May we present the foam roller.
The foam roller is a cylindrical foam tube about 6 inches in diameter and available in various densities. It is used to ‘iron out’ tight, sore and or achey muscles by putting the roller under the offending muscle and using your body weight to roll over it.
Relatively unknown by the masses, many athletes are aware of the ‘cruel to be kind’ benefits of foam rolling. If you are active, then you need to be an ally.
Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. The concept of foam rolling is similar to the principles of massage. By producing broad or specific sweeping motions over certain areas of the body, we can create a soft tissue (muscle/fascia) releasing effect, both locally and away from the area of contact. This increase in tissue pliability allows for an increase in both joint mobility and strength and increases blood flow and circulation to the soft tissues.
We all know that we should stretch muscles at the end of a training session, but foam rolling reaches the parts that stretching alone cannot reach.
A common injury, especially in runners, are muscle knots (also known as trigger points). These injuries start as tiny tears in the muscle and go through a cycle of tear-and-repair to form a knot that can cause pain and stiffness in the area.
A good sports massage therapist can effectively apply pressure to break up and relieve muscle knots, which may take several treatments. Depending on the type and intensity of exercise, the same muscles tend to knot again and again. This is where foam rolling can fill the gaps in between sports massage sessions. By applying a regular application of release (after every training session or even daily) it will allow the massage therapist to work smartly and maximise the effectiveness each visit.
Roller frequently and this will help enormously in injury prevention.
Foam rollers are available from the clinic and we can show you the best way to get the most out of your roller. The latest style of foam roller, The Grid, has a unique design and construction that provides a more targeted trigger point self massage, and looks pretty sexy too!
One word of caution, if you do have an injury, we would always recommend that you get it checked out by a physiotherapist or other healthcare professional before you start rolling it, then you can use the roller as advised by your therapist. If you are unsure, give us a call to talk it over.