Physical Therapy at Frederick Sport and Spine Now Includes
New Cupping and Flossing Techniques with RockPods & RockFloss
By: Dr. Shannon Byers, PT, DPT
Frederick Sport and Spine Clinics are now introducing the techniques of cupping and muscle flossing into our practice! Come see us to find out more about these great techniques! Recently our Urbana clinic hosted courses through RockTape where we got to experience these techniques firsthand and discuss ways that this would benefit many of our patients. Check out our Facebook page for some fun pictures with some examples of ways we used the RockPods and RockFloss.
Cupping with RockPods
Cupping has been a technique around for thousands of years but has recently become more popular as seen with the dark circles on various Olympic and professional athletes. Cupping is a great technique to add to our treatment plans for many different injuries and types of pain.
What are RockPods?
RockPods, which are silicone cups that suction to the skin, create negative pressure between the layers of soft tissue all the way down to the muscle. Do you have tight muscles or hold a lot of tension in your neck and back? This technique may be a great way to improve the mobility of the skin, fascia, and muscle tissue layers while reducing pain levels. We can combine cupping with the RockPods with various massage techniques to reduce pain and inflammation from an injury, improve range of motion, and provide greater sensory awareness to the region you may be experiencing pain. Don’t worry, the bruise-like marks they may leave behind are only temporary and won’t hurt! I won’t get into all the science behind the bruising, but these bruises have a different composition than your standard bruise that results from a compression force or injury.
The cups can be used for many different purposes and body parts. For example, do you find yourself tripping because your toes are catching on the carpet? We can also use these cups as visual learning and using tools to improve motor patterns. It can be a lot easier for the brain to process “bring the red cup toward the black cup” rather than “bring your toes toward your shin” to allow better foot clearance and avoid tripping. Come check them out for yourself! If you are interested in this technique, we are also offering a self-pay option for cupping sessions if you are not currently receiving physical therapy treatment.
RockFloss
Flossing is another great technique to improve range of motion, flexibility, and to reduce pain. RockFloss is a form of compression band therapy, which helps with fluid movement and shearing of the soft tissue layers. This can be used to assist with myofascial release techniques and reduce pain related to tight or “sticky” muscles or joints. This is another great technique to complement our manual therapy and treatment methods to improve the mobility of various body regions, including your ankle, knee or elbow. Are you experiencing a case of tennis elbow? Achilles tendinitis? Or even an ankle sprain? These are just a few examples of injuries and causes of soft tissue restrictions that can limit you from doing your normal activities. RockFloss can help!
About Dr. Shannon Byers
Shannon earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from Saint Francis University in 2018. Shannon has a special interest in orthopedic and sports physical therapy and rehabilitation. She is trained in various manual therapy techniques.
About Frederick Sport and Spine Clinics
The Frederick Sport and Spine Clinics are the premier physical therapy facilities in Mid-Maryland with locations in Frederick, Middletown, and Urbana.
Frederick Sport and Spine Clinic is the only area site offering you the state-of-the-art SwimEx Aquatic Therapy Pool.
Our facilities are equipped to provide the Fracture Rehab Program the Return to Sport Program for all levels of athletes recovering from injury or surgery and, the Degenerative Spine Program for the mature customers. We are pleased to offer you more programs and information on our website.
