Soft Tissue work for Athletes

Many athletes have realized the value of soft tissue work through massage, Active Release, or Graston/SASTM. Soft tissue work is any modality that improves the quality of the soft tissue which is comprised of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and even joint capsules.

What exactly is soft tissue quality? Essentially, it is the condition or ability of the soft tissue to function in an optimal, pain free manner; to perform smoothly in other words

When we train/exercise/move we often times create mini-trauma to our soft tissue in the form of micro tears in the various components of soft tissue. This is part of the training process and results in the tissue healing, growing and getting stronger. But frequently there is also some scarring and adhesions that occur as well and these impede function and performance. In essence, you get knots and damaged tissue matrixes in your soft tissue and the soft tissue can't perform as smoothly and efficiently as it would without these impediments.

Soft tissue work, especially if done regularly and immediately, serves to improve tissue quality as well as improving the extensibility of the soft tissue. Extensibility is the capacity of the soft tissue to lengthen properly. By immediately, I mean doing soft tissue work as a regular part of your exercise regimen will help improve your tissue quality. If you wait until pain or discomfort if felt you are facing that much more of a challenge.

Currently, IFBB professional bodybuilder Fouad Abiad, is travelling to Adam Bogar in Burlington, Ontario to recieve soft tissue manipulation and acupuncture to keep healthy and be the top of his game!

Below are pictures are some pictures of Fouad's last soft tissue treatment. We are breaking down soft tissue and myofascial adheasions to increase blood flow, muscle size/density, and neuromuscular contraction to the muscle.

Keep posted for more of Bogar Performance athletes and there treatments and science behind treatment and soft tissue procedures.