BOISE runner MYOFASCIAL RELEASE TECHNIQUES

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Runner Fascial Self-Care, Studio-Care & Assessments

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Running is freedom in motion
Below represents a "in the nut-shell" look at what I have learned over my last 8 years of clinical practice working with the connective tissue and high-performing nervous systems of runners of all ages and performance levels. I wanted to give you some simple yet effective free self-care strategies as well as studio-care that I offer our runners at the studio.

Below I will share with you some basics to maintain and some detailed work I do in the studio in the event you wanted to advance the care of your connective tissue in relation to running.

Enjoy this page dedicated solely to improving the health of every runner or aspiring runner whom comes across it.

"I've had two amazing massage therapists in the 18 years I've been getting monthly deep tissue massages, so when my last therapist moved, I struggled to find a new one. A friend recommended Brandon, and after my first visit I knew I'd be coming back. Brandon is incredibly knowledgeable, and I appreciated how he listened to what I needed and suggested additional things I could do. I'm a runner, so I count on my massage therapist for real deep tissue work. But I also depend on energy work and nutritional counseling.
Brandon does it all. I'm so very glad I found him!."

Michelle Payne  ​(Boise, Idaho)
Click here for 100+ more testimonials

Anatomy of Lower Leg
(posterior & lateral views)

Just to give you some insider view on some of the individual tissue that is addressed at Body Epiphanies Massage & Nutrition.
It is recommended you go to Shu's Idaho Running Company to get fitted for your specific needs for shoes.

Fascial Health General Suggestions

Fascial Tools:

  • Rumble Roller (as recommended by Tim Ferriss and many top-performers in the way of athletics)​
  • Mustard Packets for halting cramps (I recommend popping into Whole Foods and in the cafeteria area grab two or more of their mustard packs. This is one of the top pro tricks for any athlete to pop a packet of mustard and keep it in your mouth than swallow and within 1-2 minutes it tends to interfere with the cramping process. Don't forget to stay hydrated with coconut water or water mineralized with electrolytes to prevent this from happening. Here's a great article on this.)
  • Lacrosse Ball (I carry one in my laptop bag and have multiple at home, use it with slow compression and shear throughout tissue that is restricted on your body while watching TV, etc.)
  • Crocodile Creek Solar System Playground Ball, Blue, 5" (it is wise to use softer tools such as these in particular situations, tissues and days)​
  • Squatty Potty (pooping ergonomics make all the difference in the world, so don't judge ^o^.)
  • Vital Proteins Collagen​ (one of the best tools along with homemade bone broth to repair all connective tissue and joints)
  • Epsoak Epsom Salt (take a bath each day you run, it'll take a significant load off of the delayed on-set muscle soreness and replenish some magnesium and sulfur reserves via transdermal delivery)
  • Foundation Core Training (hands down the best overall self-care system I have ever explored or seen clinically relevant)
  • Teeter Inversion Table (in certain instances e.g. knee ligament laxity, eye-pressure or high blood pressure, this may not be indicated)

Supplements for Inflammatory Cascades: (see personalized recommendations here) 

  • Phenocane (this substitute for Asprin helps with inflammatory pathways associated with wear & tear. It's best not to take right away after a workout, however the next day as you don't want to interrupt the inflammatory process of rebuilding tissue overnight.)
  • Thorne Research - Meriva SF (Soy Free) - Sustained Released Curcumin Phytosome (incredibly potent anti-inflammatory especially when used together with the organic spice turmeric, the spice you'd want to consume about 1/2 - 1 tsp a day)

Runner/Fitness Fascia Books:

Some Assessment Tests Used In-Studio

These are some brief examples of assessment tools used at Body Epiphanies Massage & Nutrition to determine where to direct manual therapies for each specific individual. Not every session requires testing, however in difficult cases or for athletes (professional and recreational) it is important to assess and reassess to determine if therapies are appropriate for each individual client.

Runner Specific Studio-Care Videos

Below you will see a series of videos of the kind of care I deliver to my clients. Because time is ever so short and I never liked the idea of reinventing the wheel, these videos are not of me, but of therapies and strategies that I use in the studio on a near-daily basis. 
Some more details of sports massage therapy we do with runners who have ankle and foot pain. These are some of our more gentle therapies to loosen tissue up. The following videos will go a little more into specific trigger point therapy, myofascial release techniques used in the studio.
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This is often needed to decreases over-activity within the gastrocnemius and soleus of the lower leg. 
After some assessment with a overhead squat or positive thomas test it can be determined whether or not the need of psoas...
Static Manual Release (Soft Tissue Mobilization) of the Flexor Hallucis Longus and Flexor Digitorum Longus (FHL & FDL). This is absolutely necessary to treat in nearly any and all runner due to the stress-load put on these muscles and surrounding tissue.
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A common hamstring TPT and fascial release for runners.
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This, as with each one of these videos represent some of the more commonly address tissues, the clinical reasoning, assessment and treatments.

Runner Specific Self-Care Videos

Personal trainer Kai Wheeler demonstrates a myofascial release technique on the glute medius. Myofascial release is a manual pressure technique used to eliminate pain and restore mobility to restricted dysfunctional muscle tissues. This technique is essential for any workout plan because it is directly relates to posture...
Personal trainer, Kai Wheeler out of San Diego, CA shows you a myofascial release technique along with a few stretching poses to relieve hip, lower back and buttock pain. Trigger points in the piriformis can impinge the sciatic nerve sending pain signals to the aforementioned areas. Common misdiagnoses of piriformis...
Personal trainer Kai Wheeler shows you how to release the calf muscles. Trigger points in the gastrocnemious and soleus can refer pain to the feet, achilles and the calf. Common symptoms are plantar fasciitis and cramps in the calves.
Running is one of the most fundamental forms of exercise, but it can also be one of the most destructive. There is no doubt that running and learning how to run faster is a high impact activity that can put excessive strain on your joints and ligaments in your ankles, knees, hips and lower back...
The quadratus lumborum is one of those muscles that often gets overlooked and it ends up wreaking havoc on your training. This deep back muscle has major implications on your training when it isn’t properly stretched and released...
Flat feet are common, occurring in almost 20 percent of the population. If you have them, you likely already know that they can really hurt your ability to workout, or at least workout as effectively as you could be. In this video, I cover 5 ways that flat feet can destroy your workouts and provide you with two exercises for...
Check out these Runner's Knee Exercises from sports injury specialist James Dunne. This ten minute routine of stretches and exercises for Runner's Knee will help you recover from this common problem and get back to training.
"Pursue what’s in your heart, and the universe will conspire to support you."

Rich Roll