The intent of this short article is to shop how a circular, variable-length straf may be used to support practitioners it working on themselves. Everyone who per forms some routine form of manual worl experiences work-hardening in the myofascial tissues of their hands, arms anc shoulder girdle and practitioners are generally aware that they ‘never’ get enough work. Our tissues harden and stiffen in response to the forces they are being requirec to interact with. There is an ongoing need for continuing up-keep and maintenance outside the context that normally can be received from other practitioners.

If only we had the ability to work on ourselves. There are several merits to this idea. Ultimately each of us is our own, best and most-experienced expert on the comfort and needs of our own body. We also have the advantage of possessing advanced knowledge of methods designed to change body structure and function. However, direct and unassisted, we are very limited as to how much of our own personal anatomy we can effectively reach.

PUSHING THE ENVELOPE

What envelope? I’ve found that a circular strap of one or two-inch wide, flexible polymer webbing (4.5′ total length) and a lightweight plastic buckle (with one ‘bucklestay’, both easy to find at camping or outdoor equipment stores) can be used to support a unique series of self-applied leverages. This buckle arrangement allows for the length of the strap to be varied quickly, easily and with good precision.

Using this circular, flexible tool, I have found it possible to work in many new ways and on more areas than ever before. The process of learning to do this is quite easy and not unlike learning to tie simple knots. The resulting leverages are very secure, productive and powerful; and work in many newly available areas is nicely supported. Utilizing a strap as a portable fulcrum, one can apply as much pressure, work for as long as appropriate, at normal contact depths as would be appropriate with one’s normal clients. If you let your intuition be guided by the strap, you’ll find you can discover a large number of highly effective contacts. Here are two examples:

The places where the strap wraps around an opposing arm or shoulder can be used as an active grip to compress and stretch the local tissue beds. Straps can give the ability to accomplish working on oneself in two and three places at once!

Using the strap to apply pressure to the anterior side of the forearm makes it possible to triangulate, on the constellation of the three bony elements of the elbow joint and release, decompress or expand the whole structure.

FOREARMS

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<img src=’https://novo.pedroprado.com.br/imgs/2004/677-10.gif’>Strap-Assisted Contact for Self Upkeep and Maintenance