(P)Rehab Gadgets: The Good, The Not So Good

If you're not doing prehab, you should be. If you're doing prehab, you should always be looking for ways to do it better. Here's my quick thoughts on what works effectively for me, and what is not so effective.

Foam Rolling - Not So Great
This seems to be the standby for most strength athletes: you get a foam roller like this & you, well, roll on it to get some self-massage. Hammies, back, ITB, quads, calves. While this does feel good on my back, it doesn't really do much in terms of helping me. I also think it's pretty limited: it's easy to get your bodyweight on it when you're doing your back; not so easy for calves, and for traps - yeah, if you figure that one out, you probably don't need this level of prehab.

The Stick - Better
Another approach to self-massage is The Stick . It works a bit better than foam rolling, and seems to penetrate a little deeper into the muscle tissue. It's also more able to hit more regions of the body. Still, I found it to be relatively ineffective and awkward.

Tennis Ball / Lacrosse Ball / Other Ball - On the right path
Cheap. Fairly effective. You can put it between your back and the floor (or the wall if you're not ready for the floor), the size of it (less contact area - better penetration) works pretty well, but it's still awkward and didn't give me the control I wanted. But it really did help me make it through some tough times with my spinal erectors.

The Answer Self Massage - a keeper
This one remains in my arsenal and is the first thing I turn to when I have a specific muscle acting up. Notice that the business end is a small, hard ball - great penetration. Since it has a handle attached, I can actually control it with good precision. Most times, I can generate enough force just by using the built-in leverages, but if I need more, say for a stubborn spot on my back, I can lean against the wall, etc.

A really big plus: since I'm not focusing on using body English and weight to control things, I can relax, and rather than working on a tensed muscle, and fighting that, I'm now working on a relaxed muscle, and everything goes much quicker and better.

The Thumper Percussive Massage - a big hit
I use a Thumper Equine Pro quite a bit. I have a routine I follow 3x/week using it on the whole body to stimulate recovery, and if I have a problem area, it gets used there as well. So, pretty much it's a part of my daily life. It's highly effective: you have a tight muscle group, thump it, and you will feel it relax, without pain or discomfort.

After that, you can gently stretch, and you will notice a huge difference in your ability to stretch that muscle. For an injured area, you have to be a little careful, as you can overdo it: but it does speed up the healing process significantly.

This is a substantial investment in comparison to the other gadgets in my prehab arsenal, but if I had to pick only one gadget, this would be it.

The Rotater - deceptively simple, specifically highly effective
The Rotater. You may not have this problem, but you probably do. You won't have it to the degree I have (well, most people won't), but this is the most effective thing I've come across for stretching the internal and (more importantly) external rotators of the shoulder. I was using a broomstick for external stretching, and when I first saw the Rotater, I thought "Umm, right. No way I'm spending cash for this when a broomstick works fine."

That was my mistake. What finally got me to part with my cash was powerlifter Jo Jordan mentioning that he was using it and found it effective. Jo has always struck me as a straight shooter. He was right.

For the record, I can see a slight improvement in my external rotation after only 4 sessions with this.

It comes down to control. Sure, a broomstick (or using a power rack) can stretch the external rotators. There's no lack of force. But I'm surprised at the lack of control I have with it compared to this device; control (for me) translates to the ability to relax - I don't have to pay attention, everything feels more natural, and relaxing means a more effective stretch. I'm able to stretch the RC from many angles - again, all with a high degree of control.

Jump Stretch Bands - another big hit
Where would I be without JS bands? Steve Shafley turned me onto using these for prehab a few years ago, and every time I'm stuck on a problem, I talk with Steve, and he comes up with a new way to attack the issue with the bands. I'm not sure why they're so effective, but the dynamic stretching seems to really get an affected group to open up a let go. If you don't know about it, there's a series of EliteFTS sponsored videos on YouTube featuring Dick Hartzell that are awesome.

ProStretch Calf / Achilles Stretching - a staple in my stretching
The ProStretch. Again, deceptively simple, highly specific, and quite effective. You can probably come up with a way to use bands to similar effect, but again - I like the control and convenience this offers. It's simple, intuitive, and stretches what it's supposed to stretch.

So there you have it: gadgets I've tried, some better than others.