Trigger Points in hard to reach places
 

Lately I've taken to using one of my daughter's big solid rubber superballs to really work the trigger points in my delt/rear delt area and neck/trap tie in.

This seems to be helping the chronic ache and tightness I feel there, along with some jumpstretch band traction work. I am really hooked on the traction stuff now.

Throwing the ball in a sock and throwing it over my shoulder also lets me hit stuff lower down on my back while standing and leaning against the wall.

The tennis ball on the calves also feels good, in a painful way.

Just some quick observations.

Cool. Another good one is duct taping 2 tennis balls or rubber balls together for rolling out your spinal erectors.

The ball in a sock thing sounds like something you'd usually have to pay for...

Steve-
Where in the shoulder is it hurting? Where does the pain refer when you hit it with the rubber ball?

I think this stuff is really legit for keeping soft tissue healthy. We bought 4 foam rollers the other day. 2 for the gym and 2 for home. Bought a 16 pack of tennis balls also.

Robb:

I am not sure if it's a trigger point or adhesions. In any case, if you draw a line down the delt right down the middle, the painful stuff starts at the top, slightly off the line, and then radiates forward slightly. It's terminus is about 2" down and 1" forward of the midline.

It doesn't seem to change locations or refer to another spot, but after about a week and a half of daily massage it's much less tender to palpation. The first few days it was more tender.

On a second look at some of the referral charts I have, it could be that it's referred from trigger points in my trapezius, as I have been working these as well.

I think foam rolling is a great tool. They speak quite a bit about this over a MichaelBoyle.biz.

It's all that damned rugby, I tell ya. Not that I regret playing or anything, though.

Greg, you can also just put 2 tennis balls into a tube sock and tie off the end. Make's a nice soft cover for my baby soft skin!

Don't you love seeing the new $25 SMR balls and stuff at Perform Better and Power Systems--"don't use a (probably free) tennis ball! Use our special ball!"

i meant something you'd have to pay for, like $200/hr, extra $50 for getting beat with a ball in a sock...

Your humor is lost on some people. :cool:

This thread is great. I'll be throwing two tennis balls and a long tube sock in my luggage next week. Better not put the "tool" together before security though...never know when two tennis balls in a sock could be considered a "dual use item". Can't have me taking over an airplane with tennis balls. :D

Wasn't there some guy traveling with his mother, and when customs found his "enlarger pump" in the luggage, he decided to claim it was an explosive device instead of having mom realize what it was?

And Greg, I was merely referring to the duct taping of TENNIS balls together--the sock is quicker.

despite what the website suggests, this thing is awesome:

http://www.theracane.com/

my pt trainer guy ron just let me borrow one--i'd say it's worth the $40 or so.

Okay... Balls in a socks are only something a man would think of. And paying $ 200 + $50, well I'm sure that could be found on a seperate forum.

However, I'm going to buy some balls, and find a sock. Sounds like a roaring good time for my erectors.

Also... Greg, why didn't ron give me that thingy? If I used that to rub my shoulders and surrounding areas he wouldn't have to work as hard. But then again, he probably knew I probably wouldn't use it [faithfully], which is why he gave it to you...