ASTYM - Better than Foam Rolling?

What Is ASTYM Treatment?

Meghan Taff is not your everyday Physical Therapist. Not only is she an incredibly talented endurance athlete, but she is also certified in FMS/SFMA, MPT, CSCS, MFD, Kinesiology Taping and ASTYM. Today we discuss ASTYM, a treatment that Revolutions in Fitness uses in their clinic using Graston and non Graston tools to help break up scars and help get glued tissues unstuck from one another. 

ASTYM treatment is highly effective and even works when other approaches routinely fail. One of the main reasons ASTYM treatment is so much more effective than other treatments is that it was scientifically developed to resolve the underlying cause of soft tissue problems, rather than just trying to temporarily relieve symptoms. It is one of the most researched and effective therapy treatments available. ASTYM treatment is unmatched in its ability to resolve tendinopathies, scar tissue problems, and other soft tissue dysfunctions. Doctors regularly prescribe ASTYM treatment specifically for their patients, and elite athletes and knowledgeable patients seek out ASTYM  treatment for superior results. When your health and ability to stay active is at stake, only the best will do.

Generally, chronic soft tissue problems are due to scarring or degeneration. Soft tissues include muscles, tendons and ligaments. Both scarring and degeneration are common and can result in pain and limitations in movement.

The body's soft tissues degenerate when inadequate healing occurs, and over time the tissues degrade. Degenerated tissues are weak and prone to injury. Degeneration can be caused by many factors, including age, intense use, improper movement, weakened muscles putting extra stress on other tissues, disease, etc. Most chronic tendinopathies are primarily degenerative in nature.

Scarring can happen on top of the skin, but often the biggest problems come from scar tissue that forms inside the body around joints, muscles, tendons and/or ligaments. The body naturally lays down some scar tissue in response to irritation or injury. The fibrous, strong scar tissue is meant to reinforce an area, but often it ends up restricting movement and causing pain. The causes of problem scar tissue can be injury (such as a sprained ankle, car accident, etc.), a surgery (good surgery can be done, but the body's response with scar tissue can prevent a full recovery), intense or over use of soft tissues (such as sports, repetitive work, activity beyond your fitness level, etc.), sprains or other strains on soft tissues.

Give up your foam roller for ASTYM

The below research points to the benefits of ASTYM over foam rolling and the acute effects of both practices: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360859215001138

Good news: ASTYM treatment works both to regenerate tissues and eliminate or reduce internal scar tissue. By eliminating the cause of your problems, your symptoms will resolve.

In order to determine whether ASTYM treatment is right for you, schedule your appointment with Meghan today: Phone: (650) 260 4743  Email: office@revolutionsinfitness.com

To learn more:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0161475410003349
https://astym.com/Main/About

Meet Revolutions in Fitness Newest Addition - Meghan Taff

   

Meet Revolutions in Fitness'

Newest Addition

Meghan Taff, MPT, CSCS

About Meghan:  

Born and raised in the Midwest, Meghan was a very active child playing sports like softball, basketball, & soccer. As she made her way into high school Meghan made swimming her main focus. Meghan attended Saint Louis University where she earned her Bachelor's of Exercise Science (2002) & Master's in Physical Therapy (2004).

Over the past 8 years, Meghan's focus has been helping athletes of all sports especially those who swim, bike, & run. Her passion is providing athletes with the tools to have injury-free seasons. Some of Meghan's athletic achievements include: 5k open water swims, marathons, and a two Ironman's.

Certifications: 

- Strength and Conditioning Specialist

- Soft tissue work (ASTYM: Graston Tools, MFD/cupping)

- Functional Movement Assessment (FMS/SFMA)

Professional Focus:

Running Analysis & Physical Therapy for Athletes

Testimonials from Past Clients:

"Thanks for being such a phenomenal advocate for my health.  I am very grateful to have met you and very fortunate to have you providing me such thoughtful medical attention..."

"...I really appreciated your support & concern for my well-being..."

 

***Limited Time Offer*** 

  Schedule now and receive $50 off all services for Meghan!!!       

           For more information contact Revolutions in Fitness 

           Phone: (650) 260 4743        Email: office@revolutionsinfitness.com

The Lost Art of Running By Feel (and Why I Dislike GPS Watches)

Blog credit to Jason Fitzgerald
http://strengthrunning.com

Last Christmas, I treated myself to a Garmin 610. After wearing it for less than 3 weeks, I haven’t worn it since.

I like it, though. It has a ton of cool features. The display is attractive. It looks a helluva lot better than my $30 Timex.

But after 15+ years of competitive running with no GPS watch, my reliance on my new Garmin was making me a worse runner. So I stopped using it and am back to running by feel.

Running by feel and relying on internal data is a far more effective way to train. Ignorance is often bliss and effort matters far more than specific splits. So I’m back with my trusty Timex and I couldn’t be happier.

How I Learned to Run

I started running as a 14 year old high school freshman in 1998. Back then, GPS watches weren’t popular and my parents sure as hell weren’t going to buy one for their teenage son who joined the cross country team so he could high jump. Seriously, I thought XC had field events…

During high school, we ran distance runs for time rather than distance and the effort was supposed to be easy. After most of our runs we ran strides.

We relied on our internal data to tell us what an easy run should feel like. That’s why our large team of 30 runners broke up into 3-4 groups as the run continued – some of us could run faster at an easy effort than others.

There were no pace calculators. There were no GPS watches. There was no bemoaning our easy 4 mile loop because we ran it in 32 minutes instead of 30 minutes. After all, who cares?

Only when we ran workouts did we care about our specific pace per mile. The team got on the track and ran intervals at varying paces – and it’s here that I learned what different paces felt like.

Even in college, not a single person on either the cross country or track teams had a GPS watch. We relied on “Badger Miles” to estimate our mileage (distance runs were based on a 7:00 mile pace average).

The real magic happens on the track where I can run almost any pace strictly by feel. That’s a learned skill mastered over years of running various workouts on the track. And like I always say:

"The track never lies!

The truth is that it doesn’t matter much what pace you run during a normal run. What’s more important than whether you ran 8:30 pace instead of 8:45 pace is how it felt. Was it easy? Did you feel comfortable? Did you follow the 3 C’s of easy running?

GPS Watches Aren’t Accurate Anyway

Most runners worry that they won’t track their mileage accurately if they don’t use their Garmin. But what makes you think a Garmin is any more accurate?

One day I strapped on my Garmin and ran to the track to run a mile to see how accurate it was.

The result?

I ran 1,511 meters when the Garmin alerted me I had covered a mile – or 1,609.344 meters. The Garmin was off by over 6%, an unacceptable margin of error for me, particularly when I was on level terrain with no buildings or overhead obstructions nearby.

According to my Garmin 610, the “mile” I covered was in 6:53. During this mile, I was trying to run about a 7:00 mile and throughout the entire distance I constantly had to slow myself down. I felt like I was crawling.

Compare that to a loop I regularly run in 69 – 72 minutes that I’m comfortable calling about 10 miles. The Garmin measured this loop as 8.9 miles. The day I measured it I ran it in 68:15 – or 7:40 per mile.

But here’s the interesting part: I ran that loop at a steady-state effort. I was moving. The difference in effort level between 6:53 pace on the track and 7:40 pace on this loop was night and day: recovery run vs. steady-state.

And here is when I refuse to believe my watch. I’ve been running for over 15 years. I’ve raced everything from the 200m sprint to the marathon, with triathlons, the steeplechase, cross country, and a duathlon thrown in for good measure.

I know my body and I’m damn good at pacing. Here we get to the most important reason why you shouldn’t trust your Garmin.

Garmins Shake Your Confidence

During the weeks I tested my Garmin, I lost confidence in my ability as a runner. I thought I was running about 7:00 pace, only to have to push really hard to average 7:30 pace.

That’s a significant difference, especially since my resume of personal bests indicate that my distance run pace should be in the range of 6:20 – 7:15 per mile.

Had I all of a sudden lost my fitness? Even when I was running more than ever before, having set an annual mileage PR by over 200 miles in 2013?

I don’t think so. And when a training tool shakes your confidence, it’s no longer a valuable training tool. 

Bad Data –> Bad Decisions

I only ran for a few weeks with a Garmin – and they were more stressful than racing. I glanced at the watch every minute. I stressed when the pace didn’t correspond with how I felt. I constantly tried to run faster to match what I thought my pace “should” read on my watch.

And after all that stress, it didn’t even matter. They were just easy distance runs, anyway.

Faulty pace data can encourage you to run faster than you should. This is exactly what happened during my runs when my watch claimed I was going 8:00 pace so I sped up so it read about 7:10 (but it felt like a goddamn tempo).

In hindsight, this was a very bad decision. It’s more important to listen to your body, not an inaccurate machine. Internal data is much more critical.

Legendary University of Colorado cross country coach Mark Wetmore is known for not liking heart rate monitors. He tells his runners to pay attention to their internal data instead: respiration, muscle fatigue, how a particular cadence felt, and how fast you intuitively felt you were going relative to your surroundings.

Running by feel and paying attention to this internal data is ultimately much more important than focusing on external data for most of your runs. Since the majority of a distance runners training should be at a comfortable effort level, a particular pace isn’t that important. The effort is what’s important.

Recovery runs should be very easy.

Distance or base runs should be comfortable, controlled, and conversational.

Steady-state running is easier than a tempo run. It’s “comfortably moderate.”

Tempo runs are borderline hard. They’re “comfortably hard.”

Some runners might be annoyed by all these vague definitions. But the runners who get intimately involved with their internal data and know the difference between your tempo pace – and 10 seconds faster or slower – by how it feels will ultimately be more successful.

The Garmin was making me ignore my internal data and run faster than I should. And that’s not a helpful training tool. 

As long as you use your Garmin appropriately (take the data with a grain of salt and refer to it later not mid-run), then it can be helpful. Here’s the model I wear: Garmin Forerunner 610 Touch Screen.

Tell us what you think about this article and give watch-free Wednesday a shot! That's right, run naked next week (meaning without the watch of course ;) and enjoy the journey - not the numbers. 

MEET MEGHAN TAFF: REVOLUTIONS IN FITNESS NEWEST TEAM MEMBER

Why did you choose this profession?

I’ve​ ​always​ ​been​ ​active,​ ​even​ ​as​ ​a​ ​kid,​ ​so​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​I​ ​wouldn’t be​ ​good​ ​at​ ​a​ ​desk​ ​job.​ ​As​ ​I​ ​got​ ​into​ ​high​ ​school,​ ​I​ ​saw​ ​a lot of​ ​my​ ​friends​ ​get​ ​hurt​ ​and​ ​have​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​athletic​ ​trainer​ ​at school​ ​or​ ​a​ ​physical​ ​therapist​ ​after​ ​school.​ I love to help people and enjoy seeing people accomplish their goals, so after ​doing​ ​a lot of​ ​observation​ ​hours,​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​it​ ​was​ ​the​ ​job​ ​for​ ​me.

What is your primary area of interest within the field of physiotherapy? What are you certified in?

I​ ​have​ ​a lot​ ​of​ ​interests​ ​within​ ​my​ ​profession.​ ​Every​ ​few years,​ ​there​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​something​ ​new​ ​that​ ​sparks​ ​my interest​ ​and​ ​then​ ​I​ ​work​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​learn​ ​that​ ​skill.​ ​The​ ​true testament​ ​of​ ​whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​it​ ​sticks​ ​is​ ​how​ ​my​ ​endurance athletes​ ​(including​ ​myself)​ ​respond​ ​to​ ​it.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​I’ve had​ ​tremendous​ ​success​ ​with​ ​implementing​ ​Rock Tape​ ​and Myofascial​ ​Decompression​ ​(cupping)​ ​into​ ​my​ ​practice. I​ ​am​ ​certified​ ​in​ ​Strength​ ​and​ ​Conditioning​ ​(CSCS),​ ​soft tissue​ ​mobilization​ ​(ASTYM),​ ​myofascial​ ​decompression (MFD),​ ​Kinesio taping​ ​(Rock Tape),​ ​and​ ​Functional Movement​ ​Screens​ ​(FMS/SFMA).

What do you do to keep fit?

I’m​ ​always​ ​training.​ ​Maybe​ ​it’s​ ​because​ ​there’s​ ​never enough​ ​hours​ ​in​ ​the​ ​day,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​never​ ​seem​ ​to​ ​get​ ​burnt​ ​out on​ ​this​ ​stuff.​ ​Besides​ ​the​ ​swim,​ ​bike,​ ​run​ ​aspects,​ ​I​ ​also​ ​do strength/circuit​ ​training,​ ​Cross Fit,​ ​and​ ​Bikram​ ​Yoga.​ ​It​ ​took me​ ​awhile​ ​to​ ​find​ ​the​ ​right​ ​combination​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​me​ ​healthy and​ ​allow​ ​me​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​up​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​volume,​ ​but​ ​after​ ​12 years,​ ​I’ve​ ​made​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​mistakes​ ​and​ ​have​ ​come​ ​out​ ​the other​ ​side​ ​all​ ​the​ ​wiser.​ ​And​ ​if​ ​that​ ​wasn’t​ ​enough,​ ​my husband​ ​and​ ​I​ ​usually​ ​take​ ​bike​ ​trips​ ​for​ ​our​ ​vacations. We’ve​ ​ridden​ ​through​ ​Ireland,​ ​South​ ​Africa,​ ​Hawaii,​ ​and Mallorca.

Do you have any favorite exercises or stretches for yourself and/or your clients to prevent injury?

I​ ​find​ ​that​ ​going​ ​back​ ​to​ ​the​ ​basic​ ​building​ ​blocks​ ​are always​ ​a​ ​wise​ ​idea​ ​for​ ​triathletes/runners,​ ​especially​ ​now that​ ​we’re​ ​heading​ ​into​ ​the​ ​off-season.​ ​Core,​ ​hip,​ ​glut,​ ​and postural​ ​strengthening​ ​should​ ​always​ ​be​ ​at​ ​the​ ​top​ ​of​ ​one’s list.​ ​Basic​ ​flexibility​ ​for​ ​upper​ ​body,​ ​back,​ ​and​ ​lower​ ​body, as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​foam​ ​rolling​ ​are​ ​equally​ important.​ ​My​ ​foam​ ​roller is​ ​my​ ​best​ ​friend​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​also​ ​traveled​ ​to​ ​as​ ​many countries/states​ ​as​ ​I​ ​have.

Why did you choose to join the team at Revolutions in Fitness?

Over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​1-2​ ​year​s ​I’ve​ ​searched​ ​the​ ​country​ ​for​ ​PT opportunities​ ​that​ ​would​ ​allow​ ​me​ ​to​ ​follow​ ​my​ ​passion​ ​of working​ ​with​ ​endurance​ ​athletes.

Revolutions in Fitness share the same  passion for  helping clients reach their maximum potential.  Working in an environment that supports this goal by providing one hour appointments has always been a desire of mine. ​

I’m​ ​very​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​join​ ​a team​ ​of​ ​like-minded​ ​physical​ ​therapy​ ​professionals​ ​and Revolutions​ ​in​ ​Fitness​ ​is​ ​exactly​ ​the​ ​type​ ​of​ ​clinic​ ​I​ ​have been​ ​searching​ ​for!

What is the most rewarding thing about what you do?

Seeing people get back to doing the things they love again. Whether that's racing again or helping them climb a flight of stairs without pain! That's how I know I've done my job.

When should someone come and see you?

I​ ​am​ ​starting​ ​on​ ​10/30/17.​ ​I​ ​will​ ​be​ ​at​ ​the​ ​Palo​ ​Alto​ ​location​ ​on MW​ ​for​ ​the​ ​time being.​ ​My​ ​hours​ ​are​ ​10am-7pm.​ ​Now​ ​is​ ​the perfect​ ​time​ ​to​ ​schedule​ ​an​ ​appointment​ ​for​ ​a​ ​biomechanical evaluation​ ​and​ ​gait​ ​analysis.​ ​The​ ​off-season​ ​should​ ​be​ ​used to​ ​identify​ ​and​ ​treat​ ​your​ ​problem​ ​areas,​ ​so​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​start the​ ​new​ ​year/season​ ​with​ ​a​ ​bang!

More questions for Meghan? No problem. Post your question on @revolutionsinfitness Facebook page and we will get them answered in the upcoming “Ask Revolutions In Fitness” video.

***Limited Time Offer*** 

Schedule now and receive $50 off all services for Meghan!!!       

Meghan In Action!

 Check out Meghan participating in the Oakland Triathlon this year!

Click Here For Video...  

                     For more information contact Revolutions in Fitness 

              Phone: (650) 260 4743        Email: office@revolutionsinfitness.com

Patient Spotlight: Lisa Koza

Patient Spotlight: Lisa Koza AIDS LifeCycle | Ride to End AIDS Event

Lisa is a Revolutions in Fitness client and also a very active cyclist who recently participated in the AIDS/LifeCycle|Ride to End AIDS Event this past month. Read on as Lisa tells all about her success & experience at the ALC Ride and how Revolutions in Fitness assisted in her preparation! 1) Tell us about your experience with Revolutions in Fitness? My experience with Revolutions in Fitness has been life changing. It has caused a shift in my thinking about physical therapy and the importance of having the right professionals focused on ensuring my body can achieve its optimal performance on and off my bike.  And, there were immediate results! When I showed up at Revolutions in Fitness in May I had been training for the Aids LifeCycle (ALC) ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles since February. The week before I came into Revolutions in Fitness I was doing a bike ride around Lake Tahoe which is 72 miles around and at mile 52 my left knee was not going to go any further. I was so worried because I was sure that I no longer had any chance to do the ALC ride that was only two weeks away. Needless to say, my experience with Revolutions in Fitness was nothing short of miraculous because not only did I participate in the ALC, I completed all 545 miles! 2)What do you feel that you got out of your Physical Therapy & Bike Fit experience with Revolutions in Fitness? The most significant thing I got from working with the Revolutions in Fitness team is empowerment!  I suddenly had the knowledge and skills needed to shift my body into healing and optimal performance. I was amazed to see how seemingly small changes in my bike fit had profound effects on my body and I noticed immediate results when riding. 3) You recently just participated in the ALC Ride. Tell us a little bit about your success and experience? Did you feel your experience with Revolutions in Fitness helped you prepare for it? if so, how?  Imagine you were an avid cyclist. Then you became a mom to two amazing boys Japhy Ryder (9) and Beckett (10) and you stopped riding your bike for 12 years. That was my story. Then imagine that you text a friend asking "Do you still ride your bike?"  and their reply "Yes, as a matter of fact the training rides for ALC start tomorrow morning at 9:00 am, you should do it!" I signed up for the ALC ride that evening which is 545 miles that takes 7 days to complete. The next morning I showed up for my first training ride 18.8 miles. The first week of June I completed my first ALC ride. I know that would not have been possible without Revolutions in Fitness. When I couldn't complete the bike ride around Lake Tahoe I was convinced I was not doing ALC. Working with Curtis was such a powerful experience physically and mentally. When he was checking the fit of my bike and small changes caused huge shifts in how I felt in the bike seat I was hopeful that working together I might be able to actually do the ALC ride. It was so important for me to be able to understand what my body had created it could fix. Learning techniques to keep my muscles strong and stretched was critical. And having the understanding and knowledge kept my mind from going into the negative space that I "couldn't do it". I want to share one of the most profound moments on the ride for me. It was Day One. I was still nervous that my knee would be in too much pain to ride every mile that day (82 miles). I could hear Curtis' voice telling me to listen to my body no matter what and get off the bike if I needed to be off the bike. I had even decided that the bus that would take me to camp that day was the "party bus" so I wouldn't be depressed about getting on the bus. At lunch time (40 miles) I was seriously worried and feeling my knee. I realized that there were Physical Therapists at the lunch stop!! I was immediately hopeful. I was able to apply the techniques and stretches that Revolutions in Fitness taught me. I used the foam rollers that were available and I met with one of the therapists. The therapist helped me with additional stretches and taped my knee. I was able to complete the day. What I realized that day was that I had been empowered and supported by physical therapy!! I knew my body was supported and would do what ever my mind decided. The foam roller became my best friend at lunch and in the evening at camp and enabled me to support my body to complete 545 miles of serious hills and long days in the seat. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I signed up to do the ride next year. I would love for you to join me! 4) As someone who lives a very active lifestyle, how important would you say it is to manage your aches and pains, injuries, and so on with the help of a PT clinic? I would say it is crucial to manage your aches and pains and/or injuries with the help of a PT clinic. I would also say don't wait until you have aches and pains.  Be proactive. What I have learned through this experience is that a PT clinic can help you with a routine for proper recovery techniques after your activities, helping you avoid aches and pains. And, if you are a cyclist, please be sure to have Revolutions in Fitness do a bike fitting for you! 5) Would you recommend Revolutions in Fitness to others looking for PT or Bike Fit services? I am so grateful for Revolutions in Fitness and the team that made it possible for me to complete the ALC. I am pretty sure there isn't a person that knows me that hasn't heard about my transformative experience with PT, the amazing team at Revolutions In Fitness and the importance of having your bike fit by the best professionals! I am pretty confident that many of my team mates will be visiting Revolutions in Fitness as they prepare for ALC 2018. So yes, I will continue to sing the praises for PT, proper bike fit and recommend Revolutions in Fitness to everyone!           Want to hear other patient perspectives? Discover more amazing testimonials like Lisa's HERE!