Tools of the Trade

Here at Minnesota Movement we use a multitude of tools/knick-knacks/devices in order to efficiently and effectively get you moving pain free!

That being said, sometimes these tools look a little daunting. That's why we wanted to take a minute to get you acquainted with each of them!

IASTM/RockBlades/Graston Tools:

These are metal or plastic tools that are used to treat myofascial restriction. These can be used when you feel those ‘tight’ spots (think ‘knots in your muscles’) and working through them manually with the doctor’s hands are either too aggressive OR not aggressive enough.

This may sound confusing, but with many different variables possible for treatment we can use these tools in a multitude of ways.

This allows us to treat pain, up-regulate tissues that aren’t firing properly, decrease muscle tone of tight spots, and even help swelling/edema.

RockTape:

Kinesiology tape has been around for quite some time and the research behind it is only getting better and better! Studies have shown that the tape microscopically lifts the skin away from the underlying fascia - creating a decompression effect to allow more tissue glide and blood flow.

I’m positive that you’ve seen it before. RockTape is that stretchy tape that you saw on Kerri Walsh Jennings’ shoulder during the Olympics.
We use this tape to correct posture, restore quality of movement, decompress tissues after bruises, and so much more!

This can be used to treat both sports and non-sports injuries such as plantar fasciitis, runner’s knee, shoulder pain, golfer’s elbow, and low back pain.

E-Stim:

Electric Stimulation (E-Stim for short) is a treatment where we use small electrical input to your muscles via pads on your skin to induce relaxation.

The treatment with E-Stim (or TENS unit) is very gentle and doesn’t cause pain to the area during the session. This is important to note because often-times we see people come in complaining about how their last therapist ‘cranked up the intensity too high!’

That will never happen here because YOU have control over the intensity with our units.

Exercise Bands:

Whether we’re trying to improve mobility, stability, or motor control; exercise and resistance bands are a MUST. We can use these bands as an assistance to improve a stretch or as resistance to use with engaging a muscle.

The bands we have here at Minnesota Movement come in different resistance levels and we can cut them to any length you need. If there is an exercise that we want you doing at home that involves a band - we will be sure to give you one!

RockFloss:

Opposite from RockTape (kind of). RockFloss is used by wrapping it tightly around your area of complaint to create a compression effect.

Then, we have you take your body part through its normal ranges of motion. This helps the compression turn into a shearing effect.

This shearing effect helps break up the sticky spots between the layers of your skin, fascia, and muscles. The end result is increased mobility that lasts!

RockPods:

These pods are like a little plunger - but for your body. Much like traditional cupping (think of Michael Phelps’ shoulders) we can put these on your body to bring blood to the surface.

When this blood movement takes place, there is a decompression effect happening within the layers of your skin, fascia, and muscle. At this time, research has shown, that if we move your body part while this decompression is happening we get decreased muscle tone, decreased pain, and lasting mobility to the area.

Our body’s layers are meant to glide in order to move optimally - these RockPods help us do that!

Interested in learning more about these tactics and tools? Contact us today or book your appointment with Minnesota Movement!