Post-Surgical and Traumatic Scars
- Myofascial Pain and Restrictions
- Musculoskeletal Imbalances
- Chronic Joint Swelling Associated with Sprains/Strains
- Ligament Sprains
- Muscle Strains
- Non-Acute Bursitis
- RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
- Back Pain
- Trigger Finger
- Hip Pain (Replacements)
- IT Band Syndrome
- Shin Splints
- Chronic Ankle Sprains
- Acute Ankle Sprains (Advanced Technique)
- Scars (Surgical, Traumatic)
Although the literature is limited regarding MFR and its effectiveness on specific conditions, a growing body of evidence indicates that myofascial release through the use and application of tools such as the Musclestache, can effectively help treat connective tissue adhesions and improve mobility. [1]
Musclestache: Takeaway
As an athlete, your body is only as capable as you allow it to be. Without adequate recovery you can experience chronic inflammation, adhesions, and calcifications, resulting in pain and immobility. The Musclestache essentially puts a medical grade training tool in your own hands, at an affordable price to effectively and conveniently assist in myofascial release to dramatically improve recovery and mobility. Physical therapy appointments between $60-90 a session can get expensive, real quick. For just $70 you can take your recovery into your own hands.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP AND OPTIMIZE YOUR RECOVERY?
Get 15% Off Your Musclestache and use code SWOLVERINE15 at www.musclestache.com
References
[1] Ajimsha MS, Al-Mudahka NR, Al-Madzhar JA. Effectiveness of myofascial release: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2015 Jan;19(1):102-12. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.06.001. Epub 2014 Jun 13. PMID: 25603749.
