tools so pain relief doesn't have to hurt
neck, abs and core
neck, abs and core
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If you’ve got stored stress in your neck, this four-day series of 20 minute classes will release tension along your abdominals, chest and up to the front, back and sides of your neck.
Buy it once, press play where you are forever.
If you can lie down and breathe, this class is for you.
The magic behind all of this work is the unwind method of fascia decompression using only your body weight and the (un)Block massage tools.
Don’t have (un)Blocks? You can get a set here or start with rolled up towels secured with a couple of elastics. No pain, no gain left the gym floor a long time ago. Pain relief shouldn’t cause pain so it doesn’t need to hurt or be intense to work.
ON-DEMAND RELIEF OVERVIEW
You’ll focus on your core, abdomen, and neck to mobilize your tissues by:
- softening the muscles in the front, side, and back of your neck
- releasing your core to restore length and antidote belly pooch
- opening your chest to counter slumping postures
- taking tightness out of the front and back of your hips to help reduce low back pain
Your upper core and chest muscles lead into the neck so working these together have synergistic effects.
Every class starts by opening your chest to help your posture, which reduces the load on the back of your neck. Every inch of forward head posture adds 10 lbs of pressure to the back of your neck! When our shoulders are back and down it's awkward to crane our neck forward, which is the opposite of how most of us sit all day - hunched over our devices.
In these four positions x four minutes you’ll be opening, releasing, and softening tension.
Day One
- your chest,
- your upper, mid, and lower abdominal muscles,
- the front of your neck, and
- the front of your hips
Stabilization focuses on the tongue and the deep neck muscles.
Day Two
- your chest and front of shoulders,
- your mid, lower, and side abdominal muscles,
- the sides of your neck, and
- the side of your knees
Stabilization focuses on lower abdominal muscles.
Day Three
- your upper chest,
- your deep abdominal muscles,
- the front of your thighs
- the back of your hips
- the back of your neck
Stabilization focuses on the abdominal muscles.
Day Four
- your mid-chest and front shoulders,
- your lower abdominal muscles,
- your upper neck & base of skull, and
- the top of your back and lower neck to help counter the forward slump.
Stabilization focuses on deep core muscles.
If you’ve got tense muscles, you’ve probably got weak muscles. Tense muscles are often weak muscles - they’re not getting full range of motion or possibly even depth of motion through the entire muscle. This series will help to soften and mobilize your core before we rebuild and lock it down with some stabilization moves.
Other benefits of this fascia decompression class include:
- supporting your digestive system
- stimulating your eliminatory system
- encouraging lymphatic drainage at major drainage points
- enhancing flow of blood & oxygen throughout your body
- decreasing stress, increasing calm
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.