Lecture Series Brainstorm

Des and I had a chat this morning about our ideas and game plan for our upcoming lecture series on massage and self myofascial release techniques. We decided to let everyone in on our thoughts on the subject for the time being. Consider it a little sneak peak ;)
9:26 AM desmond.dowling: Hi there Andrew.
9:27 AM me: Mornin' Des
9:30 AM desmond.dowling: I thought we might talk a little about the Lecture Series on Thursday.
9:31 AM me: Yes, How do you feel about organizing that? Are there any subject areas in particular that you want to cover? I thought talking about the male perception on massage is pretty good.
39 minutes
10:11 AM desmond.dowling: Yes, there is definitely a difference in perception between men and women. I would like to start out my part of the talk with the thought that where many men and women train and work out to improve and maintain their bodies, women more than men seem to view massage as an integral part of their health and fitness routines.
15 minutes
10:26 AM me: I was thinking it would be a good idea to talk about how many men are into sports and how massage can benefit their game.
10:28 AM desmond.dowling: All of the major sports teams have massage therapists on staff. They help the athletes to recover more quickly from injury and also relieve tired and sore muscles, cramps and strains.
10:30 AM me: Even for the amateur athlete or the recreational athlete, massage is a good idea. I think that would be a nice seguay into self myofascial release, what do you think?
10:35 AM desmond.dowling: Definitely. There is a lot people can do to help themselves. You could definitely talk about the techniques they would use and what equipment they would need. Of course there are some limits as to how much you can do for yourself and sometimes you just need a therapist to get hard to reach areas and to target very specific points. It is a good idea to use both methods.
10:37 AM me: How would you regulate a schedule incorporating both techniques? As a therapist what would you recommend?
13 minutes
10:50 AM desmond.dowling: I would recommend at least monthly visits to the Massage Therapist. How often do you think the self-treatment should be carried out?
10:56 AM me: I would say it can be done once or twice daily. The effects of it aren't beneficial if they aren't done on a consistent basis. Personally, I find that doing self myofascial release at two separate points in the day helps with sore spots.
11:01 AM desmond.dowling: What other self-treatment techniques can be used?
11:02 AM me: It depends on what area you are trying to work. The foam roller is a good multipurpose tool for this kind of technique. A similar things can be done for the sole of the foot using a tennis ball.
11:04 AM desmond.dowling: Also, picking up marbles with your toes is beneficial.
11:06 AM me: Yes, I think it's also an important point that for those individuals that do the SMR for the first time will usually feel a certain level of discomfort. I mentioned that in the blog last week.
11:10 AM desmond.dowling: I would also like to touch on the subject of Massage as a preventative and being proactive with your own health.
me: What are your thoughts on that?
8 minutes
11:19 AM desmond.dowling: Massage boosts the immune system which, obviously, helps to resist disease. Muscles that are massaged prior to sporting events (marathons, soccer games, competitive cycling etc) are less likely to cramp and are less liable to be strained/sprained.
Massage increases circulation, delivering nutrients and oxygen to the muscles.
11:21 AM It also helps increase range-of-motion and flexibility, giving you better performance in your chosen sport or activity.
11:22 AM me: All of which are great points. I think we have a solid set of points to bring up for this coming Thursday. Thanks Des.