Overview
The Heskiers OneTool was developed by Danish physiotherapist Martin Heskiers as a single solution to the modern athlete’s repertoire of recovery tools. Heskiers OneTool begs the question, “Why would you purchase an expensive foam roller, icing equipment, various massage balls, etc. when you could have the benefits of these items all in one?”
I
was very pleased to receive a OneTool to test from Martin Heskiers himself. Before the tool came, I did a bit of research on the company’s YouTube channel to learn more about the product and how its use could benefit my muscular recovery from strenuous exercise. I had just completed a half-marathon race a few days prior to its arrival, so I had developed a few sore spots over my winter training block that I was excited to the use the Heskiers tool on as soon as it arrived at my door.
It came packaged neatly in a small cardboard box with foam padding on the inside. Along with the tool was a cursory manual on its use. This would be marginally helpful for someone with no previous experience with the tool, but the company’s website and YouTube channel are far more beneficial in learning how to use the Heskiers.
My plan was to complete a month long experiment where I limited my personal use of a foam roller, lacrosse ball, and other massage tools I have lying around in favor of the Heskiers device. This approach would allow me to isolate the efficacy of the tool while learning its proposed use and practical application.
Gua What?
Having quite a bit of experience with massage therapy, chiropractic techniques, and commercial recovery products, I was a little surprised to find a term in the field that I was unfamiliar with while browsing through web pages pertaining to the Heskiers One tool. This term was Gua Sha, a method similar to Graston technique used in traditional Chinese medicine. Gua Sha uses a smooth-edge instrument to “scrape” the skin with the goal of creating a mild inflammatory effect to increase blood flow to injured tissue. This was one of the inspirations for the Heskiers tool’s design shape and usage.
Further, the Heskiers instrument is ergonomically designed to mimic the contours of the hand and fingers, thus closely simulating the effect of manual massage when used correctly.
Given that the tool is made of a hard plastic/polymer material, it will penetrate deeper into one’s tissue than the bare hand itself. In theory, this will allow for greater relaxation of muscles fibers and realignment of fascia than a standard massage stroke. However, there is a precise protocol for effective use of the Heskiers OneTool, and I tried to adhere closely to this in my month long experiment.
The two locations where I needed the most work were along my right plantar fascia which had been nagging me for a while, and then a recurrent strain/spasm issue with my left gluteal that causes a slight hitch in my stride from time to time when the area is aggravated. With these areas both in mind, I set to work with the OneTool as I resumed training for the summer racing season.
Trigger Points
A trigger point is an area of profound tightness within a particular muscle group, most commonly referred to as a “muscle knot” by runners. These spots can be painful when pressed, and can refer pain either upstream or downstream from the TP itself.
The Heskiers OneTool’s instructions assert that you should use an appropriate section of the device (either the thumb, forefinger, palm, or knuckle zones) to press into the trigger point for a count of 99 (about 90sec), relieve pressure to the area, and then sweep the area free of metabolic waste products with a series of strokes using the palm side of the tool. The pressure should be fairly deep and constant when applying this technique.
I used this method when working with my gluteal region, beginning along the sacrum and working into the smaller hip rotators (glute medius, minimus, piriformis, etc.). The Heskiers video and photos regarding sciatica were my chief model in doing this. It takes a bit of time to do this by the book, so I opted for treatment in the area every second or third day. I have a tendency to “overdo” a good deal in terms of training (lots!), strengthening (more!), and massage (harder!), so I had to be careful with the pressure so as not to bruise myself.
I found the tool to be extremely effective in this department. It is more deliberate than foam rolling and more precise than using a ball of some sort. I noticed a good deal of relief to the area in terms of tightness and tendency to spasm after a few days of using the tool, and this was a very satisfying feeling. Treating running injuries oneself is a liberating experience, and can also save you a good deal of money!
Scar Tissue
Scar tissue usually forms in athletes in response to an injury. This change of muscle/fascia tissue will feel tight, “crunchy”, and can refer pain throughout an area. With plantar fasciitis, scar tissue can be the chief cause of discomfort among runners who have suffered from the injury for more than a few weeks as the arch attempts to heal. At this point, the common malady of plantar fasciitis (an inflammatory condition) really becomes a fasciosis, or a deadening of healthy tissue due to reduced circulation.
I found that using the sweeping technique described above with the palm side of the tool to be most effective in treating my case of plantar fasciosis. Every morning before I got out of bed (and once more during the day), I would use the tool to apply increasingly firm strokes to the bottom of my foot, feeling for scar tissue along the arch, heel, and Achilles tendon insertion point at the back of the foot. I also used the index finger protrusion to work between the metatarsal bones and press into any especially tight spots once I had warmed-up the area with about 60sec of sweeping. As noted above, this procedure is similar to Graston Technique or Gua Sha, but not nearly as painful and inflammatory to a particular area.
Again, after four weeks of consistent treatment I can attest that my foot felt better, the tissue more supple, and the arch stronger. It should be noted that I had ceased icing the area/stretching the arch, and I was increasing training volume during this time, so any improvement in the injury was largely due to the tool itself.
General Muscle Tightness/Soreness
This section is where the Heskiers OneTool will lose some potential followers. Many runners are fortunate enough to not have lingering problem areas to deal with on a regular basis, and simply want a recovery tool to soften muscle tissue and use quickly pre or post-run. When using the Heskiers OneTool for general soreness, you will need a longer period of time to effectively massage all the major muscle groups of the lower body. The tool is small, and the area of a runner’s total anatomy is quite large by comparison. I would recommend setting aside one day a week to use the tool for an “all-over” massage that may compromise a bit of training time if your schedule is tight. However, if you use a combination of muscle sweeping and trigger point therapy as you scour your legs for tight spots, you will stand up feeling like a new runner.
Note: The Heskiers OneTool can also be used with increased efficacy if you have a partner to massage your muscles for you while you sit or lie in a relaxed position. The tool is great on the back, neck, and shoulders where most people carry tension, and is supple enough so as not to pull body hair like bare skin sometimes can. Once you and your partner have a good understanding of the OneTool’s use, you can get creative and use its ergonomic contours to target tight spots that may otherwise be hard to reach.
Conclusion
The Heskiers OneTool is a great product for runners dealing with muscular issues that have been with them a while. The tool is of the highest quality and ergonomic design, and is worth the $70 price tag. If you take the time to learn the proper use of the tool, and have the time to use it properly, I am quite sure that most runners will be pleased with how effective the Heskiers device is at relieving pain and tightness.
We would like to thank the kind people at Heskiers. for sending us this tool to review.
Review Provided by Coach Peyton Hoyal
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