Explaining About The Homunculus At The Kinesio Taping Course

Sports Solutions hosted the Kinesio Taping Level 1-2 course today and no surprises, the course was fully subscribed.

It was bright sunshine after the early morning storm and the day started with explaining the science and rationale behind how Kinesio Taping works.

After my own learning journey from the Anatomy Train courses, lessons from Andrew Hutton, Flossband (with Sven Kruse) and David Butler, I can definitely explain and teach the course better. Well, I'd better because I had to explain what the homunculus was to the class.

Teaching the homunculus

Of course we spent some time going through anatomy and surface landmarks.

Palpating for C1 after finding the mastoid process

Finally after all the talking, it was time to tape.

All eyes and ears

Stay tuned for Level 2 tomorrow.

I Bit Off More Than I Could Chew Today

I kinda bit off more than I could chew today..... yes I'm writing that down again to remind myself not to do it again.

Waiting ..... for me to be ready

On Saturday afternoons when we have the Floss band course at Sports Solutions, I normally stop seeing patients half an hour before so I can get my act ready.  I have to get the computer and projector ready, whatever anatomy models I may need, laser pointer etc as well as eat some lunch.

Today, I had a patient who was gonna take part in a race tomorrow. And that patient requested that I do some taping as the last time we did the taping, the patient was able race pain free. The only time I could spare to do the taping was the half an hour before the course.

That of course ate into preparation time and I was late for my own course right here in the clinic. I wasn't happy with myself! As someone who takes care to always be early for my patients and appointments, I messed up.

A thousand apologies to all who turned up for the course today. I promise it will not happen again. And by the way we had a chiropractor (for the first time) who turned up for the course today too.

Right in the thick of action

Capt America watching ...while Trevor doesn't

The physio students having a go

A big thank you to Danny, Ekina and Jane who came really early and got the place ready for the course again. Couldn't have done it without them. And for helping me tidy the place after too. Please contact them at Sanctband Singapore if you want to attend the next course.

World Champion Athlete Comes To Floss Band Course

We had a Pencak Silat World Champion attend the Floss Band course today at Sports Solutions along with coaches, and sparring partners from the Singapore Silat Federation.

Surprised?

Yes, you read correctly, Muhammad Shakir Junda (above right) is a 2-time Pencak Silat World Champion (in the over 85-90 kg category). He was crowned World Champion in 2012 and 2016.

While I was still working at the Singapore Sports Council (now the S'pore Sports Institute), I had treated 3 Silat World Champions before and I found out today they were still involved with grooming future world champions.

Of course there were also other Physiotherapists, Personal trainers, Physical Education teachers and Occupational Therapists attending the course today. It was good to see some familiar faces in the participants today (Jocelyn and Tommy).

Hey, I thought it was the Floss band course, not foam rolling

Tommy Yau explaining how it's done

Lenis and Jacq do the cha cha?

A big thank you to Amy, Danny and Ekina for coming early and getting the place ready so I can eat a little after seeing patients in the morning. And for packing up after the course too. Please contact them at Sanctband Singapore if you want to attend the next course in April.

Thank you to all who came to the course today, glad you guys found it useful. And hopefully we'll get more World Champions in Pencak Silat too.

Full Again Today For The Floss Band Course

Just about to start

After a break of over two months, Sports Solutions hosted the Floss band course again today. As you can see from the picture above we were really filled.

There were lots of physiotherapists in the class today (at least half of the whole group I was told) and I spent a bit more time explaining the rationale for using the Floss bands while not neglecting the members of the public who did not have a anatomy background.

After all the explanations it was time to start flossing.

Flossing the knee

Flossing Jialing's lumbar spine

Many thanks as usual to Amy, Danny and Jane for setting up the place again while I was still treating patients. They do such an excellent job organising the course, registering the participants, setting up the place, providing the Floss bands etc while I just show up and teach.

Please contact them at Sanctband Singapore if you wish to attend the course or get the Floss bands.

Super Full (Again) Today Despite The Heavy Storm

Are we starting yet?

Despite the very heavy downpour this afternoon, we had a super full crowd today. Normal enrolment for the course is 20 participants, we had close to 30 today. Some were late perhaps due to the heavy rain but we soon got the bands rolling ..... Pardon the pun.

Other than members of the public, personal trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, cross fitters, this time there were quite a few Physiotherapists from hospitals and private practices too.

There were some new slides presented today and those who attended the earlier two sessions can look them from up Prezi if they wish.

Once the theory part was out of the way, the practical started.

Lucie from In Touch Physio 

Lingo flossing Terence's wrist

Here's how I will floss Terence's wrist

Hmm Amos looks sceptical ....

Let's do the twist

Is that a smile from Terence?

Thank you to Amy and Danny for setting up everything despite the heavy rain and to Jane (who came from another event) for organizing the course. Next course will be on 9/7/16. Please contact Sanctband Singapore if you're keen to attend.

Full House Today (Again)

Full house ....waiting to start

I didn't expect the Flossing course to be full today as earlier in the week Jane told me that there were still vacancies and asked if I could share the brochure on our clinic's Facebook page.

But it was filled just like the course two weeks ago and we even had families and friends of course attendees dropping by.

Explaining how it works

Hey whose bones are these?

Time to demo

Amy, Jane and Danny from Sanctband were early as usual setting up the place while I was still seeing patients, a big thank you to them.

Next course will be on 14/5/16, please contact Sanctband Singapore to sign up.

Calm before the start

The Flossing Technique At Sports Solutions

All ears

After seeing patients in the morning and the early afternoon, I had > 30 minutes to get ready to teach others how to use the Floss bands. Fortunately, Amy, Danny and Jane from Sanctband arrived very early to get ready. Chapeau to them.

After explaining how the bands work, it was time to floss.

Putting to practice what they learnt

We had 20 people who came today. The course is organized by Sanctband Singapore and held at Sports Solutions. The next course is in 2 weeks. Please contact Sanctband  if you're keen to attend.

Concentrating ....

A big thank you to Amy, Danny and Jane today.

After Rupturing His Patella Tendon .....

Nice leather seats ....

This is how Ronald Susilo came to our clinic after surgery to re-attach his patella tendon - his wife drove him while he sat in the back seat. Besides rupturing his patella tendon, he also tore his ACL and his meniscus.

With the Floss band

Last Saturday (20/02/16)  you saw him struggling to turn the pedals a full round while on the stationary bike. Only with the Floss band he managed to go one full round albeit with lots of shouting (in pain of course)!

On Monday (22/2/16), we went to the pool for hydrotherapy. 

And yesterday he saw his surgeon for a review. His surgeon told him "good progress". Little did the surgeon know he couldn't bend his knee more than 60 degrees last Saturday!

Today we got him on the Bongo board. Yes, both side to side and front and back. A board developed to challenge even professional athletes.

Check this out!

Holding on for dear life

What I'm trying to say is we didn't achieved this progress just because of the Floss band. Yes maybe the Floss band did kick start his rehab last Saturday by allowing him to turn the stationary bike pedals a full round. He began to believe in himself after that.

We did lots of other things along the way too, (I've left out the other rehab details of course, come talk to me if you wanna know). 

Use your Floss band as part of the treatment strategies you have to treat your patients. It's not a magic bullet. It's certainly not the only treatment aid/ tool you should be using.

To Jane Fong, Danny Ho, Sven Kruse and Sanctband, thank you for introducing to me the Floss band. It's definitely a tool I use in my bag of tools to treat my patients.

Ronald Susilo going down stairs

More On The Floss Bands

Floss band and fascia

I have been trying out the Floss bands on my patients when there is an indication for it's use since attending the Flossing course.

Here are a few suggestions on how the Floss bands work. A common hypothesis is that it works through our fascial system.We have more fascia (or connective tissue) than anything else in our body. Fascia is a spider web like structure that wraps our muscles, blood vessels and nerves. Tom Myers say that fascia is the biological fabric we have inside our bodies.

I often tell my patients that fascia is similar to the glad wrap (or cling wrap) that wraps the meat or fruit tightly that we see in supermarkets.

When our fascia is adhered to itself, dehydrated or has unhealthy tension, movement can be restricted and blood may not be able to flow freely. For example, those knots you feel in your upper back, they may not be muscle tightness but probably fascia that has adhered to itself.

When you release tight fascia and allow for space in the connective tissue, blood can flow freely, movement becomes fluid and pain stops as a result.

Flossing helps create motion between the fascial layers which then releases the unhealthy adhesions.

Those of you who've attended the Kinesio taping courses must be thinking that this sounds similar. Yes, similar to the fascia taping techniques covered in the Day 2 of the Kinesio Taping course.

There is also the occlusion effect, The compression from the Floss band will prevent blood flow to the area the band is wrapped around. When the band is released, a rush of blood hydrates that area and can have a healing effect.

No Floss band, not enough range ....

With the Floss band

This is probably how joint mechanics improved too since joints that are painful and/ or have decreased range of motion after flossing often change remarkably.

Joints that are swollen benefit as compression (from the Floss bands) moves the swelling or drain the swollen area to other parts just like how our own lymphatic (or drainage) system works.

My patient in the picture above (no prizes for guessing who) ruptured his patella tendon last month and after surgery to attach it back didn't have enough range to ride the stationary bike. After flossing, kaboom! He's got enough range to pedal a full revolution. He yelled really loudly though!

Personally, I feel the Floss bands seem to work best in aiding recovery. Flossing the thigh muscles after a hard run  makes the legs feel a lot lighter and looser in two minutes. Yes you read correctly, two minutes or less.

 I've had a Team Singapore swimmer, cyclist and a netball player come in to our clinic today with acute muscle soreness and responded favourably to flossing and all three were impressed with how quickly the results came. You've got to try it to believe it.

My CrossFit patients tell me after a heavy squatting session when the legs feel really "dead" and heavy, the Floss bands definitely help with muscle recovery.

So, I'm not saying you have to run out and grab one straight away. I'm still trying to understand how it works and how to get consistent results with the Floss band, But like I wrote earlier, you've got to try it to believe it.

Learning To Use The Floss Band

Floss Bands made bySanctband

I was invited by Jane Fong and Danny Ho from Sanctband to attend the Flossing workshop in Ipoh, Malaysia taught by a German physiotherapist, Sven Kruse.

Prior to this I've never heard of Floss Bands before. But Jane and Danny from Sanctband got me interested after telling me what the bands can do. Used correctly, they can decrease pain and increase joint range of motion, especially by altering the fascia. (Sounds like Kinesio Taping to me)!

In fact in the USA, they are also known as Voodoo bands and are extremely popular among CrossFitters. Other than being a good marketing ploy by enticing people into trying them out by calling it Voodoo bands, Danny told me it was also because no one seemed to understand how they work so well - almost like "Black Magic".

The Floss bands are supposed to be able to help decrease pain and increase mobility/ range of motion in your joints. Now, that will definitely help our patients.

It is also suggested that it can be helpful in breaking up adhesions in our fascia (connective tissue) by re-perfusing tissues and by compressing the swelling out of joints to restore joint mechanics.

With Sven Kruse

Let me practise what I've learnt and I'll write another post shortly. Stay tuned.