the word of the day...recovery

A common misbelief about endurance sports and weight training is that you get stronger as you exercise. The truth of the matter is workouts break your muscles down and it is during recovery that strength is built. Throughout cycling I have always taken my recovery very seriously. I have found that there is only so much I can do for myself and I often look to other people to aid in my recovery. There are three main treatments I use: acupuncture, graston, and massage (in that order). I firmly believe that a combination of these three treatments can help anyone achieve their athletic goals. As massage is known to everyone I will skip over that and enlighten you about my other two, preferred, methods of recovery.

Acupuncture: Ahhh good ol' Steven Rizzolo. Rizzolo is my go to guy when it comes to muscle and joint problems. All my ailments are treated with a combination of ultrasound, trigger point needling, and e- stem. Steven was nice enough to write up the quick summery that follows on trigger point needling and its benefits:

What is Trigger Point Needling? How do they develop? What are the benefits of having then needled?

Trigger point needling is an extremely effective technique that uses a very fine acupuncture needle to "deactivate" or "shut down" painful or knotted areas in your muscles. A trigger point is a hyperirritable spot in skeletal muscle that is associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band. The spot is painful on compression and can give rise to a characteristic referral pain zone.
Trigger points form only in skeletal muscles by a local contraction in a small number of muscle fibers located in the larger muscle bundle. It often feels like a pea buried deep in the muscle that keeps the muscle tight and weak. Trigger points maintain a hard contraction on the muscle fibers that are directly connected to them. This constriction is the source of the discomfort within the muscle itself. These taut bands of muscle fiber also keep constant tension on the muscle's attachments often producing symptoms in tendons and adjacent joints.
Activation of trigger points may be caused by a number of factors including acute or chronic muscle overload as seen with training athletes, secondary activation of satellite trigger points by other primary trigger points, psychological distress via systemic inflammation, direct trauma to the region such as fall off of a mountain bike onto the hip, and accident trauma such as whiplash in a car accident that stresses many muscles and causes instant trigger points.
The illustration to the right is a common set of trigger points located in the muscle of the

levator scapula. The “X’s” indicate the location of the trigger points while the red dots represent the pain referral pattern. These trigger points are consistently active in cyclists and anyone who is working at the computer for an extended period of time.



How Does Trigger Point Needling Improve Function?
1. Trigger Point Needling of skeletal muscle causes a reflexive relaxation of the involved muscle.
2. Micro damage created by the needle insertion causes a local healing response in the effected tissue by increasing blood supply that promotes the natural healing process.
3. Trigger Point Needling disrupts the feedback loop nerve pathway that has created the trigger point.
4. Trigger Point Needling causes a local chemical release that blocks the transmission of pain messages.
Conditions That May Benefit From Trigger Point Needling?
1. Acute and chronic tendonitis
2. Athletic and sports-related overuse injuries
3. Post-surgical pain
4. Post-traumatic injuries, motor vehicle accidents, and work related injuries
5. Chronic pain conditions
6. Headaches and whiplash
7. Lower back pain
For more information or to schedule an appointment please contact Steven Rizzolo at:

Phone 303.506.4637
Steven@BoulderSportsAcupuncture.com
www.BoulderSportsAcupuncture.com

Graston: "The Graston Technique is a type of Myofascial Release Treatment. It uses a form of instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively detect and treat scar tissue and restrictions that affect normal function..." (Boulder Tri-Massage). The man responsible for treating me is Dr. Brent Apgar, DC at Synch Chiropractic. This technique has greatly helped my sore knee and helped relive some tension in my lower back. I was a little surprised that Brent remarked that I had the back of a 40 or 50 year old. My back has been greatly traumatized due to all the years spent riding and racing bikes. He said that backs like that for someone my age only come with years of intense professional athleticism. Good or bad...you decide. Brent is an awesome guy and a fellow rock climber to boot. If your looking for an excellent Graston treatment or chiropractor Brent is your man. Brent works in conjunction with Boulder Tri- Massage and can be reached at:

http://tri-massage.com/index

http://synchropractic.blogspot.com/