Daily Mobility Exercises by Dr. Kelly Starrett Forums General thinking of buying a marc pro

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    • #71303
      AvatarMike Faust
      Participant

      i’m hoping to get some feedback from people that have used a marc pro.  i am thinking about picking one up but only if it makes a significant difference in recovery for most people.  it seems like more and more folks are using them and a similar product from compex.  

      i’m creeping up on 40 quickly and try to take recovery seriously not because i think i’m going to be a games athlete or anything but because i really enjoy being active.  i spend 30/45 minutes a night doing mobility work and use the battle saw/gemini/super nova etc. I also eat about as clean as sanely possible and limit most lifestyle factors that would hinder recovery (i still like to have a few drinks on most weekends).  i mention this just to point out that i’m already doing most/all of the obvious things for recovery and wonder how much additional benefit i would get from a marc pro beyond what i’m already getting from everything else.
      also, i’ve struggled with low back pain for years and would like to know how effective it would be to manage / improve that pain.  i’m 6′ 4” with a long torso and think some of my back problems are likely just genetic.

      anyways, any feedback and/or recommendations on what to read up on that would help make a purchasing decision would be greatly appreciated.
    • #75911
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      Marc Pro is great.
      You can hear about it, however, experiencing it makes all the difference.
      It’s great on the low back.
      For low back pain I’d recommend getting a Plus to have the high and low frequency options.
      Low is for recovery, high is used to go after the pain symptom. Using both addresses both aspects.
      Mobility is one aspect of recovery and using a marc pro is another aspect of recovery both improve overall recovery. You can hit all areas with a Marc Pro. Quads, Traps, upper back, med back, low back, hamstring, calf, shoulder, lats, tricep different combinations of areas, global arm or global leg flush.
      Do you have a mobility plan for your back?
      Feel free to message me any questions you have.
      You have 30 days to return the unit for a full refund if you aren’t seeing the improvements you were looking for.
      Have you watched the 2 mwod episodes about using a Marc Pro?
      Contact me for more info about purchasing a unit, questions, I can send you a podcast and article written about not icing. Gary Reinl has a great book ICED

    • #75912
      AvatarMike Faust
      Participant

      Thanks Kaitlin.  I don’t see how i can contact you offline for specfic questions/recommendations.

      i try and keep up with most of the daily rx’s and have a list of ones i do for my back though any specific links would be appreciated.

      i went ahead and ordered a marc pro plus.  i was expecting a spot to enter a discount code (that’s hopefully still valid) but didn’t see one.  i’ve contacted them about that so hopefully i can get it applied.
      i’ve watched at least one episode on the marc pro that was an interview with the founder i believe.  i’ll see if i can’t dig up the other one.
      thanks again!
    • #75914
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      You can do a message
      Shoot me an email [email protected]
      I’ll get everything corrected for you and the discount code applied to your order.
      There is a place to enter the code, however, it can be easy to miss.
      I messaged you my number.

    • #75925
      AvatarDayan Fuentes
      Participant

      I just came across this thread and am glad I did.

      I have been looking into purchasing a Marc Pro ever since I joined Mobilitywod.com in February. I ride horses competitively for a living and injured myself in mid January. I finally got around to seeing a doctor and it turns out I have a partially torn adductor longus and a near complete tear to the adductor brevis. I’m waiting to hear back from my doctor who was going to talk to a specialist about surgery etc but I was wondering how beneficial the Marc Pro would be either as a recovery tool after surgery or possibly using it if I don’t end up needing surgery. My goal is to be able to get back to competing and I’m hoping this isn’t a career ending injury but only time will tell.

      Any and all help is greatly appreciated.

      Sam

    • #75926
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      Sam, i’ve been nerding out on electrotherapy and there is a lot of evidence that certain types of electrotherapy can help healing of tissues. i recently bought a Marc Pro and its pulse patterns aren’t really what you would you use to heal tissues. i’m not sure i would use it on damaged tissue because it induces a strong contraction to facilitate the fluid flow process but i’m not sure it would be a good idea to use on muscle that is torn – it might make the injury worse.

      that’s not to say other types of pulse patterns and electro stimulation couldn’t help. i found this page which gives a quick overview of the different types of electrostim units and their uses:

      most if not all would require a prescription and you’d want your PT to direct its use. but that may mean you could get insurance to pay for it perhaps. or maybe there is a way to borrow/rent one until you heal.
    • #75928
      AvatarDayan Fuentes
      Participant

      Thanks for the website David. I should hear back from my Dr by tuesday regarding my different options for surgery etc and once I figure out what Im doing I will talk with my PT or Dr about the electrotherapy. I know I will be back here in the near future once I have a game plan on how to treat this injury and where I am going from there. 

      Sam
    • #75931
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      Sam–
      A Marc Pro is recovery based  a tool you can definitely include with your recovery from training.
      Understanding the goal of the different types of devices and what your goal in using it is key.
      Have you watched the 2 episodes about using a Marc Pro with recovery?

    • #75932
      AvatarDayan Fuentes
      Participant

      Yeah I have watched the episodes here on mobilitywod.com as well as videos on the Marc Pro website. It seems like something I am definitely going to use once I am able to get back into training and riding, it should help me get back to where I was before the injury. I probably should have phras d the question differently, I didn’t know if using the Marc pro with this type of injury would have any adverse effects but it makes sense that I should probably stay away from it until I’m cleared by a dr to start training again to avoid further complications. In one of the videos o saw I thought it also said that the Marc Pro Plus was a good tool to use after surgery but I can’t remember which video that was.

      I don’t see why I couldn’t use the mark pro on my other leg and the rest of my body to help with recovery since the nature of my business doesn’t allow me to “take it easy” the way others would. I’m just not riding now but I am still working and teaching which has been taking a toll on my back and left leg since I have been compensating so much due to the injury. Is this a something that makes sense or should I stay away from it completely until I have a game plan regarding the injured leg?

    • #75933
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      You absolutely can use it on your back, and other parts of your body.
      It’s great for your back. Recovery with the other areas of your body will remain an important aspect.
      The Marc Pro Plus can be used for temporary relief of pain associated
      with sore and aching muscles in the shoulder, waist, back, neck, upper
      extremities (arm), and lower extremities (leg) due to strain from
      exercise and normal household and work activities. The Marc Pro Plus is not intended to be used for therapy or treatment of medical diseases or medical conditions.
      Contact me [email protected] with any questions. Would love to chat with you about your current situation, using it on your back and other areas, and using it within your training recovery protocol.

    • #75934
      AvatarNathan Richer
      Participant

      Just to be clear – i have the basic Marc Pro version, not the Plus which has pain management pulse patterns.

    • #75937
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      He would be using low frequency for recovery on other areas of his body.
      Muscle soreness you would use low frequency setting to drive blood, clear waste from the tissues restoring normal function.
      Low Frequency is where the recovery takes place.  “Garbage out and groceries in!”

      High Frequency is best used on the joints and the back and is used for pain control.
      ;

    • #75942
      AvatarDayan Fuentes
      Participant

      Thanks for allot your help everyone! I’m in Va now for work and when I get back next week I will be back to the dr to start to figure out a game plan regarding surgery etc. Kaitlin, I will email you when I get home and have a little more time.

      A quick side question, does anyone here have any experience with torn adductors and more importantly the recovery time if I were to undergo surgery?

      Thanks again

      Sam

    • #75982
      AvatarMike Faust
      Participant
      after using the marc pro daily for two weeks, i’ve been nothing but impressed.  I’m significantly less run down during the day and time in the gym is much more enjoyable (and i already love going to the gym)  at nearly 40, this is exactly what i was hoping for.  at first i was a little weirded out because its so different from anything i’ve done with manual recovery tools but i got over that pretty quick (wife is a different story!).  if it helps me stay healthy and more active than i would otherwise be, i’m all for it.

      However, there are two areas i don’t seem to be able to get much of a contraction on.  

      1) my calves.  i can put all four pads on one calf (one of the pads on heel or inner foot) and the best i can get is a little twitch in my foot and some tingling in my calve.  when i do much running, my lower calf area gets incredibly sore and if i don’t stop running for a few days/week it can get to the point where walking hurts.  I was hoping the marc pro would alleviate some of that.  while i haven’t done enough running to get myself into that situation, i have messed with trying to get a good contraction from the marc pro, similar to what happens in my quads, but i can’t
      2) my glutes/hips.  i can’t seem to get much of anything there.  would that be because i have to much fat between pad and muscle?  i’ve noticed that i get stronger contractions when the pads are on areas where the skin is thinner.  
      any suggestions would be much appreciated.
    • #75984
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      What placements are you using on your calf?
      Have you slid the placements?
      Email me [email protected] I have a placement for you to use. Can’t post the photo says its too large .

      The issue with running is most likely that your heels are not kissing
      the ground. When this happens the calf remains contracted the entire
      time which causes the soreness.

      B. Have you slid the pads to make sure they are on the target area?
      That is the first place to start.

    • #75987
      AvatarMike Faust
      Participant

      slid the placements?  not sure what you mean.

    • #75988
      AvatarAnonymous
      Guest

      Move them to ensure they are placed on the muscle.
      If they aren’t placed correctly on the muscle you won’t get full contraction.
      What is the intensity on?

    • #75995
      AvatarKatie Hemphill
      Participant

      Hey Chris,

      I feel like what you end up paying for is their unique waveform (the specific parameters of the current).
      I’m a physiotherapy student, and shortly after I got my Marc Pro device we started learning about electrotherapy modalities in school. My opinion now is that, while the Marc Pro is a quality device, someone with an understanding of electrotherapy and knowledge of the parameters used by the Marc Pro device could achieve a similar effect with a much more affordable unit.
      My major qualm with the Marc Pro is that it doesn’t offer the option of modifying the parameters, which makes it exclusively useful for the specific purpose it was designed for (recovery, etc). It can’t be modified to act as a TENS device (which is more applicable to pain relief) or muscle stim. For the hefty price tag, I think it would have been good to provide some flexibility there, even just as a secondary option. Also, I find that the maximum stimulation intensity is pretty low compared to other some other devices.
      That said, I don’t know if the Marc Pro parameters are public knowledge, and it is a well-made unit that is user-friendly for someone not equipped with the skill to utilize a more general NMES device. I would recommend it for its recovery features, but not necessary for pain relief. You could probably get that effect with a <$100 TENS machine.
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