Reddit reviews TheStick Travel Stick, 17"L, Standard Flexibility, Red Handles, Therapeutic Body Massage Stick, Potentially Improves Flexibility, Aids in Muscle Recovery & Muscle Pain, Assists in Myofascial Release

There are really only 4 options. Ordered by price point:

$14 - Small foam roller - travel size, cheap, you can't really go wrong with this.

$27 - The Stick - My normal travel recovery tool, since you can stick it in pretty much any bag :D .

$120 - R8 - pretty amazing tool. It wraps real tight with a few deep pressure points, and you can do it watching TV on the couch. Only downside is you can't really roll your calves with this, since wheels on your shin = ouch.

$1500 - Normatec - Luckily I have 4 friends with these who I travel to races all the time with, but nothing can beat these things. My god. I spent I think 1.5 hours in a pair after my ultra.

I know people are all about the foam rollers but I got The Stick and I really like it for focusing on sour spots. I have the 20" one but it's a little small for the back so I might get the 26.5 one also.

Some people have success with walking around on their heels for a few minutes each day. Or you can place a weight plate on your toes, or grip a dumbbell between your insteps, and dorsiflex.

By way of ameliorating inflammation, invest in a foam roller or stick and roll your tibialis anterior and gastroc-soleus every day and particularly before and after running.

And of course running on softer surfaces, avoid going downhill, work on your running gait to ensure you're using mid-foot strike, and be sure you give yourself enough time for recovery: you won't be playing any rugby at all with lower leg stress fractures.

No miracles, but damn it hurts so good sometimes. I'll do some quick rolling during a warm-up (the limber-11 is my go-to, especially if I feel like my legs are "dead" that day) and maybe a little on my back or other areas during an off day or if I'm just feeling tight/stiff, and I totally think it's worth it.

I have access to the regular simple black foam rollers, PVC pipes and rumble rollers and the rumble is by far my favorite. I bought one and don't regret it, but if I had to buy again I would buy the half length one. After about a year of use I don't see the advantage of the full length one over the half length one.

The simple black ones are too soft for me, and I feel like I end up slipping off of the PVC pipe a lot depending on what I'm wearing, and I miss the little knobs from the rumble.

I also have the stick and from what you posted it might be worth looking into as well. It was originally conceived for runners, and feels awesome/hurts like hell on legs, especially if you get someone else to use it on you, but works fine using it on yourself. I use it less than the roller though to be honest, but I don't generally have knee/shin/leg issues. If you have to choose between the two, roller is all around better.

Lacrosse balls, pinky balls, a 'stick', TheraCane or its competitors, and my massage therapist has some of these that he recommended yesterday evening as a larger complement to what I already have (I have lacrosse, golf, and pinky balls, and a stick that I used a lot when I was running distance). Having more than one size can be important depending on what you're doing, but I used just pinky balls and a foam roller for years.

Ice is your friend. In my experience, limit your runs on pavement as much as possible until you get stronger. Run on the shoulder or along the edge of people's yards if you have to. Of course that means being mindful of the terrain. You don't want to tear up your ankle tripping over a sprinklerhead trying to avoid shin splints. If you are in a completely urban environment and have no choice, make extra time to do these exercises. Do those exercises anyway. Invest in a Stick and use that to massage the muscles. Another option would be to put a handful of golfballs or tennis balls in a stocking and use that to roll over your legs. It'll get better with time. It probably isn't your shoes but your form may need some help. Try and be mindful of how your feet are hitting the ground, you don't want to shuffle by smacking your forefoot first, that'll put unneeded stress on your lower legs. You want a smooth rear/mid-foot to forefoot transition. Imagine your foot is the contact patch of a wheel. It will get better.

Try "The Stick. Rolling thr anterior tibia muscle (parallel to shin bone to the outside) helps. Best to use preventatively (before yoy get shin splints)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aKYPCbR128NH5

The Stick is sort of the classic go-to. I bought a generic one at TJ Maxx and it kind of sucks, so instead of it saving me money it's going to cost me more in the long-run when I inevitably replace it.

Check out The Stick. Seriously, so much better than using a rolling pin. And really not that much of an investment for what you get back from it.

It's also great for hitting the various heads of your quads. Get those VMOs!

*I have had tons of issues with calf tightness in the past! I highly recommend foam rolling and stick rolling (such as this one from Amazon ) every day until you build up calf strength. If you have extra money to spend, I find calf stretchers like these to be better than other calf stretching exercises.

Ultimately, seeing a physio would be your best bet because there could be all sorts of other issues contributing, but these should help.

Here's what has worked for me:

• Warm-up by walking only. Don't skip it.
  
• Save stretches for post-workout when the muscles are warm.
  
• Get a roller stick to work those calf muscles after your stretches. I use this one. You'll thank me later.
  
• Ice and elevate, but not immediately after a workout. Wait until you've cooled down completely. I use these suckers to ice my calves.
  
• Slow down. Way down. If it feels too slow, you're probably right on target.
  
• Don't push-off the ground too hard. Focus on lifting your legs and letting gravity to the rest.
  
  Edit: Pain is completely normal at this stage. Your body is simultaneously damaging and rebuilding muscle at the same time. Hang in there and take care of yourself.

Just like your prize, this would help a lot for soreness after running workouts!

Ummmm orange color?:) My school's color is orange.

Thanks for the contest! FLAX

Here is the product on Amazon. You can think of it like a thinner, hand held foam roller that is easier to work over body parts like calves since you can apply the pressure more consistently.

I ruptured my achilles last year (before OTF) and I still get tightness in that area and my calves. Lots of stretching, a roller and good shoes make all the difference. These stretches using a theraband 1 - 2x per day help along with regular calf stretches: Stretches. I use this Roller. Sitting on the floor and moving your foot while you roll out the muscle helps a lot.

First stick Amazon offered. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000P7PVWU/ref=mp_s_a_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1495714764&sr=8-5&keywords=stick

In addition to stretching, try a massage stick to warm up and loosen up your muscles. I also have tight calves and this helps a ton. I also massage the bottoms of my feet with it. http://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_4?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1451192783&sr=1-4

I noticed calves tend to like to stay sore for a while (several days) when you work them pretty hard.

If they don't get better after a few days, try rolling them (after warm up) with a foam roller or a stick roller, may help release some knots.

Ooh that looks painful and I want it.. This is the one I have, very similar but without the knobby things.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stick-Travel-17-Inch/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422553467&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stick&pebp=1422553469090&peasin=B000P7PVWU

Seriously helps.

I don't think it's possible to fix APT quickly and urgently, but I'd be happy to share what's worked for me.

1. The biggest help has been something bizarrely named "The Stick":
https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1494192576&sr=8-3&keywords=the%2Bstick&th=1

It's been a HUGE help for getting my quads to relax and stretch out. Much, much more effective than a foam roller (though similar in function).

2. I took a baseball, sandwhiched it between my muscle and the bed, and moved my leg around. That really really helped me, I'm not sure why, but when I could get some muscles in my legs to move and feel it they came back alive - my hamstrings were really dead without that.

3. Like the first 4 times I did it, the "couch stretch" helped, especially when I tightened up the muscle on the back of my leg while doing it as he suggests in the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZX1QMTdAC4&feature=youtu.be&t=2m16s

But after the first 4 times, I couldn't really make more progress without #1 and #2.

I've though of trying a Muscle Activation Technique place, but I haven't actually done it. What they describe on their website is the closest I've found to what's actually worked for me:
https://muscleactivation.com/about-us/what-is-mat/

P.S. Another thing I did is put a towel under my hips when I sleep, to raise them up. It's been a noteable improvement for me. I've read people saying it's best to sleep on your back, keeping pressure off your hips when sleeping, but I'm to used to sleeping on my side.

Invest in The Stick and work your calves and muscles on the outside of each shin.

Stretch too!

There are three things you need in your arsenal:

1. A hard foam roller
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/TriggerPoint-Performance-Grid-Foam-Roller/dp/B0040EGNIU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473937451&sr=8-3&keywords=grid
   
   
2. A hard ball
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trigger-Point-Performance-Massage-Ball/dp/B003ZG8PEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473937489&sr=8-1&keywords=tp+ball
   
   
3. A stick (like the one you linked to)
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Stick-G-1750-Travel/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1473937529&sr=8-3&keywords=the+stick
   
   You can get to your whole boy with these three items.
   
   This is myofacial release we are talking about; you will only get flexibility gains from this if you have trigger points that are inhibiting flexibility.

"The Stick"

Either the travel size or marathon size.

Interesting, thanks! I have this, and while it feels good I'm not sure it does much. Tennis ball has been more effective.

As someone who is just trying to get rid of shin splints and thought it wasn't my shoes. Go to a running store and getting fitted for the right shoes for your form. Then get a foam roller or "the stick" and use this right after a run. There are plenty of videos explaining how to use them. And do these EVERYDAY! I was running around 2 miles every other day during the winter, and I just kept thinking it would go away, NOPE, just got worse. Now I feel like I'm a new runner, and am slowly working my way up again, with new shoes I might add!

Do you have an idea of where the entrapment originates? This can help if it's below the elbow: https://www.amazon.com/Stick-Travel-Flexibility-Therapeutic-Potentially/dp/B000P7PVWU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466293505&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stick for the forearms

Computer work brought up some ulnar nerve issues for me but yours are much worse.