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What is Voodoo Floss and Should I Use It?

Wellness Posted by Crystal L.

Benefits of voodoo flossing

Several physical therapists and trainers use muscle flossing as part of different treatment protocols.

  1. Voodoo flossing can also decrease the perception of tightness in a certain area, which can cause fast improvements in flexibility or muscle soreness.
  2. Tissue flossing can be used to reduce exercise-induced delayed-onset muscle soreness [5], even in people without any musculoskeletal injuries.
  3.  A study was done involving 52 recreational athletes and it was discovered that floss bands when placed on the ankle while doing exercises can increase plantarflexion and dorsiflexion [6] range of motion.
  4. Voodoo flossing helps to improve joint mobility and communicate with the nervous system to bring awareness to a particular group of muscles or joints.

Who should do voodoo flossing?

  1. Healthy people that train hard and want to improve their warm up routine or recovery between gym sessions should do voodoo flossing.
  2. People that feel tight before exercise
  3. People that experience certain mobility restriction

Several compressions from the floss can help reduce muscle soreness, especially if you experience the soreness after a workout.

It is important to not attempt voodoo flossing on your own for the first time. You can hire a certified athletic trainer to help with applying the floss for the first few times, so you don’t harm yourself.

Conclusion

Voodoo flossing is a warm up or recovery tool used to treat tightness or stiffness in certain parts, improve mobility and decrease muscle soreness. If pain or tightness persists after using voodoo floss, then you should see a doctor.

References

[1] https://teachmeanatomy.info/lower-limb/muscles/thigh/hamstrings/

[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/muscular-hypertrophy#:~:text=Hypertrophy%20is%20an%20increase%20and,common%20way%20to%20increase%20hypertrophy.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexibility_(anatomy)#:~:text=Flexibility%20or%20limberness%20refers%20to,length%20of%20multi%2Djoint%20muscles.

[4] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21015-numbness#:~:text=Numbness%20is%20a%20loss%20of,of%20numbness%20are%20not%20serious.

[5] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/17669-muscle-pain

[6] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/dorsiflexion#:~:text=Dorsiflexion%20is%20the%20backward%20bending,your%20hand%20at%20the%20wrist.&text=Dorsiflexion%20occurs%20in%20your%20ankle,when%20you%20dorsiflex%20your%20foot.