The Stick on Social Media
Social media is a great medium to connect with others. In fact, social media allows people with similar interests interact quickly and efficiently. I have joined a few social networks to see what people are most interested in and to see where the trends are. To my surprise, tools such as Facebook and Twitter are excellent for staying in touch with people and interacting.
I love the fact that I know what people are up to and what they are interested in. Facebook has helped me find new and old friends. The pages section has allowed me to get up to date information on the topics I am most interested in. As a result, I have created a “Fan” page for The Stick. I post information all the time that I think people will find informative and help them live a healthy, active life. You can become a fan of the stick here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Stick/106546661423
Twitter is an excellent way to follow people who have the same interests as you. Once you start following people, you stay on top of the latest information. Here is my Twitter profile:
http://twitter.com/ZealousVitality
Oh ya, don’t forget about YouTube!!!
How to Find Trigger Points
Finding Trigger Points is a skill that can be learned. This video shows you how!
The Stick can also help to identify Trigger Points by rolling The Stick over your muscles. You do not need to go to the ground or push hard and go through pain to find Trigger Points. Typically, myofascial release techniques require help from a healthcare provider. The Stick was developed for self-use. Often, The Stick, is prescribed as an adjunct for home-use between clinical applications. Some Trigger Points come back, meaning there is muscle memory involved. Due to the the physiology of muscle memory, trigger points can be chronic in nature and tend to hang around like an unwelcomed party guest. Typically, trigger points can be identified when they become active or painful. “The small center-balance segments of The Stick, however, allows for the diagnosis of latent or inactive trigger points, as well” (Belcher). Therefore, prevention of muscle lesions is a major and most appreciated asset. By the way, inactive trigger points cause stiffness and/or limited range of motion – no pain.
Help With Fibromyalgia
When I was working @ the Edmonton Marathon a couple of weeks a go, Patti came by my booth. It turns out she was dealing with Fibromyalgia! We spoke together for quite a while sharing information and resources that we have heard about. Our conversation consisted of treatment options such as massage,exercise, stretching, and drug treatments for Fibromyalgia.
Patti was a wealth of knowledge and creditable because she was getting better!! I have spoke to many people about Fibromyalgia and have learned many things. One resource of information that she shared with me is a book that I never heard of:
I was so impressed with our conversation, that I asked Patti to send me some information about this great book. I cannot claim that I have read this book, but I have read some pages that she sent me.
So far, I think it is amazing! My philosophy of finding appropriate resources and information is to get second, third and even fourth opinions. Talk to people and network. There is nothing better than first hand knowledge about a condition from a person that deals with that condition every day of their lives.
Patti, her husband and I spoke for quite some time and exchanged information and contacts.
As a side note, Patti was really at my booth wondering about “The Stick”. It turns out that she picked up a Flex Stick that offers her a longer, more flexible model to get at her shoulders and back. People with Fibromyalgia usually gravitate to the Marathon Stick that offers excellent flexibility as well.
I thank Patti for sharing this information and hopefully some readers of this post will helpful. If you have suggestions, please comment below!!
Here are some other posts I have done about Fibromyalgia:
Popular Downloaded Specific Techniques for “The Stick”.
I often look at some simple stats from my website to see what people are most interested in when it comes to The Stick.
In terms of possible usages for The Stick, or what I like to call “Specific Techniques”, people are most interested in finding ways to work on the following muscle groups: (the data below is up to date as of August 23, 2009)
Lower Body Downloads:
| Growing Pains |
Downloads: 64 |
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| Feet & Plantar Fasciitis |
Downloads: 77 |
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| Shins |
Downloads: 59 |
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| Calves |
Downloads: 74 |
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| Quads/Thighs |
Downloads: 83 |
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| Hamstrings |
Downloads: 71 |
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| IT Band |
Downloads: 114 |
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| Buttocks |
Downloads: 69 |
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Upper Body Downloads
| Neck |
Downloads: 37 |
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| Arms |
Downloads: 38 |
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| Shoulders |
Downloads: 54 |
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| Upper Back |
Downloads: 51 |
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| Lower Back Downloads:53 |
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This data suggests a number of things:
- People are looking for ways to take care of their lower bodies.
- People don’t know that The Stick can be used for their upper bodies.
- IT Band Syndrome bothers many people.
- Quad and thigh muscles are popular downloads as well.
- The lower back seems to be an area of concern.
These are only suggestions from people who have downloaded free resources from my website. Please feel free to comment on this post or any other!
Tips For Recovery From An Event Like An Ironman
The Ironman is for sure an amazing accomplishment for any athlete. There are those athletes out there that compete in Ironmans around the world. Some do them back to back with very little recovery time.
How do they recover?
There are many ways to recover after strenuous activity. I would like to bring your attention to the following suggestions:
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE RACE :
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Replenish - Carbs, Proteins and fluids – lots of them!
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Movement – Keep walking and moving around
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Massage – A light flushing massage is best!
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Take a cool bath – immerse body
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Elevate your feet – for a short while and rest
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Walk more – in the early evening
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Sleep – get to be early
THE DAY AFTER…
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Replenish – All food is fine!
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Movement – light activity for no more than 20min.
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Love your legs – compress them, elevate them, gently massage them
These suggestions should help you feel better the next couple of days following an extreme event such as an Ironman. Truthfully, the above suggestions would help anyone recover after any strenuous activity. The above information can be expanded on by going to the source where I found the information. It is called xtri.com. The article was written by Chuckie V for an athlete that he coached who competed in 2 Ironmans 35days apart. Chuckie goes into great detail and also discusses what to do the over the following 2 weeks after an Ironman. The article is called Post Ironman Recovery.
What caught my eye was the advice given about not eating fats after the race, using compression and gentle massage. Not eating fats can be easily done. Finding compression shorts and other clothing is easy as well. Compression clothing is in a lot of the literature out right now. There are compression suites, socks, shorts etc. The gentle massage can be achieved by going to somebody, having a friend massage you or massaging yourself.
This is where The Stick comes in. When you use The Stick as a massage tool, you control the intensity 100%. As you roll over your muscles, you are able to go as light or as heavy as you like. The other beautiful thing is, you don’t need to leave your house, hotel or anywhere you are staying. You do not need any special equipment, like a mat or gloves or electricity. You can simply just sit, stand, lie or kneel and roll out your muscles!
Original Body Stick
The Stick As a Recovery Tool Part 2
To fully understand muscle recovery whether it is work related, induced by training and/or exercise or even from a medical condition, we first need to discuss muscles as compliant and non-compliant.
We will first start with a discussion of compliant muscle. Muscles that are compliant can be shortened, stretched, compressed and twisted without symptoms of soreness or pain. They will exhibit flexibility, strength, good circulation, and the qualities of endurance.
Let’s switch our focus to the qualities of a non-compliant muscle. Non-compliant tissue is tight, stiff and tender. People often refer to this type of sensation as having painful “knots” in their muscles. Their muscles actually feels fibrous instead of long, lean and smooth. Non-compliant muscles exhibit reduced flexibility, weakness, poor blood circulation and they easily fatigue. A non-compliant muscle or group of muscles create barriers which restrict peak performance and blood flow. These, non-compliant muscles are susceptible to injury because they are not functioning properly. In order for the body to perform at optimum levels, muscles must me allowed to expand and contract freely.
The human body contains approximately 690 muscle bellies and tendons. Each muscle has an origin and an insertion. The rule of thumb is the origin is where the muscle attaches to bone and the least amount of movement takes place. Whereas the insertion of a muscle is the opposite end of the muscle that attaches to bone where the most movement takes place. Here is a great website for muscle origins and insertions.
Now that we have some basic understanding of compliant and non-compliant muscles, there are some tough questions to answer:
- Why are some muscles compliant and others are not?
- Why do specific muscle get stiff during weather changes, yet others appear to be unaffected?
- Why do we continually wake up with the same sore, stiff muscle pain in the same place every morning?
- Why does our back hurt in some positions and not others?
- Why do our episodes of muscular pain plague us in the same spot?
- Why does the pain return . . . even after treatment?
The above hypothetical questions all have one common answer. That is… myofascial lesions in the form of barrier trigger points. Myofascia is the tissue that surrounds all muscles. I like to describe it like the substance that holds sausages together. Barrier trigger points are inflexible bands of muscle, usually containing knots. These trigger points (knots) set an artificial ceiling on optimal muscle performance by restricting blood flow to the muscle(s). Muscles need unrestricted blood flow for both high performance and full recovery from muscle activity regardless of the type (athletic, work related or a muscular condition). Simply put, barrier trigger points are usually the primary cause of non-compliant muscles.
Here is where The Stick comes in…
The STICK allows a person to self-administer general as well as segmental therapeutic practices with a great deal of accuracy. By rolling over the muscles with The Stick, muscles become compliant and ready for activity. Due to the bio-mechanical rolling, stretching and compressing of muscle tissue, barrier trigger points become diffused and rehabilitation of non-compliant muscles takes place. Remember that a compliant muscle will perform much better than a non-compliant muscle.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of The Stick as a Recovery Tool.
The Stick As A Recovery Tool – Part 1
There are many ways to think about “The Stick”.
A Recovery Tool!
I am planning to expand on this subject of recovery in the very near future, but I first would like to direct you to another blog that offers a non-bias look at recovery methods. Your body needs to recover in order to regenerate itself!
The title of the blog is The Restoration Solution – Practical Recovery Methods For a Busy Lifestyle. The author covers topics such as:
- Contrast Methods – Hot and Cold Modalities
- Stretching – Primarily Yoga
- Soft Tissue Methods – FSM, MAT, PNF, AIS
- Salt Baths – Epsom salts, Celtic or tropical sea bath salts
- Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS)
- Massage – Mentions The Stick and Lance Armstrong!
- Aerobics
- Nutrition
- Sleep
- References
It really is a great article, so go visit the website – HERE -
Treating Neck Pain
More and more people I come across speak to me about sore necks and headaches from tension. Although this is not a new phenomenon, I can’t help to think that in many cases it is related to posture and bio-mechanics. Upon further investigation and questioning, it turns out that computer usage, cell phones, smart phones and MP3 players are largely to blame.
So many of us rely on “screens” to give us information on a daily basis. We search on the Internet for the best prices and solutions to our questions and problems. Some of us “text” like crazy with our heads bent forward putting strain on our necks. Even searching for a song on our MP3’s is putting strain on our necks. Blackberries, IPhones, Palms and other popular smart phones, have us checking Facebook, Twitter, email and surfing the web at any time in any place. My point is, if you are not careful with the way you are looking at your screens, it can become a real “pain in the neck”!
Basic ergonomics say that you should sit with the natural curves in your neck and back. Your computer screen should be at eye height and you should sit upright with your feet comfortably on the ground in front of you. Your arms and hands should be comfortably bent at close to 90 degrees. (More to come on another blog post.)
Now let’s talk hand held devices! It has been very rare for me where I have seen someone on their cell phone texting at eye height. Take a look around the next time you are out in public. I also really like the the phone resting on the ear and shoulder routine while driving or taking notes. I have even seen people out there performing the ear-shoulder routine while copying directions, putting on make-up, smoking and steering with their knees. OK…. enough ranting!
Again, my point is, be aware of the position you are working/talking/texting/socializing in.
I have come across a great article posted by guardian.co.uk. It speaks about the various treatments for neck pain. I have to say that it is quite an extensive list. They authors go through topics such as:
- Painkillers, heat or ice for when you first get a sore neck.
- Hands-on treatment by professionals.
- Keeping active and exercising
- Improving your posture
They also go into detail about:
- Treatments that are likely to work - Mobilisation (often done by a physiotherapist), Manipulation (often done by a chiropractor), Exercise, Manipulation plus exercise, and Acupuncture.
- Treatments that need further study - Biofeedback, Drug treatments (Painkillers, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), Stronger painkillers, Antidepressants, Muscle relaxants), Hot and cold packs, Being treated by a specialist team, Education programmes, Soft collars and special pillows, Traction, TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation), Injections for neck pain caused by an injured nerve, and Surgery for neck pain caused by an injured nerve.
Needless to say, the article is quite good and has references. You can find it – HERE -
If I can add my two cents, neck pain is nothing to take lightly when it lasts and lasts. You should definitely seek professional advice. For basic neck stiffness and soreness that comes and goes from stress and repetitive movements, I would recommend using a massage tool such as the TriggerWheel. Just roll it up and down your neck and you can instantly identify trigger points and start releasing tension and stiffness.
Two Useful Websites for Athletes
Here are a few useful websites for you athletes out there.
The first is from NursingDegree.net. It lists the 100 Best Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes. Take some time and go through these sites. I am sure you can find some of them useful. Here are some of the headings:
- Blogs by Athletes and Professionals
- Fitness and Training
- Youth Blogs
- Weight Loss and Dieting
- Healthy Lifestyle
- Recipe Ideas
- Mental Health
- Running
- Sports Medicine
- Rest and Recovery
The next website is About.com. They have posted information on 5 Common Sports Nutrition Mistakes and How to Solve them. The article identifies common problems such as:
- Not Consuming Enough Protein
- Not Eating Properly Before a Workout
- Not Getting Enough Iron
- Not Fueling Properly After a Workout
- Not Drinking Enough
By no means is this a complete list, so if you know of a few sites that are great, feel free to make a comment below. You also may want to check some of the links I have posted on The Stick Provided by Zealous Vitality. I should also add that The Stick is an amazing recovery tool.
Be sure to check back often as I will be adding other resources.
About ZV
Zealous Vitality Inc. was created to help people achieve optimal muscular and soft tissue health.
As a result of buying a Marathon Stick in Hawaii (where my wife ran her first marathon), I decided to tell everyone I knew about this amazing product!
The Marathon Stick
My name is Ken Zelez and I distribute The Stick! I am an Athletic Director @ Centennial High School in Calgary Alberta, Canada. In addition to managing the athletic program @ Centennial, I also teach Sports Medicine and Physical Education. I have coached almost every school sport, concentrating on Basketball. I have taken numerous coaching courses as well as sports medicine related courses. I have a Bachelors Degree is Physical Education and a Degree in The Master’s of Teaching Program at the University of Calgary.
I started to experiment with The Stick on my wife and myself. I also introduced this amazing product to my Sports Medicine students who in turn showed our athletes the benefits of using The Stick. I then had my Sr. Boys ( two -time Provincial contenders) basketball team use it everyday in practice for warm-ups and cool-downs. After being convinced that this tool was awesome for all aspects of soft tissue health, I decided to present The Stick to my colleagues. My wife and I also roll out our 5 year old twins legs’ at night before they go to bed. As a result, I decided to make it my business to let everyone know how this simple to use tool can change their muscular health and daily performance! I have learned that it is just not athletes that need to use The Stick, but everyone should have one to help take care of their own personal well-being.
I truly believe that the applications of The Stick are endless!!
Thank you for taking interest in The Stick!
Please visit my website @ www.TheStick.ca
Comments About The Stick
Here is another blog post (with comments) that talk about The Stick. The blog belongs to chicrunner! Here is a little about her:
Here is what her readers had to say about The Stick (Testimonials):
Her are some other posts you may like:
November 14, 2009 Posted by Ken | Discussions, Information about The Stick | blog about The Stick, comments about The Stick, massage stick, massage sticks, Stick testimonials, The Stick | No Comments Yet