One great thing about CF is how it encourages us to push beyond our limits and feel incredible benefits afterward. But every so often I over-do it and get minor injuries, knots or stresses that nag at the body and eventually interfere with progress. I'm sure I'm not alone.
When injuries arise, it's hard to figure out which exercises cause the pain. In one week a CrossFitter performs an extraordinary variety of movements.
When pain strikes, I often flee to a masseuse and chiropractor first, hoping the two will compliment one another and provide a complete solution. But it's hard to find a good masseuse, someone who is both skilled and a good listener, and best of all, familiar with athletic injuries. My last masseuse was a women who responded to my worries over injuries with "mmm hmmm" and kept lubing me up with bio-freeze and giving me a light once-over.
Recently, I've had persistent back pain that has kept me up at night. I began looking at our bed as if it were a torture devise. I woke up four or five times every night stretching and trying to rub my own back. No position was comfortable.
I stubbornly kept doing CF everyday and just hoped it would go away, but after two weeks the pain remained. I called another masseuse, crossing my fingers for someone who would be more in touch with their customer. I was given a very decent 30 minute "express massage" which focused exclusively on my back pains. The guy was good, he listened to my comments, focused on the problem, and gave me exercises to practice. When he was rolling around on the floor in his socks, trying to demonstrate exercises I could try, I knew he was someone I could trust.
I was told not to lift weights for two days in order to allow the massage to make its full effect, and to not confuse the muscles with mixed messages (relax! now contract!). I don't like taking time off, but I actually listened this time. I was desperate for a good night of rest.
But the best advice he gave me was to go home and find two tennis balls and lay on top of them. The balls work under the body's weight and breath which helps them nudge the muscles just like a well-meaning hand. The trick is to get them to hit the right spot and then gently roll around and breathe deeply. Try putting them into a tube sock and tying the end with a knot to help keep them in place (one on each side of your spine, but NEVER ON the spine).
This feels amazing! It puts you in control of where and how you receive pressure, it relieves your boyfriend or girlfriend of masseuse duty, it keeps you you from dislocating your shoulder while trying to massage your own back, AND it's practically free! (I'm terribly horribly embarrassingly awful at tennis, so it was no problem for me to find a canister of balls that aren't going to be used for their true intention).
Of course, there are products out there that mimic the effect of the tennis balls. These are conveniently designed for easy use. Most of all, tools like these are essential for those of us who work out regularly and like to push. Sore muscles are a rewarding sign of progress but they deserve therapy and attention. It's the only way to get your ass back in the gym a little faster.
Adjustable Thoracic Shiatsu Roller
Adjustable Body Shiatsu Roller
http://www.shiatsubag.com/main/page_shiatsumd.html
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