Blog

Trigger Point Technologies

A few weeks ago when Elizabeth and I were in Austin, I had the good fortune of arranging a meeting with Cassidy Phillips, the founder, owner and CEO of Trigger Point Technologies. Trigger Point makes great products and Cassidy is a total stud. The long-winded post below is mostly just a recommendation for any runner, triathlete or other athlete to use their products to avoid or help heal your injuries!

A few years ago, based on a recommendation from a salesperson at JackRabbit, I bought the Trigger Point Quadballer to help treat some achilles and hip pains I was having. The Quadballer (in the picture above, it’s the thing in front of the block with the wheels on its sides) serves a purpose similar to a foam roller, but it’s made to feel like a massage and, according to Trigger Point, more effectively treats the body, especially the quads, hamstrings and IT Band. Then, in in February, I bought one of their Trigger Point Massage Balls, which I’ve been using religiously on my legs and butt. I really believe in the TP products, but (as I’ve belabored here), I haven’t been able to achieve my fully desired result of being pain free.

Cassidy is a friend of my friend Drew and when I told Drew we were going to be in Austin, he offered to try to set up a meeting for me with Cassidy. Cassidy was more than happy to oblige and invited me to meet him at their offices. I was hoping Cassidy would help diagnose what’s going on in my lower body, explain to me what has caused my pain and then show me how to treat it.

Cassidy did all that and more. Within a few moments of me explaining my history and what was going on, he had a potential diagnosis and a definite plan. He did some of the things the doctors and physical therapists have done – he watched me sit, stand and walk, tested my flexibility and checked out my shoes. But, unlike the gap between doctor and physical therapist, he immediately started working with me. He explained some of the physiology in an attempt to show me how the muscles and connective tissue work together – and how they sometimes can strain to do so and cause pain or injuries.

The first thing he did was explain to me that I’m sitting and standing wrong. The biggest lessons from that were to cut out my slouch and stand up straight (When I’m standing around, I tend to lean and support my weight on my right leg). Then, he spent a while working with me and demonstrating how to most effectively use the Quadballer and TP Massage Ball. The amazing thing is that after just a minute or so of working out a spasm or massaging a muscle or tendon I could feel the difference. That’s not to say that it cured the problem or relieved all my pain, but you could tell that the range of motion was increased or the muscle felt a little “looser”. I was in heaven. The other piece of advice that Cassidy had was about hydration. He asked me how much water I drink a day, and I proudly told him that I drink tons of it. But that wasn’t the right answer. He explained that while water is obviously necessary, when I drink that much plain water, a lot of it just gets flushed out of my system. He suggested adding electrolytes to my water because evidently (and I’m surely butchering this) being dehydrated is a contributing factor to all these types of injuries and the electrolytes help hydrate muscles and connective tissue, which in turn keeps them strong and helps avoid injury. Nuun is the brand he recommended.

As you can probably guess, I would strongly recommend Trigger Point’s product line to anyone. I’ve been doing the self-massage and drinking my electrolyte-water. I’ve also been conscious about how I sit and stand (trying to fix that takes a ton of attention and work!) And as you’ve read, I’m feeling pretty good these days. I’m still not pain- or worry-free, but I do believe that Cassidy’s advice is helping me stave off injuries and pain and also recover from my training more quickly. Some of their product packages include DVD’s showing how to use the products and the website has both written “instructions” and videos. Trigger Point is a sponsor of the North American Ironmans and sets up their tent at the pre-race expo, giving demonstrations and answering questions (in addition to selling their products). If you see them at a race, definitely stop by and soak up a little of their knowledge.

Thanks Cassidy!

p.s. Happy 4th of July!

Bike – July 1
Distance: 24.6 miles
Time: 1:17
Average heart rate: 120
Course: West Side to Central Park
Conditions: Very pleasant – low 70’s, sunny, not very humid

Swim – July 2
Distance: 3,200 yards
Time: 1:00

Run – July 3
Distance: 11.5 miles
Time: 1:30
Average heart rate: 154
Course: Central Park
Conditions: Sunny, warm (mid 70’s)