Kristy Lee

Smoothing Out Pain and Cellulite?

Foam rollers have been used to loosen tight muscles, but now they have been transformed into new tools called Fascia Blasters.

The tools promise to roll away pain and to make users thinner. The makers claim the claws on the plastic device break up cellulite while alleviating stiff necks, backs and shoulders.

The Fascia Blaster, which comes in multiple sizes, is only sold online by creator Ashley Black.

"A lot of people’s pain issues are more related to unhealthy fascia or bound up fascia rather than tight muscles," said licensed massage therapist, Cathy Randolph, who uses the Fascia Blaster on her clients.

Randolph's client Sandra Grimes, who has Multiple Sclerosis, said she felt better right away.

"My legs felt like they exhaled. I just walked out and felt like I could move. I was amazed," Grimes said.

Relief time varies depending on the area of the body and it should not be used on the same area daily.

Fascia is basically connective tissue in the body that is wrapped around organs and muscles.

Doctor Carina O’Neill, who specializes in myo-fascia treatment, used an orange to explain it.

"The orange peel is the outside of the skin. The inside, the white part inside is the fascia and then each little segment of the orange, is muscle with fascia in between," O'Neill said.

When the web of connective tissue is healthy, the muscles glide over each other smoothly, but repetitive overuse of muscles or even lack of exercise and stretching can cause the myo-fascia to tighten. That is when you feel stiffness, pain and lack of flexibility.

Doctor O’Neill warns over vigorous massaging can cause tissue damage.

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