What is Reddit's opinion of TheStick Travel Stick, 17"L, Standard Flexibility, Red Handles, Therapeutic Body Massage Stick, Potentially Improves Flexibility, Aids in Muscle Recovery & Muscle Pain, Assists in Myofascial Release?

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The Stick for calf/leg massage is killer for on the way out massaging of tired leg muscles after walking all day. I also use a 5 disc roller which I wish I could find a link for (but not something you'd want to use on anything other than carpet) for the bottoms of my feet. To be honest, looking at the products that are out there, buying a 3 pack of tennis balls to roll your feet on is probably far more productive.

Hit up a running store on your day off, tell the sales person you do a half marathon of walking each day, and see what they recommend for the feet or even better, go see a podiatrist. You make money with your feet; if you're earning penalty time, they're earning penalty time and deserve to be treated as such.

My suggestion for beginners is to start with the Stick.* I use it on my adductors, upper quads, IT band, and outer calf. If I feel a sore or tight spot, I roll it for longer. Sometimes I don’t do for awhile (read: months) and then it’ll take me a couple days of rolling to roll out the tightness in my adductors.

• I have the travel size. https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU

I suffer a lot with leg symptoms similar to what you’re describing. This is one of my most debilitating POTS symptoms during summer because the leg pain can be so intense, it wakes me up at night. This occurs from alternations in vasodilation causing blood pooling, leading to reactive cramping.

I take magnesium supplements- I would discuss it with your doc. Sodium and water do help, Dorsiflexion and plantar flexion stretches help.

Compression socks with activity are what help me the most.

I also have this bad boy for rolling out my legs- it WORKS - super painful to use but helps long term: TheStick Travel Stick, 17"L, Standard Flexibility, Red Handles, Therapeutic Body Massage Stick, Potentially Improves Flexibility, Aids in Muscle Recovery & Muscle Pain, Assists in Myofascial Release https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_KQRJMMVVZ2QE9DRHZYFK

Yoga also really helps me with my muscle spasms- I get them in my whole body. I know activity is not easy, but with practice and a lot of medication I am able to do it. If you are too- give it a try.

Do you have an idea of where the entrapment originates? This can help if it's below the elbow: https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466293505&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stick for the forearms

Computer work brought up some ulnar nerve issues for me but yours are much worse.

Have you been consistently rolling it out? If you don't have one already, I really recommend grabbing The Stick––or any such product––and really working on the calf muscle at least twice a day. I usually run it over my legs at least once a day regardless of injury, but if something is starting to feel tender I will often roll it out in the morning (after my run) and in the evening.

Edited for formatting.

In addition to stretching, try a massage stick to warm up and loosen up your muscles. I also have tight calves and this helps a ton. I also massage the bottoms of my feet with it. http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451192783&sr=1-4

If you need something with that kind of pressure -- look into a "The Stick" self-massage device like this one: http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-Travel-17-Inch/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442521941&sr=8-1&keywords=roller+stick

When you read the wiki's PDF guide to foam rolling, they really seem to make use of this more than the regular foam roller -- mostly because when we try to roll our glutes/hamstrings we support ourselves too much. This means not enough weight for deep pressure. The stick allows you to put a ton of pressure on places and break up any knots, lactic acid, etc.

Or just take two lacrosse balls and tape them together. Or use a medicine ball that is plastic and heavy and won't compress. All work as alternatives. So it's probably not worth $75 AUD.

Relevant side suggestion: roll your lower legs (shins/calves) with "the stick."

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-Travel-17-Inch/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436383220&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stick

Less painful than foam rolling. I've had some shin splint issues and stick rolling helps.

Ooh that looks painful and I want it.. This is the one I have, very similar but without the knobby things.

*I have had tons of issues with calf tightness in the past! I highly recommend foam rolling and stick rolling (such as this one from Amazon ) every day until you build up calf strength. If you have extra money to spend, I find calf stretchers like these to be better than other calf stretching exercises.

Ultimately, seeing a physio would be your best bet because there could be all sorts of other issues contributing, but these should help.

Hey, sorry to hear of your pain. I'm not a doctor and probably different experiences, but if it helps:

I tore my quad playing soccer at 34-35ish (41 now) and have always had tight calves, both legs. Haven't done anything to measure calves like you, but definitely have done PT and a variety of things. Some PF-like pain, but sounds like nothing compared to yours. Most of my issues ended up as walking weird (side of my foot to avoid a tight calf, unconsciously) and lots of knee pain. Went to a podiatrist and did the night boot thing, and ... eh maybe that helped but wasn't for me. No actual PF tears or problems despite the pain there.

1) Things are just different starting sometime in your 30s. It sucks, but between age and leg ailment, I really think you need to set expectations lower. Like many have said, these things are slooooooow. I don't think that means give up on PCT, just plan to still be managing it on the hike. And maybe shorter days than otherwise.

2) Lots of others saying to try insoles, and I agree. I used Super Feet off the shelf and they helped some. But really, if you can, try different shoes/insoles and find something that works for you. Local running store here has some sort of fancy probably-marketing foot scanner thing to help find shoes. Can't hurt and it was more data for me.

3) I haven't seen a lot of recommendations here, but stretch. Pester the hell out of your PT with questions. If you don't think you're getting good answers, find a new PT. Re: stretching, yoga classes really helped me as a communal sort of thing where I wasn't sitting at home alone feeling sorry for my dumb leg. During lockdown I bought a flexibility "course" of videos from one of those Instagram ads, yogabody, and it's been surprisingly good. I'm sure there are a million of these. But my key thought here is don't just focus solely on your calves. Make sure you pay attention to ankles/hips as well. It's all frustratingly connected. This has been the biggest help to me.

4) Manage it. I can't tell you any science behind it, but I picked up a roller stick (something like this https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/, there are sizes/brands/blah) and use it mostly on calves and it definitely helps me after a run or when feeling tight. Same story for compression sleeves / socks that cover your calves. Both might be purely psychological but help me with the calves a ton. I don't think either is a permanent solution but anecdotally, vastly speed up my recovery after an activity where I would wake up the next day with super tight calves.

Hang in there, it will get better, but it's slow

Running stick

Here's the method I use:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBU2-_YFPJo

Place the lacrosse ball on top of a yoga block, book, etc., position your tibialis anterior on top of the lacrosse ball, use your bodyweight to apply pressure downward, and then slowly flex/contract your foot for about 20 reps. Repeat this process for 1-3 spots along the length of the muscle. If you find one particular spot that is very sore, hit it more than once. I find this method works better than just rolling up and down the length of the muscle.

You can also use one of these to roll up and down the length of the muscle, although I find it less useful than the method shown above:

https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1528589119&sr=8-5&keywords=the%2Bstick&dpID=31u7BWOi--L&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch&th=1

I ruptured my achilles last year (before OTF) and I still get tightness in that area and my calves. Lots of stretching, a roller and good shoes make all the difference. These stretches using a theraband 1 - 2x per day help along with regular calf stretches: Stretches. I use this Roller. Sitting on the floor and moving your foot while you roll out the muscle helps a lot.

I don't think it's possible to fix APT quickly and urgently, but I'd be happy to share what's worked for me.

1. The biggest help has been something bizarrely named "The Stick":
https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494192576&sr=8-3&keywords=the%2Bstick&th=1

It's been a HUGE help for getting my quads to relax and stretch out. Much, much more effective than a foam roller (though similar in function).

2. I took a baseball, sandwhiched it between my muscle and the bed, and moved my leg around. That really really helped me, I'm not sure why, but when I could get some muscles in my legs to move and feel it they came back alive - my hamstrings were really dead without that.

3. Like the first 4 times I did it, the "couch stretch" helped, especially when I tightened up the muscle on the back of my leg while doing it as he suggests in the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZX1QMTdAC4&feature=youtu.be&t=2m16s

But after the first 4 times, I couldn't really make more progress without #1 and #2.

I've though of trying a Muscle Activation Technique place, but I haven't actually done it. What they describe on their website is the closest I've found to what's actually worked for me:
https://muscleactivation.com/about-us/what-is-mat/

P.S. Another thing I did is put a towel under my hips when I sleep, to raise them up. It's been a noteable improvement for me. I've read people saying it's best to sleep on your back, keeping pressure off your hips when sleeping, but I'm to used to sleeping on my side.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-Travel-17-Inch/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422553467&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stick&pebp=1422553469090&peasin=B000P7PVWU

Seriously helps.