Health Watch: Roll Away Your Pain

Everybody at some point will have some kind of soft tissue injury. A major change in the attitude toward injury prevention and treatment has been researched more increasingly. This is due to the huge increase in the awareness that hands on techniques like massage, Graston Technique, and Active Release Technique (ART) can work wonders for injured athletes. The message at the elite level is "if you want to get better (healthier) get a good manual therapist in your corner". Our Chiropractic office has seen the rapid recovery by using some of these soft tissue mobilization techniques and hopes that more people reach out to these techniques before reaching first to surgery. What does this have to do with foam rollers you might ask? Well. Self myofascial release (foam Rolling) is simply another tool that one can use to both prevent and treat soft tissue injuries.

What is a Foam Roller and how do You Use It?

A foam roller is simply a cylindrical piece of extruded hard-celled foam. The techniques are simple. Athletes or patients are simply instructed to use the roller to apply pressure to sensitive areas in the muscles. Depending on the orientation of the therapist, these points can alternately be described as trigger points, knots or simply areas of increased muscle density. Regardless of the name, those in the fields of athletics and rehab were familiar with the concepts of sore muscles and the need for massage.

The use of foam rollers has progressed in many circles from an acupressure type approach to a self-massage approach. Athletes are instructed to use the roller to search for tender areas or trigger points and to roll these areas to decrease density and over-activity.

When to Roll

Rolling can provide great benefit both before and after a workout. Foam rolling prior to a workout can help to decrease muscle density and allow for better warm-up. Rolling after a workout may help to aid in recovery from strenuous exercise. The nice thing about using the foam roller is that it appears it can be done on a daily basis. How long an athlete or patient should roll is based on the individual’s tenderness of the tissue and the type of injury you are trying to rehab.

Foam Rollers versus Massage

The question often arises "Which is better; manual muscle work, or a foam roller?" To me the answer is obvious. Hands work better than foam. Hands are directly connected to the brain and can feel. A foam roller cannot feel. Many athletes struggle to afford the services of a qualified coach, chiropractor, massage therapist or physical therapist. The foam roller can provide unlimited self-massage. You do the math. Foam rollers are a small investment to make to see a potentially significant decrease in a number of soft tissue/ non-contact injuries.

Roller Beware

It is important to note that foam rolling can be hard work, particularly for weaker or overweight patients as the arms are heavily involved in moving the body. In addition, foam rolling can border on painful. Foam rollers are available in a number of densities from relatively soft foam, to newer high-density rollers with a much more solid feel. The feel of the roller and the intensity of the self-massage work must be properly geared to the age, and fitness level of the patient. Good massage work, and correspondingly good self-massage work, may be uncomfortable much like stretching. It is important that athletes or patients learn to distinguish between a moderate level of discomfort related to a trigger point and a potentially injurious situation. Foam rolling should be used with discretion in those patients with less muscle density. Foam rolling should never cause bruising. The reality is that the
athlete or patient should feel better, not worse after a brief session with a foam
roller.

When to avoid foam
rolling

If the area is an open wound, has bruising, swelling, numbness, and or was a traumatic injury, consult with your Chiropractor, Medical Doctor, or physical therapist to see if foam rolling is the proper treatment for your specific injury.

www.StudioCityChiropractor.com

Dr. Victor St. John DC and Dr. Tracey Reeb DC

The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for a diagnosis by a specialist. For specific information concerning your health condition, consult your Doctor of Chiropractic, MD or PT.