THE BOND PROTOCOL

(The Clinical and Therapeutic Application of 

“The Bond Wand” Fascial Adhesion Stretching Tool)

By

W. David Bond, D.C.

 

This book is protected by copyright. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including photocopying, or utilized by any information storage or retrieval system without prior written permission from the copyright owner.

The author of this book does not dispense any medical advice or medical claims, nor prescribe the use of “The Bond Wand”™ or The Bond Protocol © as a form of treatment or cure for any medical problem or diagnosis with the advice of a physician either directly or indirectly. The intent of this author is to offer information of a general nature to help one cooperate with your doctor or other health practitioner in your mutual quest for better health. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, you are self-prescribing, which is your constitutional right, but the author and publisher assume no responsibility for your actions. 

 

Acknowledgements

I wish to express my gratitude to the many masters and teachers who have taught me and guided me over the years. In particular Master Wan Su Jian for sharing his chi gong knowledge and practices.

Additionally, I wish to thank Angie for her constant encouragement and support, Art for his wisdom and guidance and BOH for always pulling my foot off the brakes.

 

About the Author

Dr. Bond received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in Biological Psychology in 1984, from there he attended the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC) and graduated as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in 1987. In 1988 he began his practice and has been practicing full time ever since. Dr. Bond specializes in manipulative and body-based medicine, pain management and energy medicine. 

His list of educational accomplishments includes designations as a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (DNS), Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (CFMP), Fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine (FAAIM), and Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management (DAAPM), Diplomate of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (DAAAAM), Diplomate of the College of Energy Medicine (DCEM), Diplomate of the College of Manipulative and Body Based Practices (DCMBBM) and Diplomate of the British Institute of Homeopathy (DBIHom).

Dr. Bond has published several research articles exploring the back mouse (episacral lipoma) and other articles regarding massage and bodywork. Dr. Bond is also a certified Tai Chi/Chi Gong instructor (China).

Dr. Bond also is an inventor and holds several patents on The Bond Wand as well as The ChestBlaster exercise machine. 

When not practicing Chiropractic medicine, inventing or writing, Dr. Bond is an avid mountain biker, road biker and trail runner.

 

Introduction

It was while studying chi gong/tai chi in China, with perhaps one of the most amazing and powerful chi gong masters in the world – Master Wan Su Jian – that the embryo of this technique and ultimately this book was born. I was a chiropractor interested in learning of the ancient practices of gathering energy, chi gong, and how that would provide me with a deeper understanding of the foundations of health and well-being. Also hopefully bridging the eastern and western practices or the ancient wisdom with the modern sciences. 

As a chiropractor, I was looking at Chinese medicine as pretty much a foreigner. This is because Chiropractic works primarily on the bony structures throughout the body in a “structure determines function” type of relationship. In its simplest form, the “bone out of place theory” dictates that when the relationship of two bony structures becomes out of alignment, pain and perhaps dysfunction occurs. A chiropractor would restore those bones into the proper position through an adjustment and well-being would be restored. Of course it is way more complex than that and I would never forget the fact that those bones are held in place by the soft tissue as well as that chronically shortened muscles tend to pull its attached bone out of its normal position. And when one part is misaligned, the rest of the body tends to compensate. I spent a lot of time working on the musculature in my practice and for many years I taught palpation and biomechanics at a local massage therapy school. 

What interested me about Master Jian’s work was that he ran a health clinic in Beijing, where he trained students to excel in chi gong and these students would then treat patients at the clinic. The patients would receive hands-on healing by the students and then as part of the treatment, the area of complaint would commonly be scraped by a gua sha tool. The skin became red, and I thought it looked painful and traumatic. However, when I had it done on myself, it felt therapeutic and warm. The next form of abuse was cupping which also brought redness or discoloration to the skin surface and this was also therapeutic. The core belief being that chi and blood flow together and when chi is weak, it will slow its flow and will settle or stagnate. The scraping has the effect of increasing the flow of chi and blood and thereby decreasing the discomfort and stimulate healing by decreasing stagnation. 

In the states, I also received treatment by Rolfers, Hellerworkers, acupuncturists, and by massage therapists skilled in deep tissue, sports massage, somatosensory and neuromuscular treatments. I didn’t have anything particularly wrong physically, but I felt every technique survives on what it has to offer, and I wanted to learn different techniques in order to offer soft tissue treatment along with the chiropractic adjustment. When I did use a scraper, it was generally a curved piece of jade that I picked up in China at that time. However, I was always aware that the scraping could only be done on myself on my extremities and not on my back. 

Fast forward to 2005-2006, when I was watching the movie: the Cinderella Man, where Russel Crowe played the part of heavyweight champion James Braddock. In the movie Braddock broke his right hand and he was using a hay hook with his left hand to lift heavy bales of hay. I looked at that and surmised that if an attachment could be placed on the end of a similar hook, one might be able to reach around and be able to work on their own backs and posterior shoulders, etc. I realized though that the wrist strength would not be enough to hold the pressure on the scraper and that’s when I came up with the arm-bar and arm-plate design. I applied for and received a patent for this design in 2018 and a second one in 2022 for the short arm bar.

I have distilled a lot of years of treatment into The Bond Protocol, mainly by the “sedimentation” process. Which in my view is the process where sentient points, concepts and observations filter down to form a base layer of processes that can be used by professionals and practitioners as well as interested lay persons and ordinary people interested in learning something that they can use to benefit themselves as well as others. Keep in mind that the rate of tissue repair must always outpace the rate of tissue decay in the body or you age and once your internal battery runs low, energy medicine is a great help, perhaps the best help. And finally, remember that energy tends to run downhill from a place of higher and refined concentration to that of lower, weaker concentration. Do your energy exercises so that you don’t take vital energy from those you work on but rather give to those who need it and always leave them better of than how you found them. 

 

Trigger Point Therapy

There are over 600 muscles in the body and any one of these muscles can develop myofascial trigger points. These myofascial trigger points are characterized by hyperirritable spots within a muscle. There is an associated palpable nodule and direct compression or pressure on these sensitive points’ “triggers” pain within the muscle, a localized “jump sign” and can refer pain to characteristic and/or distant parts of the body. 

Myofascial trigger points are also a major cause of pain and dysfunction within the body. Chronic multiple myofascial trigger points can cause myofascial pain syndrome. Repetitive and overloading stress and trauma upon a muscle causes myofascial trigger points and may then cause myofascial pain syndrome. Eventually myofascial pain syndrome may be implicated in causing fibromyalgia. 

One method of treatment is direct, firm digital or instrumental ischemic pressure directly on the palpable nodule. Another helpful method is post-isometric relaxation(PIR), contract relax/antagonist contract (CRAC) both of which are possible with The Bond Wand. 

Common Trigger Points Fig. 1

What is Chi?

The Tao (the way) is the art of living naturally as an observer, recognizing the ebb and flow of life rather than controlling nature. The Tao states that in the beginning, there was the great nothingness, (the great Wu-chi) then the big bang happened, and the nothingness became the everything. There then a was vast universes of matter, gasses, planets, etc. forever expanding (at around 4.5 billion years ago). Everything then became the Tai Chi, (the this and that). Then slowly, everything differentiated into the yin and the yang, which really means the light and the dark sides of the mountain. Also, the empty or the full, the congealed or evaporated, the expanded or contracted, the male and female. The yin/yang theory holds that everything has a polar opposite, and these though opposites always have a little of their opposite within themselves. They are forever swirling and disappearing into each other, yet each retains their true nature and are always searching for balance, instead of chaos. 

Yin/Yang Symbols with Bagua Trigrams Fig. 2

It is a law of the universe that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The ancient Chinese believed that the energy of the universe is called chi. Which can be represented by the symbol for chi. This symbol literally means the steam that arises from boiling rice. It is neither the pot, nor the rice but the energy involved is depicted by the steam. 

Chi Symbols Fig. 3

Chi energy however has a magnetic quality, it also has heat, or may be other sensations, and it can be harnessed and utilized. The knowledge of this energy is called chi gong. The ancient Chinese believed that chi flowed from the heavens and was surrounding us like a mist or a fog. It is active and energetic like when the trees are moved by the wind which cannot itself be seen. By doing certain movements, you could gather the chi and store it in your body much like a battery stores electricity. Therefore, chi seems to have a negative and a positive quality or a pushing and a pulling quality. As humans, we stand upright from the mother earth, so therefore we are in essence magnets, with our upper bodies slightly positive and our lower bodies slightly negative. We create a circuit with the earth as we stand upright. 

Energy Orbits Fig. 4

Chi flows within us in meridians, 6 yin and 6 yang, which are characterized by lines connecting a number of acupuncture points. These acupuncture points are connected to form meridians and are ultimately connected to each represented organ.

Acupuncture Meridians Fig. 5

If you look at the body as a battery, then at the moment of conception, we have a certain amount of chi at birth which slowly depletes as we age. Some persons have lots of innate energy and others may not. Chi depletion can be hastened by drug use, stress, illness, etc., but eventually the battery runs down. This loss of chi or interference of the normal flow of chi results in disease and aging. We can slow this depletion by meditation, clean air, clean food, and concentrating about gathering energy, or Chi Gong. We are a conscious, self-developing, self-healing, intelligent, holographic, organic system. Disease generally comes from physical trauma, environmental toxins and emotional stress. Aging is the process of hardening, inflexibility, mineralization, calcification, etc.. Fascial stretching increases and restores the normal chi flow into the meridians and helps return the organism to its full innate potential and may help to reverse the aging process.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a type of connective tissue, and it is connective tissue that connects everything in the body. It wraps and binds tissues, holds organs into their shapes and connects structures and transmits information. There are two types of fasciae, superficial and deep. The superficial layer as the name implies is just under the skin and constitutes the main fatty tissue and lines the organs. The deep layer covers most of all the muscles and protects them. Deep fascia is what makes muscles tough and inflexible as well. Fascia is made of collagen, and it is the most abundant protein in our bodies. Collagen, by way of its crystalline structure, has electrical properties, the piezoelectric effect. This electricity is what guides the growth of bones through the growth plate. If collagen has electrical properties, and fascia is made of collagen, and fascia pretty much envelopes everything, then it may be possible that chi is therefore a function of fascia. And that acupuncture meridians are fascial in nature and acupuncture points are in those fascial planes as well. So, then if fascia is the network through which chi flows in the body then fascial restrictions disrupt the energetic flow within the body. By stretching and releasing the fascial restrictions, we can slow muscle aging and increase the freely flowing chi through the meridians.

Fascia Fig. 6

PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)

Muscles are rarely completely relaxed or completely contracted. They are usually in a partially contracted state. Also, a child has more elastic collagen tissue than fibrous tissue; an adult has more fibrous tissue than elastic tissue. This means that through a lifetime of microtrauma results in the formation of fibrous tissue within the muscles at the expense of elastic tissue–this is the process of aging, and it is pretty much irreversible. Our muscles also have a stretch reflex, this is when a muscle that has been stretched will oppose the stretch with a contraction, and unfortunately this often results in muscle injury. Repetitive muscle microtrauma injury also results in more fibrous tissue. So how do you relax a chronically contracted and fibrosed muscle? One way to make you more flexible, relaxed and hopefully develop less muscle trauma is by manipulating the stretch reflex, this is through a process called Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). PNF is a stretching technique shown to increase range of motion. A part of PNF is called post-isometric relaxation or contract-relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC). This process resets the stretch receptor by taking the muscle out to its stretch limit and then making it tenser by a short contraction, then it is relaxed, and the stretch receptor can be reset to a slightly longer length by taking out the slack through passive stretching. This increases the muscle length, range of motion and muscle contraction strength as well. Other ways to relax a muscle are slow breathing, massage, ischemic compression, certain electrical modalities, and mobilization/manipulation. 

Principles/protocols of PNF:

1. Reciprocal Inhibition: Take target muscle to tension, contract antagonist muscle (this inhibits the agonist) and hold stretch for 15-30 seconds and repeat 3-5x based on tolerance and/or comfort. 

2. Contract-Relax-Passive stretch: Contract agonist muscle for 5-10 seconds, relax for 1-2 seconds, passively stretch agonist and hold for 15-30 seconds based on tolerance and/or comfort. Repeat 3-5x.

3. Contract-Relax-Antagonist-Contract: Contract agonist for 5-10 seconds, relax for 1-2 seconds, take a deep breath and contract antagonist and hold stretch for 15-30 seconds based on tolerance and/or comfort and repeat 3-5x also based on comfort and/or need. 

Rolfing

Dr. Ida Rolf developed the technique which she termed “Rolfing” in the beginning of the 20th century. She believed that when the body is misaligned, this results in imbalances within the Musculo-skeletal system. These imbalances create pain and discomfort and drain energy thereby producing various medical conditions. By performing specific deep tissue manipulation, which involves the loosening and stretching of the fascia, then the body can be returned to proper function and the body could be healed. Rolfing aims to improve posture, movement, and overall well-being by performing manual manipulation of the body’s connective tissue. Rolfing is also known as Structural Integration.

Fascial connective tissue can be described as a three-dimensional web-like tissue which surrounds all the organs, bones, nerves and muscles within the body. Its primary role is to provide support and structure to the body in conjunction with the skeleton. Injury in the form of posture, repetitive movements, emotional stress, etc., makes the fascial become rigid or tight. It follows that poor health, pain and dysfunction would then be the result of these distortions, contractions and misalignments of the fascia. Therefore, reorganizing the connective tissue through techniques like Rolfing may help to restore health and vitality. 

Rolfing is generally performed in a series of ten sessions, each with specific goals and targets. These sessions focus on specific areas of the body, using hands-on manipulation to apply pressure and to stretch the tissue to loosen and reorganize the fascia. Rolfing operates on the principle that the body is a holistic system and by releasing fascial restrictions and reorganizing the fascia, the body can realign and eventually function efficiently and without pain.

Principles of Rolfing

1. Fascial manipulation: Rolfing is a hands-on technique which seeks to release fascial restrictions, tension and adhesions within the body.

2. Holistic approach: Rolfing treats the entire body as a whole rather than focusing on a specific disease or area of dysfunction.

3. Ten-series approach: Rolfing typically involves a series of ten sessions each with a specific focus and goal.

4. Individualized approach: Rolfing sessions are generally tailored to the individuals’ unique needs and goals as well as their individual history, posture, movement patterns and imbalances.

5. Education: Rolfers often provide movement education and exercises designed to increase the patient’s body awareness.

6. Mind-body connection: Rolfers recognize the interconnectedness of the mind and body and address this when emotional and/or psychological issues arise during sessions (which generally do arise). 

7. Pain reduction and enhanced function: Rolfing may provide relief from chronic pain, increase vitality, increase range of motion, improve posture and enhance function. 

What is Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)?

IASTM has its roots in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Originally named Gua Sha, it was a process of simple scraping of the skin, thought to remove blood stagnation, and promoting normal circulation and improving metabolism. Gua Sha practitioners used animal bones, jade, and other things to scrape muscles and create acute trauma to the outer surface of the skin. This damage was instrumental in turning the area from a chronic “stagnated” state back into an acute state where the body can begin to attack and heal the problem with renewed immune energy. IASTM utilizes various instruments, such as stainless-steel blades to effectively mobilize scar tissue and fascial adhesions. These instruments are used to apply a longitudinal pressure along the muscle through a mechanical advantage of the practitioners.

Clinical use of Gua Sha techniques can be instrumental in the healing of chronic pain syndromes, inflammatory problems or in cases where connective tissue becomes dense with cross-fibering. Connective tissue interfaces that become restricted then lose the gliding ability of the fascial planes across each other and thereby contribute to pathology or result in abnormal ranges of motion or pain syndromes.

Today, IASTM is a popular manual therapy technique used in physical therapy and rehabilitation to address soft tissue restrictions, adhesions, scar tissue, and musculoskeletal conditions. It involves the use of specialized instruments to detect and treat areas exhibiting soft tissue fibrosis or chronic inflammation. Numerous studies have shown the effectiveness of IASTM through various tools and through various companies. These studies generally show an increase of range of motion, pain resolution and a return to normal function of the treated area. IASTM can be integrated into an overall treatment or rehabilitation plan such as stretching, strengthening exercises, or combining with other manual therapy or rehabilitation techniques. 

Principles of IASTM

1. Detection and treatment of tissue restrictions: IASTM uses specially designed tools to detect and treat areas of soft tissue restriction, adhesions or scar tissue.

2. Breakdown of scar tissue and adhesions: The instruments are used to apply controlled microtrauma to the tissue, stimulating the body’s natural healing response. This process remodels and realigns the tissues fibers.

3. Improved blood flow and tissue healing:  IASTM is believed to stimulate localized inflammation, promoting increased blood flow to the area. This is believed to facilitate the healing process.

4. Pain reduction and improved function:  IASTM has been shown to reduce pain, improve range of motion and enhance overall functional mobility. Optimal results can be achieved when used in conjunction with other modalities. 

5. Patient specific application: IASTM techniques require skilled assessment and an individualized application. The instruments are applied in specific directions and angles to specific tissue areas and identified areas of dysfunction. 
   

What is The Bond Wand?

With The Bond Wand, there is finally a self-care massage tool that allows you to facilitate deep pressure, self-massaging of trigger points and sore muscles single-handedly while using the free hand to position body parts or provide tissue traction. Of course, The Bond Wand can be used double handedly as well as using the removable and adjustable handle. The unique and patented design of The Bond Wand allows for enhanced leverage and/or concentrated pressure to various body parts using the strength of the larger muscles of the elbow and shoulders rather than the smaller muscles of the wrist and the hand. This eliminates user fatigue and allows tremendous force to be targeted at trigger points or along the entire muscle length. The Bond Wand is instrument assisted soft tissue release (IASTR), post-isometric relaxation (PIR), and neuromuscular facilitation release (PNF).

The Bond Wand can be used effectively with either arm and it also has a variety of attachments:  first either a cane or a short bar connects to the arm handle for using it for either distant body parts or closer body parts. Secondly, there are a variety of different attachments to be used at the tip of either bar, a rounded ball tip for trigger points, a multiple pointed tip for larger areas, a roller bar for massaging broad areas and/or longer muscles, and scraping tools for fascial stretching/release of flat areas of the body. The Bond Wand makes The Bond Protocol  possible which is contract-relax-antagonist-contract (CRAC) followed by instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM).

With this one tool you can eliminate hundreds or even thousands of dollars spent on massage therapy and/or myofascial release practitioners. Treat your own body without spending money on Gua Sha instruments or IAST tool sets. Don’t spend hundreds of dollars on heavy mechanical percussive massager that cannot apply enough pressure or reach distant body parts. You can eliminate those massage balls, kneaders, foam rollers and trigger point tools. 

Bond Wand Components Fig. 7

Fig. 8

Attachments Fig. 9

Illustrated Fascial Adhesion Stretching Using The Bond Wand Fig. 10

Using The Bond Wand - Putting it All Together

Principles of The Bond Wand Protocol

1. Put The Bond Wand on one arm and use the other arm to position the body part. 

2. Put desired attachment onto the end of the bar – try to match the arc of the attachment to the arc of the body part. 

3. Apply desired lotion on the skin of the body part.

4. Place The Bond Wand attachment at the junction of the muscle and tendon away from the muscle origin.

5. Contract the indicated (targeted) muscle isometrically (without movement).

6. Use the free arm to reposition the muscle in contracted length.

7. Apply pressure with The Bond Wand downward and towards the muscle belly, away from the distal part to the proximal muscle origin.  

8. The pressure is applied while using a “scooping”, “wiggling”, “scraping”’ or a “stop and start” motion onto the muscle. The pressure is deeper when attempting to reach deeper muscles vs superficial layers.

9. Stretch the target muscle by moving by moving the body part into stretched length while applying The Bond Wand from distal to proximal.

10. Repeat as necessary.

Principle of The Bond Wand Application to Gastrocnemius Muscle Fig. 11

Bullet Points

1. We are bio-batteries that are fully charged when young.

2. The rate of repair must outpace the rate of decay, or we age.

3. Aging is the process of stiffening, hardening and fibrosis.

4. Energy (chi) flows along fascial planes.

5. By removing fascial restrictions, we can delay aging.

6. By removing fascial restrictions, we can increase chi flow.

7. One of the best times to stretch a muscle is immediately following a post isometric contraction.

8. The Bond Wand may help to remove fascial restrictions by application directly following a post isometric contraction.

Care Instructions

1. Always defer to personal comfort when applying pressure with any attachment.

2. If skin irritation is present, or develops, do not use the product on those areas and consult with your physician.

3. Do not press too hard for injury and/or product failure risk is possible.

4. Do not use on children and do not let children play with The Bond Wand at any time as the attachments may present a choking risk.

5. Wipe The Bond Wand and attachments with alcohol or use a mild detergent and/or a microfiber cloth after use.

6. Do not clean The Bond Wand with abrasive scrubbers or harsh chemicals.

7. Store in a cool and dry place when not in use.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this book is for educational purposes regarding the use and care of The Bond Wand and is not intended as a substitute for seeking professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If the user or any other person has a medical concern, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. 

 

The Application of the Bond Wand Protocol on Selective Muscles

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Head and Neck

1. Scalenes

2. Levator Scapulae

3. Sternocleidomastoid

4. Splenius Cervicis

5. Splenius Capitis

6. Semispinalis

Chest

7. Pectoralis Major

8. Pectoralis Minor

Upper Back and Trunk

9. Trapezius

10. Rhomboids

12. Serratus Posterior Superior

Back

13. Erector Spinae

14. Latissimus Dorsi

Posterior Shoulder/Axilla

15. Deltoid

16. Supraspinatus

17. Infraspinatus

18. Teres Minor

19. Serratus Anterior

Arm, Forearm, Hand

20. Triceps Brachii

21. Biceps Brachii

22. Brachioradialis

23. Flexor Carpi Ulnaris

24. Flexor Digitorum Superficialis

25. Extensor Digitorum

26. Extensor Digiti Minimi

27. Extensor Carpi Radialis Longus

28. Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis

29. Adductor Pollicis

Lower Back

30. Quadratus Lumborum

31. Serratus Posterior Inferior
    
    

Internal Obliques

32. Internal Obliques 

33. External Obliques

34. Transversus Abdominis

35. Rectus Abdominis

36. Psoas Major

37. Quadratus Lumborum 

38. Iliacus

Posterior Hip

39. Gluteus Maximus

40. Gluteus Medius

41. Gluteus Minimus

42. Tensor Fascia Latae

43. Piriformis

44. Deep Hip Rotators

Thigh

45. Hamstrings

46. Quadriceps

47. Adductor Longus/ Gracilis
    
    

Leg and Foot

48. Tibialis Anterior

49. Extensor Digitorum Longus

50. Extensor Hallucis Longus

51. Gastrocnemius

52. Lateral Leg Compartment

53. Sole of Foot

 

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