The Stick at Work

The American work force is similar to its athletic community in that muscles are frequently called on to perform repetitive tasks. Employees in the workplace use The Stick to manage production fatigue and prevent repetitive strain injuries.

The athlete is all too familiar with the pains of shin splints, tennis elbow, muscle strain, joint sprain, etc. Today’s worker is throttled with such phrases as repetitive strain injuries, cumulative trauma disorders, over-use syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc. Recent research in the field of Biomechanics has shown that the athlete and the worker have one common, constant, irrefutable finding — both exhibit non-compliant or unhealthy muscle tissue.

In order to understand non-compliant or unhealthy muscle it is necessary to discuss compliant or healthy muscle. Compliant muscle can be stretched, shortened, twisted or compressed without restriction or pain. It exhibits good circulation, flexibility, strength and endurance. On the other hand non-compliant tissue is stiff, tender, and sore with a feeling of painful knots or tight bands in the muscle. It exhibits poor circulation, reduced flexibility, weakness and easily fatigues. Non-compliant muscle is susceptible to injury in the same way a worn tire invites a blowout. Non-compliant muscle creates barriers that hasten production fatigue and restricts peak performance. The key to achieving peak work performance is to remove the barriers.

A playing athlete will never perform without warming the muscle and preparing it for the desired sport. Additionally, the player will stop or change pace when the muscle tires or fatigues. On the other hand, the working athlete rarely if ever prepares the priority muscle for the required manual task. The worker seldom stops or changes pace when the muscle gets tired or production fatigue becomes an issue. The human body contains roughly 690 muscle heads, tendons and bellies. Why are some compliant and others are not? Why do certain muscles get stiff during sudden weather changes, yet others appear unaffected? Why do we continually wake up with the same pain in the same muscle? Why does our back hurt more while standing than during bending? Why do our episodes of muscular pain return to the same spot? Why does the pain keep coming back – even after treatment?

The above hypothetical questions share a single response. The answer is myofascial lesions in the form of barrier trigger points. The Stick allows the working athlete to self-perform general as well as segmental therapeutic procedures that remove the barriers to peak work performance. It is the unassisted rolling, stretching, twisting and compressing of the muscle that diffuses barrier trigger points and converts non-compliant muscle to compliant muscle.

The Stick offers a program for Industry that brings The Stick technology into the workplace. Contact us for more information on this innovative workplace program.

Copyright 1992, All Rights Reserved Dr. Andrew S. Bonci Sport Biomechanics Laboratory