Metal Bar of Death

Last post, I neglected to talk about a key component of the runner's therapeutic process: The Graston Technique. Or, as I like to call it, @#$%^&* &^%%.

Scar tissue is bad. Scar tissue causes all kinds of problems. At some point, someone figured it was a good idea to take a metal bar and rub it back and forth over a muscle to break up said scar tissue. There are different sizes of bars for different muscles. Some have a greater weight to them. Some are pointy so they can get at the smaller muscles hiding behind the bigger ones. Some are curved and bent to get around some of the bigger muscles and bones. There is something very medieval about it all.

And Holy Dinah it hurts. But it leaves much more impressive bruises than ART, at least on my sickly, pale, Canadian, red-headed skin. I feel like I have something to show for all this pain. Battle scars, if you will.

Here's a link to a site which describes it with visuals: http://www.grastontechnique.com/SlideShowHowGTWorks.html. I also included a recent visual in my profile pic. This is my right IT band 24 hours after my chiro got after it. He barely touched my leg with the bar. Nice work, Tony!

PS: I ran 8km yesterday which is my best distance since my body fell apart!