Read ahead to find out what Dr. Steve’s ultimate self-care set looks like!
Tis’ the holiday season, and perhaps you–like many others–are having trouble putting together a gift idea for that special someone or someone’s on your giving list. Well have no fear! I will put together a package of my favorite items that every person should have in their arsenal if they are inclined to help themselves get out of pain.
While the items on the list would make an amazing set for anyone who got them all, that is not to say that the individual tools can’t stand up on their own. To the contrary, most of them can do all the jobs, but may require more creativity and out-of-the-box strategies to do the jobs of the others, but I digress; let’s get to the stuff!
Vibration/Percussion Therapy Tool
The number of options in the realm of these types of tools has expanded dramatically over the past year, and while they vary in price, quality, and loudness; one thing is clear–vibration/percussion therapy works quite well for managing day-to-day aches and pains.
Of the ones available to the general public, my favorite still has to be the Hyperice Hypervolt. At $350 it is a bit pricey, but is quite a capable device and checks the quality box as well. Most importantly to me is that it is fairly quiet compared to a lot of the other tools of this variety out there which helps with it’s overall therapeutic benefit in ways that are complex, so you’ll just have to take my word for it, or ask me at your next appointment where I would also be glad to show you how to get the most out of using one of these bad boys!
If you’re into the idea of vibration/percussion therapy but don’t want to break the bank, there are a litany of other more affordable options out there for vibrating foam rolls and the like; which I believe are superior to their non-buzzing cousins.
As far as a traditional roller shaped device goes, I would go with the Epitome Fitness VIBRA roller. The finer points of this model is its varied grid pattern, as well its multiple modes of vibration intensity with the added benefit of a pulse mode for variability.
A vibrating ball would be the last thing I would suggest to add to the list of items in this category. They are great for doing more targeted work; getting into nook’s and crannies that the foam roll cannot, or are too deep for the handheld Hypervolt to dig into. From what research I have done, I would probably go with the TuoFang Vibrating Massage Ball. It has variable speed settings as any good vibration device should, and has a highly textured surface which will make it a better option for targeting more highly sensitive areas of your body like your hands and feet. The best thing about this one is the price; if you are looking to get into the world of vibration therapy this would be a good place to start!
Traditional Mobility Tools
While the tools above may have a slight upper hand when it comes to self-care, they are not the end-all-be-all of these devices. There are a few more things you would need to add for a well rounded self care kit, and the first is a stick roller. I personally use the TheraBand Roller Massager in my own office and would highly recommended it as a choice for this type of tool. These work best for the lower extremities and low back and should be great for runners in particular. The best thing is that they are quite portable; fitting into most gym bags.
Additionally, there is sometimes really no good substitute for a hard ball for digging into stubborn areas of your body. I was recently turned on to these SKLZ Reaction Balls by one of my patients as an option to fill this need and I am pretty intrigued by them as a replacement for lacrosse balls, which are typically what I recommended. He found it very beneficial for working into his hamstrings, noting that it was better at getting into them because it did’t slip away when he was leaning into it. I tend to agree with his assessment.
Finally, the last thing I would recommended is a compression band. This tool is great for enhancing the treatment of your joints when you are working on movement, providing security as well as tissue shear to stretches and joint mobilization exercises. These really are just long bands of thick latex rubber and are produced by a wide variety of companies at varying prices. I will tip my hat to RockTape and their version, RockFloss mostly due to a fair price and their accompanying video library for application techniques.
While there likely are more tools I could mention, I think a kit that had each of these tools in it could likely take care of 90 percent or more of the aches and pains that most folks come across with just the things listed above.
As always if you have any questions on how to get better results from using tools like these, feel free to ask at your next appointment and I would be glad to help show the ropes to you or anyone you gift these things to.
Happy Holidays!
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