I love the information Ashley Black puts out on biomechanics, I love her isolated muscle exercise tutorials, I love her stretching tutorials, and I love my fasciablaster: it is one of the best tools to come out for massage therapy in a long time.
But. She did a “clinical research study” that is anything but. First of all, she had the women in the study using an oil that is already a proven thermogenic subcuteaneous fat burner… usage of which was proven to tighten skin and smooth out the fat layer. The product is called LipOut, and its a good one, but if you are trying to prove the effectiveness of your product for cellulite, you shouldn’t be mixing up the variables. That’s elementary school level lessons on how science works.
And second? No control group! Do I have to explain why that’s a problem??
Third, just as with massage, use of the fasciablaster produces poorly understood “detox” effects. We all know as massage therapists to tell our clients to lay off the alcohol because the increased circulation can overload the liver. We also know to tell smokers that the massage can give them a smoker’s high, as nicotine stored in fatty deposits can be released into the blood stream. There are all kinds of variables for the use of different drugs and any kind of massage can interplay with those side effects and potentially worsen them.
I feel sad and disgusted, because I have spoken with some members of the “study” that was performed by Ashley Black and her team, and there was a lot of foul play. Over-massaging the tissues, no proper warnings on the potential symptoms, and outright ignoring people when they had them, telling them to keep going. AND THEN NOT INCLUDING THESE EFFECTS IN THEIR STUDY REPORT.
Ashley Black, it breaks my heart to see such a useful and powerful tool being abused like this. Theres only one end result for this. Someone is going to get badly hurt and then you will get taken down. And then this tool will no longer be available.
Which is a damn shame. I have been using it regularly, differently than recommended but instead as an extension of my existing massage techniques, to amazing effect.
