“Athletes get injuries”. This has been my mantra for quite some time when a runner or a basketball player or a performance artist or ANYONE who is incurring musculoskeletal problems resulting from a physical activity pattern. It’s a line meant to console, to say to the “victim of performance” sitting in front of me that, “there-there, it’s okay to have orthopedic problems. After all, that’s why I’m around, and besides, it’s better than sitting on the couch with a heart condition right?!”
More and more I’m moving away from this attitude. As much as I like having an athlete come in (with credit card in hand) to use my services, I’d really prefer that they are educated in great postures, movement patterns and injury management techniques so that they don’t incur so many of the most common problems in the first place. If a person must irritate their tissues, they should know how to self manage to a point that they can nip nagging issues in the bud before they become a problem big enough to involve me!
In the video attached here I show how to use a band wrap made from a bike innertube to manage a newly swollen segment. In the next video I’ll show how you can use the same band to mobilise soft tissues. If you are too cool for the inner tube you can purchase the custom built real deal, “VooDoo bands” at roguecanada.ca/voodoo-floss-bands.
The technique demonstrated has two great benefits:
- You can do it from the comfort of your own at home with inexpensive tools you likely have in your garage.
- You can avoid the time and expense of paying someone like me to do it for you!
I picked this trick up from one of my physio gurus, Kelly Starrett (mobilitywod.com). He has some fantastic books available that I’d recommend without hesitation for any athlete (or any human being) who wants to move better and take care of their own injuries.
- Becoming a Supple Leopard
- Ready to Run
Both of these book are easy reads and well worth the purchase price. They provide a jumping off point for anyone wanting to better understand movement patterning and injury prevention.
Try this technique and stay tuned for the next video on how to use the band to mobilise soft tissues!
