Recovery Techniques

Recovery is a crucial step in the health journey. Unfortunately, it isn’t utilized enough, especially by the everyday individual who doesn’t have access to a coach or personal trainer who understands the importance of recovery. Athletes will typically train periodically and – every few weeks or after a competition – take 5-7 days off in order to rest and recover. This is typically called a deload week, a week in which the athlete participates in active recovery. This includes a combination of several different muscle and joint recovery techniques.

Foam rolling is a method of myofascial release. While this may sound like a very scientific and confusing term, its actually quite simple to understand. Fascia is a type of connective tissue that acts as a sleeve over the muscle to promote mobility and flexibility. Fascia can become sticky with inflammation, and begin to grate and rub against the muscles, causing pain and soreness. By applying pressure, you are able to elongate and unstick the fascia from the muscles, restoring mobility.

Cryotherapy is another method of recovery, which uses very low temperatures to jumpstart the body’s self-repair mechanism. Cold temperatures are hugely anti-inflammatory and are also a trigger for endorphin release. By lowering inflammation, your body increases the blood flow in order to remain warm enough to function. The increased circulation is able to heal the injury, as well as flush toxins from the system. This is typically used by aerobic athletes, rather than people who lift because cold temperatures slow the rate of muscle growth.

Cupping therapy is a method of recovery that is known to help with circulation, pain, inflammation and relaxation. It is a deep tissue massage in which suction and heat are used to expand the blood vessels within the muscle. This commonly leads to large circular bruises, as a warm cup is suctioned onto the area of discomfort. Cupping therapy can either be done wet or dry, and with wet cupping therapy, there is often a small slit that is cut into the skin to allow for blood to flow and the circulation to improve. Several voices of criticism have risen against this, as it is similar to bloodletting. Either way, cupping therapy is an ancient technique used for pain relief for thousands of years.

Acupuncture is also an ancient recovery technique. It is traditionally used to prevent and treat diseases. It is believed to balance the body’s natural energy and promote a healing aura, however there is no scientific evidence to prove this. While there is no scientific evidence to support that acupuncture balances energy, there is scientific evidence to prove that it can assist with pain, migraines and emotional pain syndromes.

Even though they both involve needles, Dry Needling is very different than acupuncture. Primarily, there is a lot more research surrounding the effects and benefits of dry needling. Dry needling is the act of puncturing a trigger point (smaller muscle bands within a large muscle) with a very thin needle to create a muscular twitch. This releases the tension within the trigger point and relieves pain.