ironguides

Background

TP Therapy tools mirror the feeling of the human hand and allow you to provide myofascial compression techniques to your own body.

MCT is based on muscular compression and specific movements of the TPT tools. The compressed muscle tissue will reset the muscle spindal while also addressing associated fascial dysfunctions such as trigger points, adhesions, and other muscular challenges. This process is non evasive and will also open up neurological pathways allowing for greater muscle proprioception. Getting the additional blood flow and oxygen to the muscle by using the TPT Tools aids in the recovery process, provides preventative maintenance and increases performance.

Optimal muscle tissue health and muscular elasticity

Most overuse injuries are basically caused from overuse dysfunctional muscles (and other soft tissue).

Muscle tissue health declines from a number of things such as acute conditions (pull, tears), accumulation of small tears (micro trauma) and tissue not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia). These factors cause your body to produce adhesions and tough dense scar tissue which binds up and ties down the tissue severely affecting freedom of movement. As the adhesions and scar tissue build up, our muscles become shorter and weaker. This increased tension on tendons can create tendonitis and nerves can become trapped. This causes pain, decreased ROM, loss of strength, power and results in a lot of the common injuries we see such as IT band syndrome, plantar fasciitis, lowerback pain, knee pain, sciatic/piriformis pain and more.

Through using the TPT tools we can quickly and easily improve muscle tissue health by decreasing muscle tension, increasing connective tissue length and greatly increasing mobility and stability. There are also many other positive benefits of optimal muscle tissue health such as increased blood flow, oxygen and nutrients to the tissue which aids in the recovery process. Opening up of neurological pathways allowing great proprioception, decreased energy cost of movement, decreased rsik of injury and increased performance.

Our muscles are meant to have elasticity. Think of a bungee cord. Elasticity is defined as the muscle rebounding to its natural state and this elasticity is crucial to top level performance. An inelastic muscle is like a rope. The muscle loses its abilty to lengthen and rebound as it has adhesions, scar tissue knots within the muscle. You can't stretch a knot out of a rope so you can't strecth a knot out of a muscle!

Using the TP Massage Ball, TP Footballer and TP Quadballer we knead out the adhesions, scar tissue and knots within the muscle. The TP tools increase blood flow and oxygen within the msucle. The two combine to increase elasticity, making the muscle function like a bungee cord. Proper muscle function is key for flexibiltiy, balance, power, stamia and injury prevention.

The Biomechanical Chain Reaction

TP Therapy look predominantly at six key points on the body to allow for positive biomechancis and allowing you to achieve structural integrity which creates the platform for optimal performance and injury prevention.

We always start with the foot with the aim to regain range of motion and allow the foot to function properly. The foot is the first and last thing to hit the ground throughout the day. How the foot hits the ground is the beginning of a biomechanical chain that affects the rest of the body. Once you loose natural range of motion you have to manipulate the solues (Key point 1), this will release tension and reduce the amount of scar tissue that prevent a natural foot strike. If this area is neglected, the knee comes forward which puts a greater demand on the quads and IT band (Key points 2 & 3).

The increased tension here shortens the area between the knee and pelvis creating pelvic tilt (think of your hips as a bucket of water, with the water pouring out the front). Once this occurs, the psoas (Key point 4) now has to become more of a core stabiliser and as this muscle connects in your groin and up to T12 in the middle of your back it creates compression at L4-5 (lower back).

Now as well as the increased tension on L4-5 there is also an increase in pelvic tilt, this means the torso is positioned slightly infront of the pelvis, compromising the body's abilty to breathe. The IT bands and hamstrings are now lengthend past there capacity and the piriformis (Key point 5) is then forsced to work harder bescuase of the body's lack of structural integrity and loss of strength in the quad/IT band region. Lastly the pectoral muscles (Key point 6) are also affected. Since the torso is positioned slightly infront of the pelvis our bodies natural reaction is to rotate the shoulders forward. This affects our ability for our arms to swing freely and also compromises our abilty to breathe as our upper diaphragm is compromised.

By addressing the whole biomechancial chain and not just one problem area will see you enhance your performance and decrease your propensity for injury.

The Objectives

• Increase elasticity and re-establish range of motion within the given muscle groups and areas of the body.
• Target and break up scar tissue adhesions.
• Regain neutral posture and positive biomechanics.
• Allow a given muscle to function more efficiently.

The Reminders

• It’s not how hard you push or how much you move the TPT tools; a key element in properly using the therapy is how deep you breathe. If you don’t respirate properly, the therapy won’t be as effective.
• You must keep the muscle group relaxed while performing the manipulation.
• After 4 repetitions of the manipulation, get up and walk around in order to circulate blood to the area that was just worked. The blood flow and the oxygen from your deep breathing combine to create the elasticity in your muscles.
• Be sure to keep hydrated as hydration is key to optimal muscle tissue health. Electrolytes are the "cogs" for the "wheel" of water and nutrient movement within cells.

ReGen: The Manipulations

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Key Point #1 - Soleus

Soleus 0 degrees - knee down

Soleus 0 degrees - knee up

Soleus 30 degrees inwards

Soleus 30 degrees outwards

Soleus Manipulation Sit on the ground in a comfortable position. Place the block in front of you. Place the Footballer on the far edge of the block. Then place the leg you are going to work on top of the footballer. About 1inch (2-3cm) below you calf muscle – approx 2-3 inches (5-7cm) above ankle. Add pressure by laying your other leg on top of the leg being worked. Start with your leg on the Footballer in a neutral position (0deg). Bring knee up slowly as you take a deep breath in. Slowly relax knee as you let breath out. Repeat for a total of 4 reps, then rotate foot in circles 2x one-way, 2x the other. Always keep the bottom foot completely relaxed in order to get the benefit form the manipulation. After rotating your foot in circles 4 times, reposition your leg with the foot and knee rotated inward while maintaining pressure. Roll slowly up and down 4 times with the foot rotated inward. Rotate the foot in circles again 2x one way and 2 times the other while breathing deeply. Still maintaining the pressure, reposition your leg with the foot and knee rotated outward. Bring knee up slowly as you take a deep breath in. Slowly relax the knee as you let breath out. Repeat 4 times then rotate foot in circles 2x one-way and 2x the other. Stand up and walk around to encourage blood flow and notice the light feeling that comes with increased elasticity. Repeat on the other leg.

Key Point #2 and #3 - Quadriceps and IT Band

Quad 0° - Rectus Femoris

Quad 45° - Lateralis

90° - IT Band

Quadriceps and IT Band Manipulation Place the Quadballer underneath the center of the extended leg about 1inch above your knee. This targets the rectus femoris. Slowly roll the Quadballer 2 inches upward toward your pelvis, take a deep breath and slowly roll back 1 inch towards the starting point. In these small increments, work your way to the top of the quad – just before the bony part of the hip. Apply pressure as tolerated; it’s a slow methodical movement. You can stop on an area of increased sensitivity and breath deeply. Keep your lower body and foot relaxed to penetrate the targeted muscle. Now externally rotate the body 45deg to target the vastus lateralis following the instructions above To target the IT Band externally rotate the body 90deg. Now bring the top leg in front of the body to provide stability while you rest on your forearm and hand. Follow the same instructions as before slowing moving in incremental steps from the knee to the hip. After you have done all 3 quad manipulations stand up and walk around. Repeat on opposite leg.

Key Point #4 - Psoas

Psoas Manipulation Lay with your feet outstretched and your arms in front of you with a slight bend at your elbows. Position the ball halfway between the bony part of the front of hip and the belly button. Some people will feel it closer to the hip while others it will be closer to the belly button. Take a deep breath in and relax your abdomen. Continue to breathe deeply while holding the cobra position. After several deep breaths come back down so that your laying flat. Breathe deeply and slowly come back up into the cobra pose resting on your elbows. Using your arm against the floor, gently pull yourself forward to add more pressure. Keep breathing slowly and deeply. Now slowly lift the leg on the same side of the body you are working. This will allow the ball to penetrate deeper into the muscle. Take a few deep breaths and slowly come back down. Now remove the TP ball and slowly stand up and walk around. Repeat on opposite side.

Key Point #5 - Psoas

Piriformis Manipulation Sit on the ground in a comfortable position with one leg outstretched and your hands on the ground. Use the other leg for support by placing your foot flat to the ground with a 90deg bend in the leg. Place the TP Ball into the “back pocket” area between your gluteus region and the floor. Once the TP Ball is in place, raise the corresponding leg slightly of the ground while externally rotating the hip. Make sure the foot follows the knee as you rotate outward from the hip. Take a deep breath in as you externally rotate the hip, and slowly exhale as you bring your leg back to its original position. Once back at the starting position rotate the knee inward, taking a deep breath in then rotate externally. Repeat x3. Stand up and walk then do on other leg.

Key Point #6 - Pectorals

Pectorals Manipulation Position the TP Ball on the chest next to the arm pit and below the collar bone. Place the TP Ball into the back of the palm on the same side of the body. Apply pressure from both arms onto the TP Ball. Rotate the TP Ball in small circles over the area. Take a deep breath in as you raise your elbows, rotate the TP Ball then exhale. Shake your arm out and move it around to get some blood flow then repeat on opposite shoulder.

Pre-training muscle preparation By spending a few minutes before you session you can prep your muscles for movement by increasing blood flow, oxygen and elasticity to the area. You can follow any of the key 6 points or wherever else you may feel restriction. For the pre-session work, you do not need to follow the slow and methodical movements as you would in the regeneration phase. Do follow the set up and then do a number of quick passes over the muscle. This will allow you to switch on muscle and prepare it optimally for the session.