Massage Track: Self-Care Ingenuity

Massage Track: Self-Care Ingenuity
June 30, 2016 Jess

We were configuring the final pieces of our major life change and I have to admit the packing list was becoming elite. Items close to my heart and clothing that I couldn’t imagine living without were getting cut from the list. The carry-on suitcases we committed to packing our clothes in were smaller than I remembered and our car, if it’s possible for a Honda Fit to look smaller than it is, seemed miniature at best. And then there was the Massage Track (MT), the ever intriguing self-care tool, graciously sent to us from Boulder to demo, sitting amongst a sea of dwindling possessions, awaited our attention. With four sleeves of balls, a block and signature “track” it was seemingly bulky despite its streamlined packaging. I often wondered where it would fall in our priority of packing but I trusted that there was something about its multi-piece compilation that was not only necessary but damn effective. It made the cut.

Patiently waiting, MT headquarters checked in with us over the weeks as we kept their product hostage without use. Soon after we landed at our first destination on the Ride the High Vibe Tour, it was time for me to become familiar with the different colored balls, small grooved block and alluring multi-canal track. I watched the how-to videos on their website and decided to focus in on my areas of opportunity, namely tendonitis in my foot and tension in my athlete hips. I’d been edging on two years of almost constant discomfort in my left foot. I tried everything from rest to massage to massage tools to ice, heat and castor oil packs. Temporary relief was not the issue, it was long term relief I was seeking, something I had not yet experienced. Until now….

massage-track-2It’s been just over one week of using MT on my foot and lower leg targeting relief of the plaguing inflammation. And it’s just been over one week that my foot has not felt this good since before racing Ironman Lake Placid in 2014. I came off that race and went back to running sooner than normal in preparation for a shorter distance race. The low volume but high intensity training aggravated existing tendonitis symptoms. I’ve been able to train and race another Ironman since 2014 but my foot has yet to fully recover. With the use of MT, I believe that full recovery is in within reach. I used it every night for the first five nights and now I’m using it every other day for less than 10 minutes at a time. It has already made such a major difference in the way I feel and in the way I am able to train.

An informed Orthopedic and Sports massage therapist for many years, I know lots of techniques to heal the body, I understand anatomy and the physiology of injury. I was keeping my injury at bay but there was something missing, there were angles I was not able to fully get in and depth I was unable to achieve but now, I have turned corner and it has everything to do with the “track”.

massage-track-product-photo

The ability to have the balls anchored in the tracks allows for a sinking in that I have never experienced elsewhere, not even with the strongest of fists. With MT I get bilateral, even pressure which I find ultra effective. I am now able to work the fascia on the sides of my heel and hug my achilles between two anchored balls in a way I’ve never been able to do before using MT. Similarly, when I work my hips I am able to sink in between the balls at different widths depending on which tracks I have them in and therefore, can work very specific areas of my hips from the muscle bellies to the attachment points. One other point of contact worth mentioning is the ability to apply pressure to my proximal hamstring attachments using the balls set in the grooved block. This is another area I have never been able to work effectively even when receiving massage. This has given me increased range of motion when I run and cycle allowing for full use of the muscles.

The demo videos on the website are very helpful in learning how to work all areas of my body from head to toes. I appreciate the design of MT and find it effectiveness far outweighs the multiple pieces that fit perfectly in the included drawstring bag. I highly recommend this product for all athletes and anyone who is dealing with any type of chronic discomfort.

We do not have to live in pain and MT is a definite way to find freedom again!

Namaste-
jess

1 Comment

  1. Christina Alkire 5 years ago

    Just bought these because of your post and am so excited to try!

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