Tissue Work
Improve muscle pliability and function with integrated soft tissue work
The Techniques
People intuitively know that pressure on muscles can be helpful.
Whether they are pressing on sore spots themselves, using a foam roller or massage gun, or getting a massage, tissue work has been part of sports recovery for ever.
While many approaches promote assisted stretching, they fall short by skipping the soft tissue work.
To achieve that functional mobility, we need the tissue to be pliable. Moving smoothly without trigger points or adhesions.
Unfortunately, our activities, training, and daily life put wear and tear on those tissues.
Manual tissue work techniques help to restore the pliability of your muscles and tendons.
You get the best results by BOTH working your tissue manually and stretching it
Imagine a rubber band. It’s supple and can be stretched smoothly with pressure distributed evenly throughout.
But now take that rubber band and put a knot in the middle. What will happen to that knot when we stretch the rubber band?
The elasticity changes and it doesn’t move the same. In fact, the knot will probably tighten under tension.
This analogy works well for your soft tissue structures like muscle, tendon, and fascia.
If we remove the knots first, the tissue is more elastic and pliable like the rubber band.
What to expect
Integrated with our Vive stretching methods, your Recovery Specialist will use several soft tissue methods to address both the tissue and nervous system.
Some of the methods they will use include;
- Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM) feathering techniques to impact the central nervous system and sensory receptors
- Light to medium IASTM scraping to improve muscle and fascial glide
- Brief Deep Tissue sports massage methods to relax contractile tissue
- Sports Massage techniques that help prepare the body for better movement.
- Pin & Stretch active compression to release myofascial restrictions.
- MyoFascial Decompression (Cupping) uses negative pressure to lift tissues and help them move freely.
No. You are fully clothed. Your tissue work takes place at the same time as your assisted stretching, fully clothed, on a comfortable table in our recovery zone.
The tissue techniques are applied along with stretches while fully clothed, but the clothing needs to allow movement and the Specialist to feel the muscle quality.
So we recommend typical workout gear.
For legs, shorts and/or compression pants work best, but tights can work as well. Jeans and pants don’t work well.
For upper body a thinner workout t-shirt (and sports bra for women) works well.
If you want to focus on shoulder, a tank top is recommended.
Tissue work should not hurt, but there can be brief discomfort.
We never want pain, but since everyone is different we recommend no more than 4-6 out of 10 on your pain scale.
As the Recovery Specialist applies pressure and tension to the tissue, there can be discomfort for 3-5 seconds, with only 3 reps at a time.
Start improving muscle pliability with tissue work
Learn About Manual Tissue therapy
Guide to Soft Tissue Therapy for Active Individuals and Athletes
As an active individual or athlete, you know the importance of maintaining your body’s health and wellness. Soft tissue therapy, a form of manual therapy
What is Muscle Tension?
People use the phrase “muscle tension” but if you don’t really know what that means, it’s hard to fix it. People and professionals describe muscles
Dispelling the Myth: Manual Tissue Therapy Doesn’t Break Up Fascia
There’s a common misconception circulating about manual tissue therapy: that they “break up” fascia. For instance, this is common for techniques like deep tissue massage,
