Voodoo Compression Floss Bands Part 2

 When to Use a Floss Band:

• The Floss can be used really at anytime, warm up, cool down, and in between workouts. 
• I usually floss before a workout utilizing exercise specific movements, depending on the workout, I get more out of it than a lacrosse ball or foam roller. Second, I’ll use after a lift, it really seems to keep soreness down and help initiate and speed up recovery. 
• Finally, I use the day(s) after a tough workout. When I’m really sore, and laying down on a foam roller sounds miserable, I’ll use the floss.

How to Use a Floss Band:

• Wrap anchor strip around the joint or soft tissue area. 
• From there, use roughly 50% tension or pull and overlap the bands. 
• Tuck the end of the band under. 
• Move in OPEN chain, all ranges of motion. 
• Move in CLOSED chain, loaded and exercise specific ranges of motion. 

Fast Results and Versatility: If you have varying levels of inflammation, especially in your joints (elbows, knees, and shoulders), you’ll be amazed at how much relief the bands can provide in just a few minutes. After using the bands, you can have dramatic “test and retest” before and after results that get you back to training or finally rehabing from a nagging minor injury. Also, a flossing session only takes a few active minutes, so it’s very minimal commitment for fast results.

These flexible bands have no problems wrapping around most joints on your arms and legs. If you’re experiencing discomfort in your knees, shoulders, elbows, ankles, or even wrists, it’s easy to work on these joints using the floss. The bands won’t replace your foam roller for your back and between your shoulders, but they’re very effective on releasing crepitus and impingement in your arms and legs.


To work shoulders, wrists, ankles, elbows and the little pieces within, wrap a band tightly around the joint (sometimes it might take two bands to cover the area) and put it through ROM like push-ups, PVC pass-throughs, squatting, lunging, etc. For knees, wrap one band above and one band below the joint, then do some squats. When you put the joint through ROM with bands anchored on either side, they stretch everything in between, which can greatly improve not only joint ROM but also pain, stiffness and tendonitis.


Ankle:
Wrap the compression band starting midfoot working up over the ankle, then move the ankle thru its full range. This can be done actively by pointing your toes and then bring the back up as far as you can. I like to perform my ankle mobility lunging with the compression bands on.

Knee:
Wrap the compression band around the knee, start just below the patella (kneecap) and wrap firmly working way up to just above the patella. Then squat 20-30 times.

Wrap the compression band around the upper thigh as high as possible. You can squat or sit on a box straightening and bending your knee.


Elbow:
Wrap from just below the elbow up to above the arm. Move the elbow through full range using your other hand or even better get someone else to bent and straighten your arm. Bend and straighten for a couple of minutes or until you feel like you need to rip the band off as your hand is going numb!!! You might have had it wrapped a little too tight.


Shoulder:
Place the other person’s straight arm on your shoulder. Wrap using 50% tension clockwise on the person’s right arm and counterclockwise on his left arm around the deltoid muscles (or shoulders). Start from the top of the shoulder down to mid arm. When you’re done wrapping, tuck the end under the band. Lay the person on his/her back. Place the ball of your foot on the person’s shoulder that has been wrapped. Have the person on the floor internally rotate his/her arm. Apply pressure with your foot as the person rotates his/her arm


Normally, you take the band off after two minutes. But if you experience any of the three:

• A rise in blood pressure and/or claustrophobic 
• Pale looking limb 
• You start feeling tingling 
• Take the band off immediately. The purpose of compressing is to mobilize not de-mobilize. And that’s what will happen if you keep the band on for too long. 
• If you’re flossing for the first time, you might want to go lighter on the tension than you think until you get used to it. 

Conclusion:
Floss compression bands can deliver near-magical results for specific mobility issues by allowing you to work through your full range of motion while compressing a targeted area. For minor strains and general maintenance for overuse, you’ll find that a few minutes of flossing can put you well on the path to a more mobile version of you. The bands are most effective with the help of a friend, but the fantastic grip that floss compression band products have quickly become known for make it effective to use on your own.