Using a Foam Roller
The foam roller is a useful piece of equipment to have at home for the purpose of “ironing” out various muscles of the body. I’m not a great fan of unnecessarily collecting clutter so I choose to be selective of what I consider important pieces of equipment. However, the roller can be very helpful in promoting flexibility and good health.
The foam roller and 3.5” Yoga ball
I bought my first foam roller with one particular muscle in mind - my impossibly tight iliotibial band (IT band) muscles along the side of the leg. That part of the anatomy doesn’t have much flesh so ironing it out was particularly painful. However, with a little bit of creativity, the roller can be used for many different parts of the body.
A foam roller can be described as providing a sort of self-administered sports massage. Like massage in general, using a roller will result in increasing blood flow to an area and reducing the adhesions that inharmoniously stick groups of muscles together. It is a form of myofascial release and can help in increasing one’s range of motion and flexibility. Reduced muscle soreness in turn helps muscle recovery post exercise.
If a foam roller is new to you, I would recommend that initially you focus your attention on the larger, fleshier muscle groups. This would include the gluts, the quads, the calves, the lats and the back.
Foam rolling the Quadriceps
Foam rolling the upper back
With the use of a foam roller, I would advise some caution. Preferably you should use the roller when the body is warmer, such as after a workout. Warmth adds pliability to the fascia. Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. You might even consider using a heating pad in advance of rolling. Only roll on muscles and never over bones or joints. Take extra care when using a roller on the lower back.
Foam rolling the Latissimus Dorsi (Lats)
When you foam roll, roll a muscle group for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Try to stay on a muscle until you feel a lessening of discomfort. Then you can move on to the next area to be worked. There are two different techniques for foam rolling. One is to roll up and down a muscle several times and the other is to stay in place and hold the foam roller in one spot. Think of the first as applying the principles of massage therapy where the therapist is moving up and down a muscle with long flowing strokes. The second is where the therapist is applying sustained pressure in one spot, as in shiatsu therapy. Both methods are highly effective.
There are some muscles in the body that are fan shaped or somewhat irregular and may not be reached effectively with a cylindrical foam roller. The scapular around the shoulder area comes to mind and I have found that the most effective way of getting at that is to use a small yoga ball about 3.5 inches in diameter. This is also an effective way of getting at the piriformis muscle located in the middle of the buttock. I would describe the sensation that I get when I work on these muscles as being “delicious.” Perhaps another way to describe this would be not exactly painful but having a positive sense of a welcoming engagement of the muscle.
Yoga ball used for irrgular shaped muscles such as the scapula or the piriformis
Along with any sort of home care physical activity, I remind you that if any particular exercise causes an increase in pain, then discontinue doing that one. Perhaps you can expect some discomfort but never pain. If you are feeling pain then wait until I next see you so that we can modify that particular protocol. I don’t agree with the “no pain, no gain” mantra but believe in a less aggressive path of moderation and working within one’s pain tolerance. I call it the philosophy of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The porridge should not be too hot or too cold. It should be just right !
