For the fighters and contact sport players?

Thanks everyone... I am still, repeat still, using your suggestions...

Wrapping helps, I wouldn't have done that but for your suggestions. I did take my lintiment to the next level, Asian style (to compliment my collection of German and American, circa. 1921), Tiger Balm, and a liquid kind I can neither spell nor say. Boils down to camphor and menthol. Deeply massaged in, kneeding the sore, getting in between the muscle seperations.

So thanks, a little from column A, a little from column B, functional, not longer really limping, moved on to just sore.

Yeah, Pablo f'ed me all up.... He better watch it next time, I have a score to settle.

The absolute best thing for deep-muscle bruising, bone bruises, muscle knots, etc. is to use a foam roller.

My legs knot up pretty bad after taking a training day's worth of leg-kicks, 10 minutes rolling back and forth over the pain with a foam roller and I feel like a million bucks.

What it does is loosens up the fascia, breaks down muscle knots, removes lactic acid build-up, and helps elongate the muscles after strenuous activity or trauma.

Don't get me wrong, there is A LOT OF PAIN associated with using a foam roller, but once you get past that tight fascia, and break up those muscle knots it is absolutely amazing.

Look into Myofascial Release if you want someone to do it for you.  My uncle is a physical therapist who specializes Myofasical Release on wrestlers and football players.  I came to him because I had such pain in my hips and thighs that I thought I fractured my pelvis taking a pretty hard throw from a black belt judoka.  Turned out that that fall was the straw that broke the camel's back and my uncle said that my legs were so knotted up he couldn't even understand how I could walk without pain.  I told him I couldn't.  Regular stretching wasn't doing anything for me, i was in pain as I stretched.  Then he treated me and gave me a foam roller and taught me how to use it.  I don't have any more muscle knots, my range of motion is even greater than before.  it's a miracle tool for anyone in combat sports.

I live by my foam roller.

"In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me and I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion, you're dead."

How much does one of those bad boys cost, and where can you find out how to use one properly?

24 yrs old
6' - 205 lbs
16% BF

Max (8/01/08):
Bench - 265 lbs
Squat - 455 lbs
Shoulder Press - 165 lbs
Deadlift - 385 lbs

Seriously^

LOVE mfr. I have a massage therapist I try to get to once a week for it. At home use a foam roller. I've seen them in stores for around 20-25$. There are plenty of videos on youtube explaining how to use one. Just search for self myofacial release.

5'6" 125/ Bench: 115 / Front squat: 90 / Deadlift: 205 / Pullups: 10

My uncle works for Novacare in Philly, he picked the foam roller up for me.  It was $20.  The movements are pretty basic.  Like rippedchick said, just Google "Self Myofacial Release" and you'll find everything you need to know to get the most out of the foam roller.

"In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me and I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion, you're dead."

Thanks, I appreciate it. I will look into it.

Levittown, huh. I grew up in Yardley,  I know that area well.  It is such a small world. We have a lot of people on this board from the Philadelphia and the surrounding area.

You're welcome.

Haha, yup.  Levittown born and raised.

"In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me and I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion, you're dead."

That's funny, there's a Levittown about 25 minutes from me.

President of the Emancipation Detoxification. DBB's oldest forum group, punching baby seals since 2/12/08

There are Levittowns everywhere... If I remember correctly, that was the name of the first planned "suburb" for middle class people with picket fences and yards, that did not build off of a city center (BOOOO), in the early 50's. Little insular bubbles where nothing bad ever happens.  Ok, I am editorializing. But it was copied and copied and copied, so the name is very, very common for little towns and suburbs.

Yeah... Levittown, NY was the first one, followed by Levittown, PA, then Levittown, NJ (which subsequently changed its name to Willingboro), and then Levittown, Puerto Rico was the last.

"In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, 'Ow, I hurt my leg. I can't run. A lion eats me and I'm dead.' Well, I'm not dead. I'm the lion, you're dead."