In Crossfit’s around the world, everyone’s back was trashed this week from 17.1. I hope everyone brought out their best recovery techniques and is now feeling good. As for this athlete, Her lower thoracic took most of the abuse. I helped clean up the damage with some Gua Sha, an ancient technique from Chinese medicine to move the chi through muscles when the area has become stagnant. The technique is simple – you scrape the skin in the direction of the heart for several minutes and if scar tissue has formed in the muscles, it will start to come up through the skin and appear as a red rash.
Btw, Gua Sha is the same thing as Graston, was who copied the concept, repackaged it, and marketed it. But anyone can do it and you don’t need an expensive tool. You can use any oil (I prefer coco butter or coconut oil) and an object with an edge, like a plastic lid or even a coin. Just scrape away!
Let’s see what tonight’s announcement will bring for 17.2 and prepare ahead of time for the recovery!
