tools so pain relief doesn't have to hurt
luggage strap for (un)Block trap flossing
luggage strap for (un)Block trap flossing
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Upper shoulder and neck pain? Yeah, us too.
This trouble spot is also devilishly difficult to release all on your own. Bend over at the waist, tuck a lacrosse ball in your upper shoulder then find the corner of a wall?? Not only is that really awkward but I spent half my time chasing the ball when butterfingers over here would drop it.
We learned this trick from an osteopath, who used a luggage strap draped diagonally like a beauty pageant sash, then looped a kettle bell through the strap on the hip side. The dreaded lacrosse ball would tuck under the top of the strap by the neck. VERY uncomfortable.
Enter the (un)Block trap flossing method(TM)
Used in combination with our mini (un)Block (sold separately), you can access this hard-to-reach spot with much less drama.
Loop the strap over one shoulder, then tuck the mini (un)Block under the strap by your neck. Use the elbow on your opposite side to apply as much (or as little) pressure as you prefer. Exploring the tissues as you move your elbow slowly backwards and forwards, closer to your body and away from the body. Exploring as you move your neck in various vectors and rotations.
We recommend sneaking up on tight muscles to avoid cringing but it's your body, your choice.
Product is a 2" wide nylon strap x 74" long with plastic fastening buckle.
Colours vary. We make our (un)Blocks. We source luggage straps.
This is what you reach for at 10pm on a Thursday, when you're in pain and it's another week until you can get in to see them.
(un)Block™ is for achievers and the practitioners who treat them.
We give practitioners a better bridge between sessions.
We give you at-home relief when their skilled hands don't come home with you.
Use your own body weight on the (un)Block™ to release tight, sore, tense muscles. Lie on it, sit on it, lean into it. Stay as long as you want.
As long as you're not causing yourself pain, you're doing it right.
No chasing a ball, no awkward rolling.
"Feels like foam rolling on steroids, without the awkward positioning and discomfort."
- Emma Horn, verified Google review
The most portable, on-demand self-treatment tool you can reach for between sessions.
Ultra-lightweight, hypoallergenic, and designed to go where you go.
dimensions
- large: size ~7.5" L × 4.5" W × 3.5" H (19.1 × 11.4 × 8.9cm) & weight 3.7oz (104g)
- mini: size ~6.5" L × 3.5" W × 3" H (16.5 × 8.9 x 7.6cm) & weight 1.8oz (52g)
- the complete set is two larges + two minis at a combined weight of 11oz (312g)
note: minor size variations can occur in the production processes at the small businesses we support. This won't impact your experience or your results.
material
- Hypoallergenic high-density foam, designed for support, not squish.
care
- Clean with a non-toxic wipe or warm soapy water. Air dry.
Works in real life, not just on the floor. Broad, flat, stable surfaces work on the couch, bed, wall, or floor. Watch TV, listen to a podcast, or just sit with it while your body does the work.
Doesn't look like therapy equipment. Stays out on a shelf, desk, or nightstand instead of buried in a drawer. Out of sight is out of reach.
Stable and easy to use. No rolling, no chasing it across the floor, no bracing your neck or joints. You just lie down, sit, or lean in.
Not squishy. You control how much pressure you apply, so you decide how far you take it. Wrap in a towel to soften the pressure.
Fits different bodies and body parts. Two sizes and five edges to use (flat, up, tall, rounded edge and corner), because a small ball disappearing into a bigger body or a larger treatment area is a real reason people quit.
Packs light. The large is ~3.7oz (104g), the mini is ~1.8oz (52). Weighs less than your water bottle.
The (un)Block™ fits a performance-oriented active lifestyle. You're managing your recovery in-between sessions with your care team.
The (un)Block™ method reinvents passive recovery, moving beyond the rest and compression elements of RICE to add nervous system regulation, multi-tasking tissue support for fresh blood flow and oxygenation, and the powerful impact of mental "reps" layered in.
That same compression-release cycle is what makes it a tool for active recovery, not just pain relief.
The large is the workhorse. If you want the time-saving full method, the complete set is where you start.
If painful foam rollers and massage balls were going to work, they would have already. Here's why (un)Block™ is different.
Your body weight with cringe-free pressure and time do all the work. What's "the work"?
"Melting" sticky fluids between your muscles to restore range of motion and reduce pressure on pain-causing nerves.
Let's break it down:
Cringe-free pressure is essential
Avoiding pain by using less body weight pressure avoids putting the brakes on your healing process. Pain = stress = danger to your nervous system.
- clear explanation of the impact of stress on the body, including producing adrenaline and cortisol (Mayo clinic)
- evidence: pain causes tissue to stiffen (Schleip, 2003).
- evidence: pain releases muscle-eating aka catabolic(Boucher, 2019) hormones like adrenaline and cortisol
Cringe-free pressure means your body stays in repair mode instead of stress mode.
Broad, sustained pressure is best
Broad pressure is better than the narrow pressure of balls or foam rollers. Staying in place is better than rapid rolling.
- broad, sustained pressure outperforms targeted pressure (Langevin, 2006),
The (un)Block™ is shaped to deliver that broad, sustained pressure without the bracing or pain that shuts the process down before it starts.
Time and pressure restore tissue glide
- sustained compression converts densified fascia back into a lubricating fluid through a process called thixotropy (Stecco, 2011).
The pressure of your body weight on our firm, high-density foam (un)Block™ anchors the fascia, the connective tissue between your muscles where the fluid lives
Held positions renew blood flow
- A single sustained hold, then release, triggers a measurable rebound in blood flow and tissue oxygenation (Messere et al, 2017).
Quick, repeated compression, like scooting on a foam roller or massage ball, doesn't get the same benefit. The (un)Block™ is built for the hold, not the scoot. Stillness beats rapid activation.