Foam Rolling is IN!

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by Mike Napierala, PT, SCS, CSCS, FAFS

We see it everywhere from gyms to athletic training rooms to Physical Therapy Clinics!

Who doesn’t love a good hands-on massage! Well, this is a form of self massage with the following benefits:

1. Price effective ($20-$30/roll)

2. Allows you to control the amount and focus of your pressure.

3. Increases blood supply and potentially affects the exchange of nutrients and waste in the tissues

4. Breakdown of tissue adhesions

5. You can bring your roller anywhere and use it anytime

Recent definitive research suggests that foam rolling may decrease neural inhibition (muscles not working as well because of pain), increase mitochondria formation (feed and cleanse the cells), and decrease nociceptor activation (decrease pain).

The newest studies also reported range of motion increases in knee bending following rolling of the quadriceps for as little as 60 seconds at a time. One study showed a 4.3% increase in sit and reach distance with 1-2 repetitions of 5 and 10 seconds rolling the hamstrings.

Our assumption is that if it works on those muscles, it will work on any muscle!

Other studies indicate that there may be an small increase in force generation of a muscle after roller massage; even up to 10 minutes after.

Who among us hasn’t felt the pain of post-exercise muscle soreness 1-2 days after exerting in some new manner, whether bending to pick up tree limbs in the yard, or trying a new activity for a few hours? This delayed-onset muscle soreness, which causes discomfort, swelling in the muscles, and even temporary muscle damage, is a common occurrence. Percy et al studied sprint times and subjective pain in squatting and found that foam rolling significantly improved the recovery process and lessened the delayed-onset muscle soreness.

Research says it works. It is also easy to use.

Any muscle can be rolled...both up and down or across it.

Place your body on top of the roller on the appropriate muscle and with your desired pressure. Begin rolling up and down for 30-60 seconds, focusing on the tender areas. Remember that this should “hurt good." You determine the pressure as pain will be an inhibitor to relaxation and results.

The demonstrations we show give you an example of a workable position to roll the quadriceps in front of the leg, the hamstring in back of the leg, the ITB on the side of the leg and the chest muscles.

The roller used can be solid, or made of variable-density foam with textures on it. This one with ridges is called “the grid” and is one of my favorites for comfort, but there are many rollers available online.

So pick up a roller, and give it a try!