Scrambler you have “Tendonitis” the doctor looks at you glumly and says “you will have to stop grappling, settle down, eat ibuprofen like candy and take up bird watching” the horror sweeps you like a berimbolo, game over scrambler! Game Over… Or is it? Nothing is worse than to be sideline from training due to a sudden flare up of this dreaded condition. I’ve said before that BJJ fighters along with our Judo cousins are a particular set of athletes that due to the nature of our sport sustain considerable micro trauma to our joints. The best way to avoid it do your mobility work, avoid anything that aggravates it (simple I know but those pull-ups can wait). But for those of suffering there seems to be a solution of sorts.
With both physio bands (good but not great) and a cut up inner tube (better) I’ve been dispensing brief misery on myself and my clients with something called compression flossing. Promoted by Coach Kelly Starrett the fellow behind Mobility WOD who picked it from power-lifter Donnie Tompson and has ran with the idea of compression flossing. I first came across a video of Olympic lifting coach Glenn Pendlay doing this and have been using it since.
According to Starrett, Compression flossing does the following.
1) Restores sliding surfaces of the compressed and regional tissues being wrapped. (Like Self Inflicted ART)
2) Pushes swelling out of joints/tissues when used to treat in this way.
3) Re-perfuses tissues that have poor blood flow
4) Creates flexion gapping at joints like the elbow restoring normal joint motion.
5)Magic
It treats tendonitis like nothing I’ve seen before, to see the method in action watch the video below.
The method seems to work well on bony joints, line, knee, wrist, ankle and elbow but poorly on hip and shoulder. Rigging up your own band rather than buying an expensive alternative is picking up a the largest cheapest inner tube you can find (mine cost £4). Cut out the valve and then cut the tube down one of seams, simple!
Simply get someone (you can do it yourself but its tricky) to wrap it around the offending joint as tightly as possible. And work through and try and push through a full range of motion of the joint, it will be uncomfortable but stick with it for a minute or so, if you feel any pins and needles or numbness then take it off. There maybe some marking from the rubber but it should be minor. My Clients notice the difference almost immediately, especially the amount of joint space this creates makes a big difference.
I’m not going to lie I am in love with this method, give it a try.
This is an ongoing series of articles from guest blogger and Strength & Conditioning coach William Wayland of Powering Through.