Peolpe With Diabetes Can Benefit From The Stick.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a display booth at a Diabetic forum in Calgary, Alberta. There were vendors from all over the place offering information and products to those who have diabetes or are interested in learning more about diabetes.
I was there with The Stick and related specialty products. You may be wondering why diabetics would be interested in massage products and devices? As you may or may not know there are 2 types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2. Basically type 1 diabetics rely on insulin therapy to control their blood sugar levels. Type 1 is also known as Juvenile Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is mostly controlled by diet and exercise as well as insulin therapy. I knew there would be more type 2 people than type 1 people because my wife (who has type 1) has been to many of these forums and she mentioned to me that the clientele at the forum would be primarily type 2 diabetics. Typically, type 2 diabetics have challenges with circulation and nerve pain. The Stick is the perfect device to increase circulation and help people live a more comfortable life. As far as nerve pain goes, The Stick can help with that too by allowing the muscles that surround the nerves to become less restricting. With more blood flow, comes more compliant muscles. With more compliant muscles, people should feel better! Nerve pain can also be alleviated by massage therapy. Again, The Stick is great for massage therapy.
It turns out that the people at the forum loved the idea that they could massage their own muscles in the comfort of their own homes. They also loved the fact that they did not have to go to the ground to use The Stick or plug it in. Most people who purchased a Stick liked the Travel Stick or Marathon Stick. They liked that those sticks offered some flexibility are were not overly rigid.
Travel Stick
Marathon Stick
People with diabetes can have complications with circulation and nerve pain specifically in their feet. As a result, people were thrilled to learn that FootWheel could possibly help them. In fact, by the end of the day, people walked away with more FootWheels than Sticks. That is right, people purchased more FootWheels than Sticks!!
FootWheel
I am thrilled to be offering products that have so many applications!!
The Stick is in Men’s Health Magazine….Too!
I got a tip from one of my professional people who make The Stick available for his clients in Edmonton, Alberta that The Stick is in this months issue of Men’s Health magazine.
You can see the information about The Stick on page 96 of November, 2009. It is at the bottom of the page where there is tips on making sure you have a proper warm-up. Men’s Health suggest that before your work-out or work on flexibility that you roll the device up and down your muscles for 20 seconds increasing the pressure of each pass.
The Stick has also been featured in many other publications. Click here to find out more!!
Understanding Trigger Points – Hands on!!
I have to share this fantastic information with you. I have been following Patrick Ward on Twitter and have found some awesome information he has posted on his website. If you wan to learn more about Trigger Points, you should check out his to videos and the information in print.
It Hurts Right Here: The Mystery of Pain
By
Keats Snideman BS, CSCS, RKC, LMT
&
Patrick Ward MS, CSCS, LMT
Patrick and Keats write and talk about:
-
Development of Pain in the Myofascial Tissues
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Are All Painful Spots Trigger Points?
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How Do You Know if You’re Dealing with TrP’s?
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Soft Tissue Techniques
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Applying Trigger Point referrals to myofascial lines
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Linking science to practice
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Practical Applications
-
Conclusions
Credit goes to:
Keats Snideman is the owner of Reality Based Fitness. Patrick Ward is the owner of Optimum Sports Performance. Together they own the Reality Based Fitness/Optimum Sports Performance Training facility in Tempe, AZ, where they offer sport conditioning and soft tissue therapy to athletes and clients of all levels and abilities. In addition, they both host the Reality Based Fitness Podcast.
Here are the videos:
Here is the direct link to the article : It Hurts Right Here: The Mystery of Pain
Remember, The Stick can help to take care of your soft tissue, the same way a therapists hands roll over your muscles. As always, I do not claim that The Stick should replace human touch. The massage device provides excellent support for your muscular heath.
Causes and Treatment of Trigger Points
In my last series of learning about Trigger Points, I would like you to watch the video below. Dr. Kuttner, does an excellent job explainging what causes Trigger points and how to treat them.
The Stick is an excellent tool for managing trigger points.
The compressing, stretching and fluid exchange provided by The Stick helps restore and maintain normal muscle tone, function and memory. Also, it is not necessary to hurt the muscle in order to help the muscle. Treat with “good” pain not “ouch” pain. Typically a full body rollout before and after sleep, plus before and after bouts of physical activity, will provide utmost management in the individual’s search for enhanced muscle hygiene. – Dr. Belcher
Comments on Massage Products!
Here is an awesome and funny article written by Cathy on her blog fourwhite feet. She uses very creative words for massage devices!!
Cathy and her dogs!
Massage Gizmos
Of all the massage gizmos in my possession, more than I wish to enumerate here, there are two (maybe three) I would buy again.
First is the Theracane. I got one just before Tejas 500 and I think it contributed to my finishing in good shape. I usually get neck and shoulder pain after a few hours of riding. At other races Jen has leaned an elbow into my trapezius (trapezii ?) periodically. At Tejas I left the Theracane hanging near my food table. Between laps I’d grab it, inflict a few seconds of torture to my neck, traps, and rhomboids, and return to riding with significant relief.
(Another note on this subject: I noticed after about 30 hours of riding that I got a lot of neck/shoulder relief by moving my arms way back on my aero bars, so my wrists were practically resting on the pads. In other words, I was too stretched out on my bike. Not saying this is always the case, but you might try moving closer or farther away if you’re having neck/shoulder pain.)
So why did I wait so long to get a Theracane? I’ve known about them for years. Well, I have a stick; like go in the forest and pick up a stick, that approximates the same functionality so I didn’t think I needed one. I can say now, that besides being more portable, the Theracane is capable of more precision and generally works better than a stick.
Speaking of sticks, the other thigamajig I’d buy again is the Original Body Stick. Unfortunately you can’t find these laying around in the forest. The Body Stick offers a kinder, gentler neck massage than the Theracane. Not to say it can’t hurt like H-E-2*L if you’re sore. The Body Stick is simple, and portable, and you can use it standing up, or sitting down to massage neck, back, arms and legs.
Which brings me to all those other whatchamadoozies. It’s not that I don’t use them. Well, the ones that require another person really don’t get used, but I do use the other self-massage doohitchies. The problem is, 85% of the time it’s either not convenient, or I just don’t feel like rolling around on the floor. While body weight inflicted torture is unique and works well for some areas; i.e. piriformis, the strength and contortion required usually make the floor models less relaxing.
So what’s number (maybe) three you ask? Don’t get too excited. It’s the Travel Stick. Nice if you need a shorter version to fit in a smaller suitcase, but generally the length is not as good as the Original, and mine has had a funny plastic smell for years that makes it less pleasant to use.
I love Cath’s comments of not having to roll around on the floor and not having to use your body weight to get results. The Stick is 100% controlled by the user! You apply as much pressure as you like in any position. If you are out my way in Alberta, Canada, you should look me up @ The Stick.ca.
“The Stick” for IT Band Issues
I often look at my stats of my blog and my website. To date, the most popular posts here on my blog is IT Band Syndrome and Choosing The Right massage Stick. The most popular FREE DOWNLOAD on my website is Specific Techniques for the IT Band.
This tells me that people are looking for information about IT Band Syndrome. Please click on the links above to get more information and watch this great video below for more information about how to take care of your IT Band. There are stretches for your IT Band as well as strengthening exercises for the IT Band.
By the way, when I speak with people about their IT Band issues, almost all of them end up grabbing a Sprinter Stick. It is because the Sprinter Stick is stiff and can really roll out the IT Band.
The Sprinter Stick
I will be creating more resources such as videos and blog entries about this subject so check back often!!
Muscle Sport Magazine Likes The Stick
I found the below article written by Joe Pietaro for Muscle Sport Magazine: (Click Here to go to the original article)
We have all hit that proverbial wall or sticking point in our training. No pun intended on the latter, but get past that with The Stick, which is a device “used to segmentally compress and stretch muscle.” Treat your muscle pains and trigger points comfortably and safely with this product made of space-age plastic.
By using The Stick, you can self-administer therapeutic procedures such as unassisted rolling, stretching, twisting and compressing of the muscle. After just a few strokes, you will begin to feel the release of the build up from your strenuous training routine.
The Stick provides the following benefits:
*Prevent and predict muscle injuries
*Dramatically improve strength, flexibility and endurance
*Rapidly prepare muscles for physical activity
*Disperse the effects of lactic acid following activity
*Accelerate muscle recovery
You know you’re doing something right when the United States Olympic Training Centers in four states (Colorado, New York, Michigan and California) are using The Stick as a training tool.
The Stick comes in a variety of sizes (long, medium, short) and prices range from $53.95 (30-inch Big Stick) to $27.50 (17-inch Travel Stick). For more information and to order your own, please visit www.thestick.com.
Of course, if you are in Alberta,Canada, you can find ordering information through me @ www.thestick.ca.
The Stick For Sleep Hygiene – Get A Better Nights Sleep!
First of all, what is “Sleep Hygiene”. To me, sleep hygiene is everything you do to make your night’s sleep a healthy one. It can be as easy as eliminating all distractions such as sounds and light or the pre-bedtime routine that you do before you go to bed. I have friends who swear by ear plugs and sleep masks.
For people with restless leg syndrome or body jerks, you should really try rolling out your body before you go to bed. It will relax you, increase blood flow(circulation) and stretch out your muscles, allowing them to get to a resting state faster. When you are more relaxed, you can sleep better and longer.
Here is a quick routine:
- Rollout your feet
- Rollout your calves
- Rollout the muscle on the front of your shin (Tibialis Anterior)
- Rollout your hamstrings
- Rollout your quads and IT Band
- Rollout your lower back
- Rollout your upper back and shoulders
- Rollout you Neck
- Rollout your arms
For specific techniques of rolling out each body part, visit my website that has FREE DOWNLOADS of real pictures and real people rolling out their bodies.
Have a Good Night!
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