THE FOAM ROLLER BIBLE
FOAM ROLLING
SELF MASSAGE, TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
& STRETCHING
*Third Edition*
CHASE WILLIAMS
© 2016
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means; including, photocopying,
recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the
prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
DISCLAIMER
This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of
physicians. The reader should regularly consult a physician in
matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any
symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure
that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author
and publisher do not assume and hereby disclaim any liability to any
party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or
omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence,
accident, or any other cause.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOAM ROLLING
CHAPTER 2: THE MANY BENEFITS OF FOAM ROLLING
CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE?
CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE OF FOAM ROLLER
CHAPTER 5: THE EXERCISES
CHAPTER 6: WHY DOES IT HURT?
CHAPTER 7: TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
CHAPTER 8: FOAM ROLLING FOR RUNNERS
CHAPTER 9: INCORPORATING THE FOAM ROLLER INTO YOUR
YOGA ROUTINE
CHAPTER 10: ROLLING BACK THE YEARS
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
While foam rolling, the use of rolls of foam, has been around for
quite a while; until recently it has been seen mostly as a mysterious
technique used by professional athletes, coaches, and therapists to
help increase mobility and overall muscle tone. These days,
however, it can be found in gyms, in use on television and in homes
across the nation, with more people seeing the benefits of foam
rolling every day.
The problem is that, while most people have seen and heard of foam
rolling, many still do not know how to use it or what it is even
supposed to do. Unless you have your very own therapist trained in
foam rolling techniques, or you are a professional athlete with a guru
teaching you the methods and benefits of foam rolling, you probably
also have many questions pertaining to foam rolling, as well. I
assume that is the reason you are reading this book now.
That is the reason I wrote this book - to show the average Joe (or
Jolene) the best possible methods for foam rolling, right in your own
home. You would probably pay a professional hundreds of dollars for
what you will learn in this book and even then they probably still
won’t even teach you half of what you will discover herein. Not only
will you learn the best exercises for foam rolling, but you will also
learn what these exercises do, and why you should be using them.
I have tried my best to keep the language in this book easy to
understand, and stayed away from the more “specialty” words, such
as medical jargon and technical terms. Where such words and
language are used, I have tried to explain them in an easy to
understand manner. If you do come across something in this book
you simply cannot understand, I highly recommend you look it up
online to increase your knowledge and understanding.
To start off with, this book will introduce you to a brief history of the
foam roller and how it came to be such an integral part of many
people's lives today. You will discover just why so many people seem
to be drawn to this simple foam rolling device and why so many
athletes, coaches, and trainers are beginning to incorporate it into
their practice.
After you have gotten a handle on the basics, you will learn just what
myofascial release is all about and how it pertains to these rolling
exercises. Although self-myofascial release may sound like so much
technical gobbledygook, you will find that (as it pertains to foam
rolling) it is more or less just a fancy way of saying “self-massage”.
We’ll discuss what the fascia is and how it works, as well as how to
release fascial adhesions (or knots) so that you are not just doing the
exercises but you know why these exercises are helping you, which
is always a plus.
If you are a runner, we’ve included a chapter about why foam rolling
should be a vital part of your running routine and why stretching
exercises alone may not be enough, indeed they may even be
detrimental if you are stretching prior to running. By utilizing foam
rolling, you can help keep your ligaments and muscles from
becoming stiff and rigid as well as minimizing trigger points that often
come from overworked muscles.
We’ll discuss trigger point therapy using the foam roller, in order to
give you a more thorough understanding of what trigger points are
and why it is so important to your health to release those trigger
points. While this book doesn’t go into too much detail about trigger
points, I have recently written a book on the subject. This was due to
feedback from the first edition of the foam roller book. I have also
tried to expand the trigger point area of this book in this edition,
though I would recommend reading “The Trigger Point Bible” in order
to get a more thorough understanding of this problem and the
treatments available for it.
Another area we will touch upon in this book is incorporating foam
rolling into your yoga routine. You will find that by incorporating the
foam roller into the many different yoga poses, you can achieve a
much better result than you would by simply doing the yoga poses
by themselves. We will discuss how to do this as well as give a few
examples to get you started. Once you understand the basic
concepts of incorporating the foam roller into your routine, I have no
doubt you will discover endless ways you can use it to get the most
out of every yoga session.
Toward the end of this book you will find how foam rolling can not
only make you feel much better and increase your mobility, but also
aid in staving off many age-related ailments such as arthritis and
bursitis and other problems that are all-to-often chalked up to “just
getting old”. We’ll discuss how you can even reverse the effects of
some ailment by rolling on a regular basis… effectively rolling back
the years.
I’ve also included a brief description of the many different foam
rollers available to help you decided on the one that is perfect for you
(if you haven’t already bought one yourself). I do recommend,
however, that if you are just beginning in foam rolling you go with the
softer more pliable foam rollers. Once you have been rolling for a
while, you can move on to the firmer (and often more painful) rollers
out there. If you are working with Trigger Points, it is often beneficial
to use both a soft roller for rolling out most trigger points and a firmer
foam roller for getting the more intensive trigger points released.
I highly recommend you read all the way through this book and don’t
skip any of the earlier chapters, as a background on the rollers and
self-myofascial release will help tremendously in understanding
these exercises and how they can help you in different ways. You
can, of course, choose to skip over the brief history, but you may find
it fascinating, or at the very least educational, so the next time you
are at the gym you can show off your above-average knowledge.
Even if you are not a professional athlete, you will find foam rolling
can be of much benefit in your daily workout. It can help you before
and after exercises and even if you don’t exercise, you can still gain
many benefits from proper foam rolling. The key word here is
“proper” as many people who have tried foam rolling and have
subsequently given it up were simply not doing it correctly and were
therefore not seeing any benefit.
Unfortunately many books, videos, and guides have been written
with incorrect foam rolling techniques that can actually do more harm
than good. Rest assured, however, that the methods provided in this
book are tried and true methods, tested and approved by athletes,
runners, bodybuilders and trainers. The exercises presented herein
are easily learned and mastered and you will notice an immediate
improvement in your muscle tone and joint range of motion.
Once you have mastered the foam roller, you can even take what
you learned and help others to incorporate the foam roller into their
routine, and you will be equipped to not only know how to do these
exercises, but you can explain why these rolling techniques help and
how they help. In other words, once you have read through this book
a few times and mastered the techniques herein, you may consider
yourself an expert on foam rolling. You may even want to start a
class in your local gym, helping others learn the awesome benefits to
foam rolling.
It is my sincerest wishes that you find the information in this book to
be as life changing as so many have. I have written this book to help
you change your life, through the power of self-myofascial release,
by increasing your circulation, range of motion and blood flow, you
should not only increase your mobility and feel better, but you will be
adding years to your life and, not just years, but healthy years. So
without further ado… let us start learning about foam rolling and be
on our way to a better healthier life!
CHAPTER 1: A BRIEF HISTORY OF FOAM
ROLLING
There have been major changes in the attitude toward injury
prevention and treatment. Massage, Muscle Activation (MAT), Active
Release Therapy (ART) and other musculoskeletal therapies have
been getting much more attention as viable therapy for injured
athletes. The isokinetic injury care of the eighties has given way to
more hands-on soft tissue care with physical therapists using “soft
tissue mobilization” (which is just a fancy way of saying “massage”)
and Muscle Activation as a more superior means of therapy and
many chiropractors using Active Release Therapy to ease pain in the
lower back.
Basically, massages have become the “in thing” in order to help heal
poor aching muscles, but the problem with massages is that they are
quite cost prohibitive. I mean, who doesn’t want a personal massage
therapist at their beck and call? But then, who can afford it, other
than professional athletes and the absurdly rich. That is where foam
rollers come in. You could say foam rollers are the poor man’s
massage therapist.
Physical Therapist Mike Clark is credited with first exposing athletic
and physical therapy communities to the foam roller and to what he
termed "self-myofascial release". Clarke, in his early manuals,
presented us with a means by which we can achieve a professional
type of message without having to pay hundreds of dollars, and best
of all we can do it ourselves. His early manuals included photos of
techniques that one can use to achieve amazing results by using a
simple foam roller. The techniques were extremely simple and
virtually self-explanatory. These first photos began a trend that is
now sweeping across the country and shows no sign of subsiding.
Clarke’s initial recommendation for foam rolling was not selfmassage, but more of an ischemic pressure technique. Basically,
athletes were simply instructed to use the roller to apply pressure to
certain sensitive areas of the muscles, defined as trigger points.
We’ll discuss trigger points more thoroughly later, but suffice it to say
by releasing trigger points through ischemic compression (which is
literally putting pressure on a point to stop the blood flow) and
massage, one is able to achieve relief of many conditions, due to the
referred nature of trigger points (more on this later).
As massage fell out of favor, mostly due to the prohibitive costs, in
the mid 1980’s, such techniques as ultrasound and electrical
stimulation became more popular, as trainers and therapists could
use these techniques to treat more athletes and clients easily and
quickly. However, for elite athletes such as track and field athletes
and swimmers, a disdain for this modality approach and an attraction
to massage still existed.
Slowly, the idea that manipulating soft tissue helped athletes to stay
healthier and to get healthier faster caught on in the performance
world. Suddenly, many athletes found the foam roller approach to be
best (and cheapest) method of achieving this soft tissue
manipulation. Many athletes started using the foam roller to soothe
and smooth muscle tissue, rather than simply concentrating pressure
on their trigger points.
The use of foam rollers progressed from an acupressure type
approach to a self-massage approach. The roller is now used to
apply longer more sweeping strokes to the long muscle groups in
order to loosen tight muscles and heal micro-tears, such that occur
with regular high impact exercises.
CHAPTER 2: THE MANY BENEFITS OF
FOAM ROLLING
Foam rolling has many more benefits than most people are aware of.
It goes way beyond simply soothing tired and sore muscles (though
this is one of the major benefits), to so many peripheral health
benefits, it might amaze you. In this chapter we will briefly cover
some of the benefits you can expect to achieve from a regular foam
rolling routine. It is really quite hard (if not impossible) to list all of the
benefits you can expect to achieve, as there are quite literally too
many benefits to count. Not only are there so many benefits of foam
rolling that several books could be written on just the benefits alone,
but science and health care professionals are finding new benefits
just about every day.
Many of the benefits listed here will also be covered throughout this
book, but I felt it would be prudent to let you know at the start what
you are in for, if you decide to start foam rolling on a regular basis.
You might say, this chapter is simply a list of incentives for starting
your foam rolling regime and sticking to it. While many (if not most)
people today know that foam rolling is a great way to release tension
and soothe sore muscles, this is really not enough incentive for most
people to go out and buy a foam roller and then spend time learning
how to use it, and finally taking the time out of their busy schedules
to actually perform the exercises.
Once you’ve finished reading this chapter, you will understand
(hopefully to a much greater depth) why foam rolling is one of the
most beneficial exercises (if you want to call it exercise) you can
possibly do for your body. You will find that foam rolling is a natural
holistic approach to keeping yourself healthy, improving your life
drastically, and staving off many effects that come with aging. You
will realize that foam rolling may be the most important, life
changing, decision you have ever made.
INCREASED MOBILITY
One of the effects of aging seems to be a decrease in many people's
mobility. That is to say, activities that were once easy and pain free
become more difficult as we age. We may find that simply walking,
bending and reaching become strenuous and (for some) even
impossible. Many people are convinced this is just a normal process
of aging and that there is really nothing we can do about. I have
even heard some doctors tell their patients that their decreased
mobility is simply them “getting older” and it is part of life.
While there may be a slight decrease in our mobility as we hit our
golden years, there is no reason why we cannot perform the same
tasks and functions as we did in our youth!
Most physical therapists, especially those who specialize in geriatric
therapy, will agree that the main cause of limited mobility in the
elderly is due to joint inflammation and muscular degradation, as well
as gross myofascial adhesions throughout the body. As we will
discover in this chapter, one of the main benefits of foam rolling is an
increase in the blood flow throughout the body. Many older and
elderly people may have poor circulation which causes the joints and
ligaments to stiffen up, due to improper lubrication and a decreased
nutrient rich blood supply.
The good news is that foam rolling isn’t limited to young, healthy,
vibrant individuals, but that anyone, from 3 years old (perhaps
younger) to 90 years old (perhaps even older) can benefit from foam
rolling. Unlike many conventional exercises and rehabilitation
programs, foam rolling puts little to no strain on the body and can be
performed at your own leisure and at your own pace. You do not
have to be healthy in order to use a foam roller, but by using a foam
roller you will find your health dramatically increases.
Of course, an elderly person who has limited mobility and many
adhesions and pains in his or her body will want to approach foam
rolling much slower than a healthy, young and vibrant individual. But,
even if you can hardly get out of bed, dress yourself, or perform even
the most menial of tasks, you can still benefit from foam rolling. As
you start slowly, working on those muscles that seem to be giving
you the most problem, you will find your mobility generally improving
to where you can move on to other muscles and painful areas.
Within a few weeks (possibly even less) you will suddenly find that
you are able to accomplish more with less strain and much less pain.
Eventually, you will find you are able to perform all of the exercises
listed in this book without a problem, and you will find your mobility
has improved dramatically.
It should be noted, however (as I note throughout this book) that if
you do have serious health problems, you should consult your doctor
or health practitioner before beginning any sort of exercise regimen,
including foam rolling. It should also be noted that not all therapist,
doctors or other health practitioners are familiar with foam rolling,
and may discourage you from trying this as they feel it may be too
much of a strain or that it may be dangerous. It is up to you to either
find a practitioner who is familiar with foam rolling therapy or to
educate your healthcare provider on foam rolling. A good way of
educating your health practitioner on foam rolling is to provide him or
her with a copy of this book!
Much research still has to be done, but in my own experience I have
talked to many elderly people who have found great benefits in foam
rolling, some having exclaimed that after a few weeks of foam rolling,
they feel better than they ever did, even when they were young and
vibrant. While not all results will be this dramatic, I can guarantee
you that foam rolling is by far the safest, gentlest and most beneficial
technique I have ever seen to helping increase mobility, not only in
the elderly but in anyone who suffers from decreased mobility. It is
especially a very useful addition to any rehabilitation program, in that
it can be applied as gently or firmly as necessary, in order to
massage and loosen adhesions and improve circulation throughout
the body.
PAIN THERAPY
Of course, as mentioned above, one of the major benefits of foam
rolling is in easing pain in tired and sore muscles, but the pain
therapy of foam rolling goes way beyond this. Not only is foam rolling
highly beneficial to joint and muscle therapy, but it can also help
ease or erase pains that often go untreated for years, or are treated
with pain medications that only cover the symptoms and never
actually treat them.
First, your muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints are constantly
being pulled, stretched, and often misused in ways that gradually
break them down and cause them to “malfunction”. Arthritis, bursitis,
tendonitis and a host of other conditions occur with the misuse and
mistreatment of muscles over a prolonged period of time, causing
pain in our later years and often limiting our mobility. By practicing
effective foam rolling techniques (which are presented later in this
book) you can stave off these conditions and possibly even reverse
some of these conditions.
You may have already been aware of the effects foam rolling has on
these areas of your body, but did you know foam rolling has been
shown to help things such as migraine and tension headaches and
many other pains that aren’t commonly associated with muscles,
tendons and such? Most headaches are tension headaches, caused
by the incorrect position of your head and neck. When your head is
positioned incorrectly, it causes the muscles and tissues of the neck
and head to tighten. As the muscles and tissues compress, they
pinch different nerves which can not only cause pain in and of itself,
(pinched nerves are often very painful) but also cut off vital blood
flow, which can cause less oxygen to reach the brain.
A daily foam rolling regimen, especially in the upper back and
shoulders, can provide a very deep and wonderful release to these
nerves, by smoothing out the muscle and tissue and allowing you
proper balance of your head/neck. Many people have expressed
surprise at how much foam rolling has relieved their headaches, but
headaches are not the only aches and pains foam rolling has been
shown to relieve.
Many people live with pain most of their lives and have become so
used to the pain they often don’t even notice it. I’m not talking about
normal muscle aches and such, but internal pains and aches within
the body, brought about by poor circulation of the blood. I can’t even
begin to tell you how much internal pain is caused simply because
our blood is not circulating properly, thus depriving vital organs of
oxygen rich blood needed to survive and function properly. From our
kidneys, to our liver...our hearts, our pancreas, even our very skin
requires a healthy flow of blood/oxygen to maintain maximum
functions and durability. Once these organs begin to lose oxygen,
they send out signals to our brains telling us there is something
wrong, which we interpret as pain.
The reason we have much of this reduced flow of oxygen to our vital
organs (as well as joints and tendons) is often due to adhesions in
our fascia. We will learn much more about the fascia and how
myofascial release can be achieved easily through foam rolling, for
now let me just say that the fascia is the soft tissue surrounding our
muscles that permeates the human body. It actually acts like a buffer
that surrounds almost all components of the body, helping it to
maintain its integrity and protect itself from injury. When irritated, the
fascia will form adhesions which in turn limits circulation in the
underlying tissue, causing reduced blood flow throughout the body,
also known as ischemia.
Ischemia, aside from direct injury, is one of the most primary causes
of pain in our body. As we begin a regular foam rolling routine, those
adhesions begin to break up and our blood circulation returns to
normal. This, in turn, will provide the necessary oxygen (as well as
other nutrients) to our bodies, thus reducing (and often completely
eliminating) many pains we didn’t even realize we had. I can’t tell
you how many times I have heard people say that they didn’t even
realize how much pain they were experiencing in their bodies until
that pain was suddenly gone.
IMPROVED FUNCTIONS OF OUR VITAL ORGANS
Not only does increasing the blood circulation (by breaking up fascial
adhesions) decrease and often eliminate much pain, but our organs
begin to operate at peak performance, doing the jobs at which they
are best. It may surprise you to know that most of the organs in the
average person are not functioning as well as they are supposed to,
especially important organs such as the heart and kidneys, which
are vital not only to optimal health, but are vital to our very survival. I
don’t have to tell you how important it is that your heart continues to
pump blood throughout your body, or how important it is for your
kidneys to continue to remove waste products from the blood and
regulate the water fluid levels. Nor should I need to tell you how
important it is that your liver is functioning properly to regulate the
storage of glycogen, break down red blood cells, produce white
blood cell proteins and hormones as well as keeping the body clean
of deadly toxins.
All of the functions listed above are contingent upon a healthy supply
of oxygen and nutrients supplied by the blood. When you have any
sort of blockage, these organs are limited by what they can do. By
releasing fascial adhesions through foam rolling, you will improve
that blood circulation, ensuring that these vital organs get the proper
amount of oxygen and nutrients so that they can continue to
function. It should go without saying that when your vital organs are
operating at peak performance, you will notice an improvement in
your overall health. Many people have told me that, while they
expected that their mobility would be improved and possibly some
aches and pains would be alleviated, they were quite pleasantly
surprised (and often shocked) by how much better they felt overall
after adhering to a regular foam rolling regimen. They were able to
breathe easier, they had more stamina, they could walk further
without getting worn out, and they were able to sleep much better.
These are benefits of foam rolling directly related to the improvement
of vital organs.
IMPROVED VITALITY
As your vital organs receive the proper flow of blood, your energy
levels will naturally increase, due to your body finally working the
way it is supposed to. A healthy circulation is of utmost importance to
our overall health and vitality. Without proper circulation, we often
suffer from low energy and are unable to do things we want to do or
need to do in our daily life, such as regularly exercising our bodies,
or even doing simple tasks such as walking, shopping,
housecleaning and other things we once were able to perform with
little or no problem.
Often, due to improper circulation and reduced function of our vital
organs, we find it hard to sleep. We may wake up in the morning
feeling as if we got little to no sleep, often looking forward to a nap
as soon as we open our eyes. We might go about our day, just
dragging our feet… perhaps trying to supplement our energy with
caffeine, just to keep us active and moving. While some caffeine can
be beneficial in small amounts, it is absolutely not a good substitute
for a healthy circulatory system and a well-rested body.
One of the comments that I have heard from every single person
who has decided to take up foam rolling and have stuck to a regime
for a couple of weeks is that they were surprised how energetic they
had become. Many have told me that they have been sleeping much
better, often sleeping less hours and feeling even more refreshed
than ever before. Most have expressed how easy it is for them to get
up out of bed in the morning, where previously they wore out their
snooze buttons on their alarms clocks. They face the day with a new
sense of purpose, an inner vitality that no amount of caffeine or
energy drinks could ever match.
The great thing about this new level of vitality is that you can use it to
get your body into even better shape. You now have the energy (and
ambition) to exercise regularly, increasing your strength and
endurance. You may find that walking is not only easier now, but
even more enjoyable. Your blood oxygen level will go up even more
through activities you may have avoided, and as this happens your
vitality will increase even more. In other words, you will find that
simply starting a regular rolling regimen may drastically increase
your quality of life in ways you couldn’t even imagine.
REDUCTION OF CELLULITE
If all of the benefits listed above aren’t enough for you to jump off
your gluteus maximus and get to rolling, there is also a correlation
between foam rolling and a reduction of cellulite!
In case you don’t know, cellulite is a condition that causes the skin to
appear to have areas of underlying fat deposits, which gives the skin
a dimpled, lumpy appearance. It is most often noted on the thighs,
abdomen and buttocks. There are many different medical terms
used to define cellulite, such as adiposis edematosa,
dermopanniculosis deformans or status protrusus cutis. You don’t
really need to know the medical terminology to recognize cellulite,
which is also often called orange peel syndrome or cottage cheese
skin (which is much more descriptive than the medical terms).
There are many different treatments being sold to help you remove
cellulite, which are pushed on consumers in the form of creams or
supplements. While some of these creams may, in fact, help to lose
some cellulite, many of these creams and supplements do very little
to rid our bodies of cellulite or to keep the cellulite off. As cellulite is
more common with woman than with men, most of the products are
pushed on women, through women's magazines, women’s health
sites and such. There is actually no evidence that any of these
creams are truly effective against cellulite and many may actually be
quite harmful. Most of these “cellulite creams” contain an ingredient
called “aminophylline” which causes the blood vessels to contract
and narrow and forces water from the skin. This actually can cause a
reduction in blood circulation, which leads to many conditions
mentioned above.
While you could plop down a hundred dollars for some miracle
cream that might (or might not) help you to reduce your cellulite, but
will more than likely leave you worse off, you will find that foam
rolling does the job quite nicely and not only does it help reduce (or
completely eliminate) this excessive cellulite, but it will keep it off
indefinitely as long as you continue to roll.
While the actual cause of cellulite is still under investigation, many
researchers agree that cellulite can often occur due to changes in
the metabolism, as well as shifts in fascial material and inflammation
of the underlying fascia.
Foam rolling has been shown to massage those areas and help to
break up the interwoven fat fibers that may contribute to cellulite
build up. Rolling also increases the flow of blood (and oxygen) to
those areas which in turn helps to keep the underlying fibers healthy
and functional as well as helping your body to eliminate fluids and
toxins. If you are like thousands of others with cellulite in your thighs,
abdomen or buttocks, within a few short weeks of foam rolling you
will notice that this cellulite seems to simply melt away, without any
additional supplements or dangerous creams.
AND MUCH MORE
What I have listed in this short chapter on the benefits of foam rolling
is barely scratching the surface. From increased circulation come a
plethora of benefits to the overall structure and functioning of the
human body. Our body relies on an unimpeded circulation, and when
there are adhesions and other blockages that cause poor circulation,
our health suffers as a result. Foam rolling benefits us by allowing us
to break up many adhesions that are causing our body to struggle to
provide nutrients and oxygen to all of our organs, and many serious
conditions can be found rooted in this poor circulation.
Not only is our circulation improved and our vital organs receive the
oxygen and nutrients they need, but the muscles, tendons and joints
are improved, increasing our mobility which increases the amount of
healthy activities we can comfortably participate in. Even the
healthiest of athletes can benefit tremendously through foam rolling,
by increasing circulation, reducing inflammation and keeping the
muscles, tendons and entire kinetic system supple and healthy. But,
if you are not one of the healthiest athletes in the world, you can
benefit even more through foam rolling!
I can go on for days telling you about all of the benefits I have heard
from clients and friends who have given foam rolling a try, but I think
the best way to really understand these benefits is to experience
them for yourself. Foam rollers are not expensive, can be stored
easily and are actually pretty fun to use, once you get the hang of
them. There’s really nothing that should be keeping you from getting
a foam roller and trying out the exercises listed herein. Once you
have started rolling regularly, and experience the benefits, you will
wonder why you didn’t do this sooner. You will feel better, sleep
better, play better, exercise better and simply be full of health and
vitality. I know it is hard to believe such a simple thing as a tube of
foam can have such amazing benefits, but don’t let your doubt stop
you from at least trying this out.
I should note here, that foam rolling is not something you want to do
occasionally, then put it away in the closet. Foam rolling, for
maximum effectiveness and benefit, is something that should be
done every day. However, unlike strenuous exercise methods and
high impact exercises that require much willpower to continue, foam
rolling is actually enjoyable and fun to do. Unlike most conventional
exercises (running, aerobics, treadmills, etc.), foam rolling doesn’t
wear you out, but on the contrary it is revitalizing. Self Myofascial
Release (which we will get to in the next chapter) is like going to a
professional massage therapist, and who wouldn’t like a deep down
body massage everyday?
Therefore foam rolling, while requiring daily adherence, is actually an
activity you will enjoy, looking forward to doing it daily. And if all of
the benefits listed here aren’t enough, foam rolling may even help to
slow (or in some cases reverse) the aging process! We will cover
this aspect of foam rolling more thoroughly in another chapter, but
think of this: You will not only be healthier, sleep better, feel better,
be able to do more things and have more vitality - but you will live
longer to do those things, as well! How much more convincing do
you really need to realize that foam rolling may be the best thing that
has ever come into your life?
CHAPTER 3: WHAT IS SELF-MYOFASCIAL
RELEASE?
Self-Myofascial Release is a self-massage technique where you
apply pressure on different muscles in order to release tension and
improve range of movement and muscle performance.
“Myo” is the Greek word for Muscle and “Fascia” is a thin, tough,
elastic type of connective tissue that wraps most structures within
the human body, including muscle.
Fascia is made up of collagen fibers tightly packed together in a
parallel pattern and is ubiquitous in your body linking your muscles
together and providing support, stability and shape. Fascia resides in
a gel-like material, called “ground substance” or “extra fibrillar matrix”
that provides cushioning.
The soft fascia tissue can become restricted due to overuse, which
results in pain, muscle tension and diminished blood flow. Although
fascia and its corresponding muscle are the main targets of
myofascial release, other tissue may be addressed as well, including
other connective tissue.
Self-myofascial release is simply the use of self-massage to release
the tension in your myofascial system. Self-Myofascial Release is
also known as Self Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy or Self
Myofascial Trigger Point Release.
The exact phrase "myofascial release" was coined by Robert Ward,
in the 1960s. Ward, along with physical therapist John Barnes, are
considered the two primary founders of Myofascial Release.
During strenuous exercises or activities such as lifting heavy things
or poor posture or simply overdoing it in the gym, the fascia
experiences what is known as “micro-trauma” where your fascia
tissue becomes tougher and less flexible, due to your body’s own
protective mechanism, much like your skin will create a scar or scab
to protect itself.
What ends up happening is that micro-tears in the fascia will form
and if these tears don’t heal properly, the fascia tissue ends up stuck
together. This is a condition known as an “adhesion”. The trauma
also causes the ground substance to solidify, which makes it much
less elastic. These damaged areas in your myofascia are known as
“Restricted Tissue Barriers” and/or Trigger Points. As the fascia
becomes tighter and develops adhesions, the underlying muscles
movement will be restricted which will result in reduced flexibility,
reduced range of motion and muscle aches and pains.
These fascial adhesions can also restrict your nerves and blood
vessels, resulting in reduced neuromuscular efficiency (that is the
connection between your brain and muscles) and ischemic
(reduction in blood supply) issues. This will cause even greater pain
due to the fascia adhesions restricting your nerves.
So how does self-myofascial release work to heal this damage to
your myofascia system? Basically by using a foam roller you are
able to put pressure on the sore and restricted tissue barriers. By
applying steady pressure, the tension will slowly be released, and
your body will gradually be restored to its normal state.
The sustained pressure brought about through self-myofascial
release helps to break down the adhesions in your fascia, which
results in softer, more flexible, fascia tissue. This is what improves
your muscle flexibility and movement. It also helps you by taking
pressure off of the nerves trapped by adhesions, thus relieving pain
and improving blood circulation to the soft tissues.
CHAPTER 4: CHOOSING THE RIGHT TYPE
OF FOAM ROLLER
When foam rollers first came out, they were pretty much all the
same, three foot pieces of white foam 6-inches in diameter. If you
sent someone out to buy you a foam roller, all you had to tell them
was you needed a foam roller and that is what they would get. There
wasn’t any question about what color or what length or how soft.
There was no question of which one was the right one for you, but
this has changed. Now, if you google “foam roller” on the internet,
you will get a plethora of colors, textures, lengths and materials.
Getting the right foam roller, especially when first starting out, is
important if you want to get the full benefit of self-myofascial release.
If you start out with the wrong roller, you may find it too painful to use
and may discontinue foam rolling before you discover the awesome
benefits of its continuing use. While it is true that foam rolling can
(and in some cases should) be a little painful when first starting out,
usually the discomfort is only minor and lasts only for a few minutes.
Choose a standard, white foam roller if you are just starting out. This
is usually 3 feet long and 6 inches in diameter. The white foam roller
is the easiest and gentlest of the foam rollers and can be used by
just about anyone. White rollers are the softest, followed by blue or
green rollers of medium density and black foam rollers, which are the
firmest. White foam rollers are often made of a piece of polyethylene
foam and they are the least dense, so they will allow some
movement between the muscles, bones and the roller. A white foam
roller will produce less pressure and less pain.
After you have been foam rolling for a while, you might want to move
onto a medium, lightly colored foam roller for a medium amount of
massage pressure. These foam rollers are usually blue or green and
are made from closed cell polyethylene foam or EVA foam. They
provide a bit more resistance, which in turn provides a more vigorous
message.
Once you have become very experienced in foam rolling, you might
want to consider a black foam roller. Although most black foam
rollers are also made of polyethylene foam, they are closed cell and
manufactured under high heat, making them smoother, denser and
less porous. These will provide you with much more resistance for a
deeper message.
If you use your roller every day (which you should), you should also
consider the denser black foam roller or EVA roller, because they are
much more durable. The white and colored foam rollers made of
polyethylene (open celled) materials can warp over time with
repeated use. However, if you do desire a softer foam roller, you can
usually find a good brand guaranteed not to warp.
Besides the foam rollers listed above, there are even firmer, more
advanced rollers available which are good for those who have been
foam rolling a while and desire a more solid, less resistant roller.
Though most people are fine with the black roller, some need that
extra vigorous deep down body message.
If you have been foam rolling for a good while, and find the foam just
isn’t doing it for you, you might think about trying “The Grid” roller.
The Grid has a hard, hollow core which is wrapped in EVA foam,
which makes it firmer than traditional foam rollers. This roller is
designed with proprietary “Distrodensity” zones. The three
dimensional surface has a variety of widths to replicate the feeling of
a massage therapist’s hands. The Grid also comes in the larger 26inch length and is 5-inches in diameter.
A step up from the Grid would be the Rumble Roller. This is definitely
not your first choice for foam rolling, as it can be very painful if you
are not used to rolling. While the foam rollers listed above simply
compress your soft tissue, the Rumble Roller actually manipulates
this tissue (like a vigorous massage therapist might do). The surface
of this roller contains specially designed bumps that are firm, but
flexible, much like the thumbs of a massage therapist. As you roll
over the top of the Rumble Roller, the bumps continuously knead the
contours of your body, stretching the muscle and fascia in multiple
directions. This is excellent for getting into hamstrings and
gastrocnemius muscles that may be sore as well as helping to
correct iliotibial band issues and piriformis pain.
Another thing you will need to decide on is the size of your foam
roller. Most foam rollers are 6 inches in diameter (though some come
in 5”). The length of the rollers, however, range from 12 inches to 36
inches. If you plan to use your roller on your back, a 26-inch to 36inch foam roller would probably be your best choice. The longer
rollers allow you to roll with it at a right angle to your back giving your
back full support while you roll. The smaller, 12-inch roller is the best
choice if you plan on transporting your roller, as it is compact and
easily transported, but it does not provide as much support for your
back. I recommend you purchase several different sizes of rollers,
for different rolling techniques, perhaps a small (12-inch) roller, a
medium sized (18 to 20-inch roller) and a longer (26 to 36-inch)
roller.
Of course, another major decision to make when buying your first
foam roller (or rollers) is how much you want to spend on it. A
standard 12 inch white foam roller will usually be the least
expensive, costing under $15.00. A black foam roller is considered a
professional grade roller and might cost upwards of $30.
EVA foam rollers are becoming much more popular these days.
These are usually the green rollers and are moderately firm with a
more comfortable surface that is warm to the touch. They are much
more durable than polyethylene foam rollers but will cost you up to
$45.
There are so many different brands, types, colors and varieties to
choose from, you may find it hard to decide on which is the best one
for you. In order to make this a little easier on you, I’ve listed below
some of the most popular, which I feel are the best bet for quality
and durability.
Perform Better Elite Molded Foam Rollers
The Perform Better Elite Molded Foam roller keeps its shape very
well and provides a nice solid surface to roll on. This is the most
durable roller out there, in my opinion, especially for heavier people
(over 180 pounds). You can use this roller over and over without
seeing any decrease in quality. Most roller gurus agree, if you want a
good firm roller that keeps its shape and will last a long time, this is
the best choice.
Foam Roller Plus
If you are looking for something that is a little less firm, you will want
to go for the Foam Roller Plus. The problem with most of the softer
foam rollers is that they tend to flatten out over time, which means
you end up having to replace them more often. However, the Foam
Roller Plus has a rigid PVC core with a softer foam coating, which
helps make it more comfortable while still retaining its shape. It also
has a removable washable neoprene cover which makes it ideal for
those situations where multiple people might use it.
EVA Foam Rollers
As mentioned above, EVA foam rollers are made of closed cell foam,
and therefore keep their shape much better than the open-celled soft
polyethylene rollers. However, for heavier people (over 200 pounds)
they tend to also get crushed after repeated use. Another downside
is that they are a bit more expensive than the standard Foam rollers.
The Grid Foam Roller
This foam roller is quite similar to the Foam Roller Plus in that it is a
rigid PVC roll with a soft outer cover. It is even the same price as the
Foam Roller Plus. The only real difference as far as I can see
between The Grid and the Foam Roller Plus is that The Grid is
slightly less resistant and the Foam Roller plus has the removable
neoprene cover.
CHAPTER 5: THE EXERCISES
Now that we have learned what self-myofascial release is and how it
works, what the different types of foam rollers are and how they work
and how to choose the best roller for you, it is time to learn how to
use the rollers for maximum benefit.
If you go through the internet, you will find a plethora of exercises
available for foam rolling, some of these are excellent and some of
them - to be quite frank - are useless or, even worse, they may be
dangerous. If you’ve tried foam rolling on your own, you may have
noticed little or no improvement, or you may have experienced pain
that caused you to turn away from foam rolling.
Of course, there will be some initial pain when you start your rolling
regiment, but this is about the same amount of pain you should feel
from getting any deep message and should ease up as you continue
to smooth out and release the fascial material that causes your
muscles to feel knotted up.
One of the main things you should keep in mind, especially when
first starting out with foam rolling is to take it slow and easy and use
a soft pliable (white) roller, so as not to aggravate the tight muscles
and fascial adhesions even further. You should never hurry with any
of these exercises, but go slowly, stopping at any point where there
is increased tension or pain, and slowly releasing any trigger points.
This chapter lists all of the most effective exercises for each muscle
group, from your neck to the soles of your feet. You can do all of the
exercises to get a total self-myofascial massage in one session, or
you can work on two or three muscle groups per session to start out.
You should especially focus on those muscles that may be giving
you pain; but also remember that trigger points often cause referred
pain, which may make it seem as if one muscle group was in pain
when it is caused by a possibly adhesion in a totally different part of
the body. We’ll talk more about this in Chapter 7 (Trigger Point
Therapy), but wanted to also mention it here, as often you may be
wondering why rolling a particular muscle group does not seem to be
helping the soreness. This is often due to a trigger point elsewhere,
and may require you to be rolling (and applying ischemic pressure)
in a totally different area.
With this in mind, it is often a good idea to roll all muscle groups, in
order to “discover” any adhesions and treat any trigger points (see
Chapter 7). You will also feel much better having given yourself the
royal treatment, easing away tension from muscles and smoothing
the myofascia tissue throughout your body. However, if you find it
difficult to do more than two or three muscle groups at a time, you
should do what is comfortable, it may just be a need to rest for 10
minutes or so, just don’t go beyond what is endurable and of course,
before starting any kind of exercise regimen, it is always advisable to
talk to your doctor to be sure you’re up to it. More than likely, though,
your doctor will be more than enthusiastic about your self-myofascial
release exercises.
Neck Muscles
Foam rolling on your neck will help to facilitate postural alignment
and provide pain relief by focusing on the tight spots within the neck
muscles. You should be very careful to go slowly when treating any
neck pain or when first starting out, as overdoing it may cause strain
to your neck and may even cause injury. A few moments a day is
really all you need to loosen those neck muscles.
If you are having serious stiffness in your neck or you are having
problems turning your head or moving your neck, you may want to
see a doctor before doing any exercises having to do with your neck
muscles. If you have neck pain accompanied by headaches,
dizziness, fatigue, arm pain, jaw pain and/or shoulder pain, you
could possibly have whiplash. Whiplash is caused by an abrupt
forward and/or backward jerking of the neck and head and can be
very painful. If you try to roll on your neck with a roller and you have
whiplash you could further exacerbate the condition, so seeking a
professional is very important. The treatments for whiplash vary but
usually involve some sort of pain medication (ibuprofen or naproxen)
gentle exercises, massages and in some cases injections and
traction. The doctor may also recommend massaging the neck
muscles and fascial tissue after the original sprain has had time to
mend.
The following exercise is very good for trigger points around the neck
muscles and many people have found this exercise helps to ease a
range of problems including headaches and lower back pain (usually
from referred pain). This exercise not only helps by releasing trigger
points and smoothing muscle, but it also helps by strengthening your
neck muscles, as you will be placing most of your weight on your
neck. By strengthening your neck muscles, you will improve your
posture, which will help keep you free from many other muscle
pains. You should be sure to not put too much pressure on your
neck, however, but only as much as is comfortable.
To start off you should lie flat on your back with the foam roller
placed under your neck. Keep your head up and lift your hips off the
floor slowly until your weight is on your neck muscles. This is one
exercise where there really is very little rolling involved, but the
object is to slowly move the neck back and forth and side to side to
find the tight or sensitive spots. When a tight spot is found, keep the
pressure on that spot until gradually it releases, usually around eight
to ten minutes, then gradually add pressure again until you feel no
more pain, tenderness or tightness.
Once you have released most (or hopefully all) of the tight spots on
the back of your neck, turn over on your side and once again slowly
lift your hips until most of your weight is on the side of your neck. Be
sure to only put as much pressure on your neck as is comfortable
and if there is too much pain stop immediately. Don’t do any rolling,
just allow your neck to remain on the roller for a minute to relieve
knotted muscles and tension. Then turn over and do the same for
the other side of your neck.
You can repeat this exercise as many times as you like, each time
trying to feel for any tight spots or any sore areas. Remember to
slowly ease into the pressure point and keep the pressure for about
eight to ten seconds then release. If you do this exercise properly
you should notice a greater mobility in your neck and a greater
improvement in your posture.
Upper Back
The upper back (or thoracic) area is an area that often holds tension.
When we get stressed, we tend to hold our breath which lifts the
scapulae (shoulder blades), trapezius (upper part of the shoulders)
and neck. This tension leads to upper back pain, imbalance and poor
posture.
Upper back pain, which is also often referred to as middle back pain
is usually felt in the thoracic vertebrae region. This is an area located
between the bottom of the neck and the top of the lumbar spine (the
beginning of the lower back). The actual meaning of the word
“thoracic” is “pertaining to the chest”. The thoracic spine actually
forms the back of the chest wall. It has much less mobility than the
cervical or lumbar spine and its main function is to protect the vital
organs found in this area, such as the heart or lungs. The thoracic or
upper back is also necessary for helping us to stand upright and
keeping our balance and posture.
Pain felt in this area could be caused by anything from muscle strain
to a collapsed vertebrae. Though most pain in the upper back is
simple strain it could also be a sign of a more serious condition, such
as spinal stenosis or hematomas. Other serious diseases that may
cause problems might be scoliosis, tumor(s) or a compression
fracture. If you have a history of recent infection, a temperature of
over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and/or rapid or unexplained weight
loss, along with upper or middle back pain, you should seek medical
attention. If accompanied by weakness or partial paralysis, a recent
fall or accident and/or loss of bowel or bladder control, you should
immediately seek emergency care.
You should also be aware that there are many trigger points found in
the upper back, as the thoracic vertebrae region is often subject to
many improper positions and can easily develop fascial adhesions
over time. Normally, the adhesions formed in this area are due to a
poor posture, such as hunching one's shoulders while studying or
reading. Playing sports or doing yard work, shoveling and even
gardening can put a strain on our upper backs and cause fascial
adhesions (trigger points) as well.
While performing the following upper back exercises, it is important
to breathe deeply, as this will help to increase the release desired as
well as keeping you more relaxed. Deep breathing is necessary to
maintaining healthy oxygen flow to your muscles and is also
necessary to keep your brain healthy and focused.
To start this exercise, position the foam roller directly beneath your
shoulder blades. Support your head with your hands, keeping your
knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
Gently start rolling the foam roller toward your head, using your feet
to control your motion. Pause the roller whenever you reach a tight
or sore spot, and by using deep breathing, allow that spot to be
pressed down on the roller, using very small movements until the
tension subsides. Continue rolling up toward your neck, then pause
and roll down until your reach the middle of your back. Continue
rolling up and down until you have rolled away all tension from your
upper back.
I’ve seen many people that tend to rush through this exercise, thus
limiting the effectiveness of the foam roller. The best way to get the
maximum mobility in the joints of the thoracic spine is through slow
purposeful motions, always stopping and easing into the pressure
points. The main point is to relax while rolling over the spine, while
breathing nice deep breaths.
It may take some time, but eventually you will be able to guide the
roller exactly where your tension lies, by moving slowly up and down
and slightly changing position from each side, so that each portion of
the fascia has been addressed and all adhesions have been
released.
Lower Back
The lower back contains the lumbar spine, which is the third major
region of the spine. The lumbar spine is found directly below the
thoracic spine. Our spine also contains joints, much like the joints in
our elbows, knees, wrists, etc. These joints are known as facet joints
and help to make the spine flexible, allowing us to bend. When these
facet joints become tight, it becomes much harder for us to do simple
bending chores, such as bending over to pick something up, putting
on our socks or tying our shoes.
Lower back pain can have any number of causes, such as strained
erector spinae (the paired lower back muscles), nerve irritation (often
caused by adhesions) and may also be a sign of intervertebral disk
degeneration. While most lower back pain is caused by muscle
strain and fascial adhesions; if you are experiencing chills and fever,
weakness in the legs, a loss of control of bowel (or bladder or
sudden problems passing urine or having a bowel movement) and/or
severe, continuous abdominal pain along with the lower black you
should seek medical attention immediately. If you are experiencing
serious lower back pains and have had a recent accident or fall, you
should also seek the advice of a doctor.
The Upper Back exercise above will also help relieve much of the
strain on your lower back as well. However, in order to touch on the
smaller muscles in your lower back and get to the lumbar spine, you
will want to transition from the upper back to the lower back, by
starting with the upper back exercise, then slowly rolling toward your
buttocks, holding pressure on any tight spots you may feel.
You should ease from side to side rolling from the middle of your
back toward the hips then back up. You should immediately feel a
release in your lower back if you are doing this properly. If you are
feeling any kind of strain when doing this, you should try to reposition
your hands toward your legs, holding your thighs above the knees.
This will take some pressure off of the back.
Don’t overdo the lower back exercise or you may end up stretching
the muscles and straining them rather than releasing them.
Remember to stop at any spot that feels tight and allow yourself to
sink into the roller until the tightness has been released. As in the
upper back rolling, you don’t want to hurry this, but take your time
and ease into the rolling. Some people find it very hard to roll their
lower back without straining. If you find it hard to roll your lower back
without feeling strain or tightness, you might try working on the hip
flexors first, then try easing back into the lower back rolling.
Eventually, once you have loosened up the muscles and possibly
released a few trigger point, you will find it easier (and very
beneficial) to roll the lower back/lumbar spine.
Upper Chest
The upper chest muscles are often overlooked by many foam roller
enthusiasts, as it can be a bit difficult to find the perfect position to
roll out your “pecs” (short for pectorals), especially for many women.
If done correctly, however, it is quite easy to roll those pecs.
The pectoralis major muscle is found in the upper chest and
stretches across the chest from shoulder to breastbone on each
side. There are also two minor pectoral muscles that are found
beneath the pectoralis major. These muscles are responsible for
controlling the arm movement and also play an important part in
deep breathing, by pulling the ribcage away from the lungs, allowing
them to expand. Most injuries to the pectoralis muscles occur during
bodybuilding exercises, such as weight lifting, that place an
enormous strain on the shoulders and chest.
Trigger points in the pectoralis major muscle often can produce pains
that mimic a heart attack or angina. Just as with a myocardial
infarction (aka heart attack) the referred pain from pectoralis trigger
points can be felt in the chest, shoulder, down the arm and along the
inside of the elbow. Of course, it should go without saying, if you are
experiencing any of these symptoms, you should rule out any
possible arterial or heart conditions, by being seen by your doctor.
The pectoralis major muscle is also very important to proper posture
and has an intimate connectivity with many of the muscle groups
around this region. Chronic tension in this muscle causes many
postural problems, such as the common sunken chest (with rounded
shoulders) posture. This may cause the trapezius muscles and the
rhomboid muscles (in the upper back) to stretch and the myofascia
to tear and to develop fascial adhesions (trigger points). Tension
might also predispose a person to place his or her head in an
unnatural forward position, which can cause strain on the
sternocleidomastoid (neck muscle that originates on the sternum and
the clavicle), causing them to form adhesions as well.
By releasing these trigger points and smoothing out the underlying
myofascia, you are able to correct these postural distortions and
relieve many neck and upper back pain as well.
In order to roll the chest you will want to do one side at a time.
Lie face down with one arm stretched out, palm downward, away
from the body at a 90 degree angle. You will want the foam roller to
rest directly under the armpit, to start out. Now, simply move in the
direction of your outstretched hand, slowly guiding the roller inward
over your chest. A smaller foam roller is ideal for this exercise, but if
you don’t have a smaller one, you can use any size. As you roll
toward your solar plexus, you can move up and down with the roller
to reach all those tight pectoral muscles in your chest. Most men can
roll the entire length of their chest, and simply switch arms and
return. Women, due to obvious anatomical differences in the chest
may have to switch sides, rolling on one side and then onto the
other.
Small, slow movements are what really make a difference in this
foam roller exercise, always remembering to stop and ease into any
pain, gently applying pressure until you feel that release. You should
always stop for at least eight to ten seconds on any painful area,
slowly allowing the pressure from the foam roller to break up and
release any adhesions present. Don’t rush it (or any of these
exercises, for that matter) but do keep it slow and steady, allowing
your muscle fibers to release before continuing.
Hip Flexors
The Hip Flexors are a group of muscles that control the hip joint,
allowing it to rotate and move the knees upward. In actuality, there
are quite a few muscles that work toward flexing the hip, but there
are two muscles specifically that are referred to as hip flexors. The
Iliopsoas group of muscles consists of the Psoas muscle and Iliacus.
Both of these muscles are attached to the femur, with the psoas
muscle attached to the lower back and Iliacus attached to the
hipbone.
Because the hip joint is extremely mobile, these muscles are highly
susceptible to injury and stiffness. Sitting for long periods of time
without periods of stretching can cause the hip flexors to become
very tight and cause pain and stiffness. The reason for this stiffness
and tightness is due to the way the muscles are contracted when in
a sitting position.
Hip flexor exercises can help to relieve this tension in both the hip
and the buttocks, as the hip flexors muscles are in close proximity to
the gluteal muscles. Once you have performed this foam rolling
technique a few times, you should find it much easier to sit for longer
period of times without feeling that tensions in your back, hips and
buttocks. However, it is strongly advised to those who do have to sit
for long period of times to stand up and stretch several times at
regular intervals to keep the hip flexors (and the gluteal muscles)
from becoming stiff and sore in the first place.
Often hip flexor muscles can become strained and stretched through
running and other high impact exercises which cause the myofascia
surrounding the muscle to be torn and may cause trigger points
which refers pain to the lower back, legs and other muscles in the
body. Quite often this rolling exercise will help your mobility in quite
diverse areas of your body, simply by addressing the trigger points
often found in the hip flexor area.
There are actually two different exercises that are recommended
with the roller to help to smooth out and release the tension in your
hip flexors. The first exercise helps you to release the gluteal
muscles and is performed by lying face up with the foam roller
directly under one side of your buttocks. Keep your legs straight and
support you upper body with your elbows. Now slowly roll back and
forth over the foam roller, making sure to keep your hips and
buttocks relaxed. Keep rolling for about a minute, and then do the
other side.
The next exercise is done in a similar way, except that you will lie on
your side and rest your hip on the roller. You will, again, be holding
your body weight on your elbow as you slowly roll your hip up and
down over the foam roller for about a minute on each side. As you
do these exercises be sure to breathe slowly and make the rolls as
smoothly as possible. At first it may be painful, but slowly as you do
the exercise, you should fill a release of tension in both your hip
flexor muscles as well as gluteal muscles.
As with all of these rolling exercises, be sure to stop on any pressure
point, and slowly ease the roller into the point, holding pressure for
eight to ten seconds before releasing and repeating. This will help to
break up any possible trigger points.
Hip Adductor Muscles (Groin)
The adductor muscles of the hip are those muscles on the inside of
your thigh, often referred to as the groin muscles. This group of
muscles, made up of the adductor brevis, adductor longus and the
adductor magnus, is responsible for bringing the legs together
toward the center of the body. The adductor muscles are
instrumental in keeping the hip joint stable and are often used
extensively in dancing and many yoga poses. Simply walking,
standing and stretching can often cause these muscles to tighten up
over time, and you will find by concentrating on this group of
muscles, you will not only achieve a higher range of motions in your
hips and legs, but you will be able to stand and walk with greater
ease.
Tight groin muscles can seriously affect your performance in many
different activities. If you’ve ever suffered from a pulled groin, you will
realize just how much we use this muscle group in almost every
activity, from walking to standing. A pulled groin is most often caused
by overusing the groin muscles or from poor conditioning or
strengthening.
The adductor group consists of five muscles; The Pectineus, The
Adductor Longus, The Gracilis, The Adductor Brevis and the
Adductor Magnus. This group of muscles works to pull the leg
downward and toward the midline of the body, to rotate the knee
inward, dip the pelvis down and forward and flex the knee at the hip
joint. The basic function of all of these muscles is to keep your legs
and knees from buckling outward while carrying your weight. In other
words, they restrain abduction of the limb and control lateral shifting
of the leg.
Trigger points in the adductor group can cause quite a bit of pain and
weakness in the muscles which may lead to improper movement,
which in turn can cause trigger points in other parts of the body. The
pain you might feel from adhesions in the adductor groups depends
largely on the actual muscle that is affected.
For instance trigger points in the Adductor Longus or the Adductor
Brevis will often refer pain in the groin and might be felt in the knee
and shin, whereas trigger points in the Pectineus will cause pain in
the area below the groin where the leg meets the body. Trigger
points in the Gracilis muscle area will often cause pain along the
inner leg and if there are trigger points around the Adductor Magnus,
you will often feel pain inside the pelvis. Trigger points in the center
of the Adductor Magnus muscle will cause pain in the inner thigh,
from the groin to just before the knees.
The trigger points on these muscles can cause the femoral artery,
femoral vein and the saphenous nerve to become entrapped, thus
reducing the normal circulation of the blood in the lower extremities
which may lead to neurological problems. By utilizing the foam roller
in the following exercise, you can work the full range of the adductor
muscles and release adhesions in this area within a session or two,
which can increase your mobility and decrease your chance of any
possible neurological problems later on.
To begin this exercise, place the foam roller parallel to the length of
the body. While facing toward the floor, propping yourself up with
your elbows, bend one knee and place the foam roller directly under
the knee, on the inner thigh. Gently work the roller up and down the
inner thigh, stopping at any tight or uncomfortable spots, then work it
out toward the knee and back in. After rolling several times in this
position, slowly extend your leg and continue to roll from the kneed
to the inner groin area and back out. Once you have worked out all
of the tension on one side, switch to the other side and repeat.
The best way I have found to do this exercise is by shifting my
weight from one elbow to the other while rolling up and down the
inner thigh. Try to go as far inward as you can and roll all the way to
the knee joint. As you ease into, you will also want to allow more
pressure on the roller by slowly allowing your body to sink into the
roller. Also, you should try to roll slightly from side to side in order to
really work all of the muscles in your groin area.
As with all of these exercises, when you feel a trigger point or a
pressure point, slowly increase pressure on that point for eight to ten
second and release, in order to help break up the adhesion or trigger
points in that area.
IT Band
The Iliotibial (or IT) Band is a very strong, thick band of fascia
running along the leg on the outside. The IT band runs from the hip,
along the thigh, attaching to the edge of the tibia (shin bone) just
below the knee. This band provides stability to the outside of the
knee joint, working with the quadriceps (thigh muscles) during
movement.
The IT Band is not a muscle, but rather a fibrous tissue (fascia) that
provides attachment for the gluteus maximus and tensor fascia lata
(for hip abduction) and provides stability for the knee. Fascia lata is
the name given to the deep fascia of the thigh. It is a strong muscle
that covers the thigh. The fascia lata forms a band from the iliac
crest to the tibia, and it is this band that is known as the iliotibial
band.
The IT band moves in a forward and backward direction along the
axis of the knee rotation which makes it particularly prone to friction
over the lateral epicondyle on the outer part of the knee. Often
through misuse and repeated stress, the bursa lying between the IT
Band and the epicondyle becomes inflamed due to this friction. The
large trochanteric bursa (which acts as a cushion between the
iliotibial band and the greater trochanter) may also become inflamed
when the iliotibial band is tight. This is commonly referred to as
“snapping hip syndrome”. This is particularly common in runners,
cyclists, and people who participate in aerobic activities. The IT band
becomes irritated, due to repeated use during running and other
activities in which its stabilizer function comes into constant play.
Snapping Hip Syndrome (or IT Band Syndrome) can be very painful,
and is felt mostly on the outside (lateral) of the knee and/or on the
lower thigh. It is often most pronounced when climbing stairs and
rising from a sitting position. While foam rolling the IT band may be
painful at first, especially in those dealing with moderate to severe IT
Band Syndrome, it is probably one of the most useful self-myofascial
exercises you will perform with the foam roller.
Begin by lying on your side, with the roller placed just below your hip.
Bend the top leg in front of you over your bottom leg, and place the
foot of our top leg on the floor. This will help you maintain your
balance as well as allowing you to adjust how much weight is applied
to the roller by placing more or less weight on your foot.
If you want more pressure you can keep your top leg perpendicular
to your bottom leg. This will place much more pressure on the roller,
so it may be much more painful.
Using your hands for support, roll from the hip down toward the
knees, pausing whenever you reach any tight or painful spots. Once
you have reached just above the knee, roll back up toward the hip.
Do this two or three times until you have reached all of the tight
spots, then turn on your other side and repeat it.
Calf Muscle Exercise
The calf muscle group consists of the gastrocnemius muscle and the
soleus muscle. These muscles could gradually tighten when running
and may end up becoming more painful over time, especially when
one neglects stretching or self-myofascial workouts before running.
If your calves are too tight, the muscles on the front of your thigh
(quadriceps muscles) have to work harder to extend your knee. This
can overload the patellar tendon and lead to knee pain. Calf muscle
pain could also be attributed to a problem in the nerves or arteries in
the lower leg or another underlying medical condition. Usually this
pain is nothing more than a grade one muscle strain or trigger points,
but it could also be indicative of a more serious condition, such as
DVT (deep vein thrombosis) which could be life threatening. If you
are experiencing serious calf pain at night or pain that makes it
difficult to walk, you should see a medical practitioner to rule out any
serious conditions such as DVT.
To help loosen the calf and relieve tightness, start by placing the
roller underneath your right calf with your left leg, knee bent, placed
to the side of the roller. Roll the calf muscle very slowly over the
roller from the ankle to just below the knee. When you encounter any
tenderness or tightness in the muscle, you should hold that position
until you feel the tightness begin to t release. Keep rolling for about a
minute to a minute and an half and then do the same thing with your
other leg.
If you need to apply more pressure, you can place one leg on the
other. Or, conversely, to apply less pressure roll both legs at once.
Roll with your feet turned in and out and keep your toes flexed in
order to work the entire muscle group.
Quadriceps
The quadriceps are the group of muscles on the front of your thighs.
There are four distinct muscles that make up the quadriceps
muscles; the vastus intermedius, the vastus medialis, the vastus
lateralis, and the rectus femoris.
When your quads (as they are often called) contract, they straighten
your leg at the knee joint. Since the quadriceps also extend over the
kneecap (patella), the quads help to keep your kneecap in the right
position. Injury to the quad could result in a dislocated knee cap, and
if you have arthritis the quadriceps may stop working properly. This
may result in a condition known as Patellofemoral Stress syndrome,
which is when the quads become unable to help the kneecap to
keep its position. Your quads might also be weakened in cases due
to spinal cord injury or paresis (a condition caused by stroke). Lower
back pain may also cause a pinched nerve that might weaken the
quadriceps.
While most quadriceps pain is caused by overuse or by a sports
injury, as noted above, this pain can also be indicative of a number
of serious underlying medical conditions. If you are experiencing
ongoing cramps or “charley horses”, note a redness or swelling and
the area is warm to the touch it is advisable to seek medical advice
to rule out a more serious condition. Most injuries and sprains to the
quadriceps rated as grade 1 injury, however, and can easily be
relieved with the following roller exercise.
Note, a grade 1 injury is a mild sprain wherein the fibers of the
muscle or fascia is stretched causing some tenderness and swelling.
Grade 2 injuries cause some tearing of fibers as well as loss of
strength, mobility and some swelling. Grade 3 injuries are those
injuries where the muscle is completely ruptured and caused intense
pain, swelling, redness and/or discoloration. In most cases if your
injury is grade 2 or 3, you should seek medical help, as foam rolling
may exacerbate these types of injuries.
Your quadriceps help you straighten your knees, which is especially
essential when rising from a sitting position. They are also a major
muscle group responsible for walking up and down stairs as well as
being essential for walking and running, jumping and squatting. A
weakness in the quads may result in an inability to keep ones
balance as well as the inability to walk straight, or normal.
As mentioned at the start of this section there are actually four
muscles that make up what we commonly call the Quads. The
muscles working in conjunction with one another allows us the wide
range of motion that allows us to perform the preceding activities
(walking, jumping, squatting, etc). The following is a brief breakdown
of these four muscles:
Rectus femoris
The rectus femoris is found in the middle of the thigh and covers the
other three quadriceps muscles. This muscle originates from the
ilium and is named because of its straight course. The rectus femoris
muscle is connected to the hip, and aids in raising and extending the
knee. This is the only muscle that can actually flex the hip.
Vastus lateralis
The vastus lateralis is on the lateral side of the femur (the outer
thigh). This muscle is the largest in the quadricep muscle group and
is used to extend the lower leg, allowing the body to rise up from a
squatting position. The top of the vastus lateralis is attached to the
femur and the bottom is attached to the patella (kneecap).
Vastus medialis
The vastus medialis is on the medial side of the femur (the inner
thigh) and is the most medial (inner) of the quadricep muscles. The
Vastus medialis extends along the entire length of the thigh. The part
right above the knee is known as the vastus medialis obliquus
(VMO) and is used to extend the leg and stabilize the patella (or
kneecap). This muscle will not become fully strengthened unless the
leg is regularly extended and therefore is a common center for
muscle weakness. By performing the following exercise, you are
able to fully extend this muscle while releasing fascial adhesions and
strengthening muscle.
Vastus intermedius
The vastus intermedius lies between vastus lateralis and vastus
medialis at the front of (or on top of) the thigh. This muscle covers
the front and side of the femur (aka the thigh bone) and is directly
beneath (and ending at) the rectus femoris muscle. The Vastus
intermedius is also very closely related to the vastus medialis, often
appearing attached to that muscle.
Because of its location in the quadriceps it is very hard to stretch the
Vastus intermedius, as typical hip extension exercises are useless
and massage therapy is unable to reach this muscle. If you strain the
vastus intermedius muscle, you may require surgery to repair the
damage or you may require a special exercise work out the strain.
While foam rolling may not have any direct impact on the vastus
intermedius, by breaking up myofascial adhesions in the surrounding
tissue this muscle can benefit by increased circulation, aiding in
healing of any underlying sprains or strains.
All four parts of the quadriceps muscle insert into the tibial tuberosity
of the tibia via the patella. The quadriceps becomes the patellar
ligament once entering the tibial tuberosity, which then attaches to
the tibia.
There is actually a fifth muscle in the quadriceps that is often
overlooked and hardly ever taught called the articularis genus. The
articularis genus is a small muscle arising from the anterior surface
of the femur which is usually distinct from the Vastus intermedius,
but often blended with it. The Articularis genus is inserted into the
upper part of the knee-joint. The form and function of this muscle are
not very well understood, but it is thought to help in elevating and
retracting the suprapatellar bursa which prevents entrapment in the
capsule during knee extension.
Luckily keeping your quads released and conditioned is one of the
easiest foam roller exercises, and the results can help keep your
knees and legs healthy over a much longer period of time.
Simply place the roller under the thigh, right below the hip and, using
your hands to balance you, start rolling from the hip down to the
knee and back up again. Do this several time for both thighs. Stop
rolling whenever a particularly tight or painful area is noticed and
allow pressure on the area for eight to ten second, releasing and
repeating until any trigger point present is released.
If you need more pressure, you can roll both legs on the roller and
place your body in a position as if you were ready to do some
pushups, in this manner you can apply as much pressure (by
focusing your weight on the roller) as you want. If you want less
pressure, just keep one leg off the roller, using the foot to support
some of your body weight.
Glutes and Hamstrings
Sitting for long periods of time may lead to the gluteal muscles
(Glutes) atrophying through constant pressure and disuse. This
could result in lower back pain as well as difficulty with movements,
such as standing from a sitting position and climbing stairs, activities
which naturally require the gluteal muscles.
The hamstring muscle group consists of three separate muscles; the
semitendinosus, semimembranosus and biceps femoris. Hamstring
strains most commonly occur in the biceps femoris muscle (at the
point where the muscle joins the tendon), but might also occur higher
in the semimembranosus muscle. During sprinting the first type of
strain is more likely to occur, while the latter is usually due to
stretching.
Sprinting related hamstring injuries often feel worse but recover
more quickly, whereas stretch related hamstring strains can take
longer to heal due the fact that the injury is more likely to the tendon.
If you have ever pulled a hamstring, you know how painful this can
be and how long it takes a pulled hamstring muscle to heal. This
exercise is essential to keep your hamstring muscles from getting
tight in the first place, which is the primary cause of all hamstring
injury. Often, when the hamstring and glutes become injured (such
as through strain or sprain) the muscles will contract, which makes
the hamstrings feel tight and painful. An ordinary reaction to a tight
or painful muscle is stretching. However, stretching these muscles
can cause further exacerbation of the hamstrings and instead of
providing relief may simply reinjure or cause greater injury. Using a
foam roller, instead of trying to stretch our muscles, will aid greatly in
relieving much of the pressure in this area, and will allow for greater
circulation to the hamstring areas, thus allowing our nutrient rich
blood to get to these muscles and begin healing them.
There are several factors that may predispose you to hamstring pain
including age, joint dysfunction, previous injuries to the hamstring
and (of course) myofascial trigger points (which decrease flexibility
and may increase motor firing of the muscle. Several studies have
shown that athletes over the age of 23 are four times as likely to
sustain a hamstring strain those under this age group. This includes
hamstring injuries as well as strains and sprains to the hamstring
and glute muscles. Runners and other professional athletes
(especially those who spring) are more likely to develop issues as
they grow older, but even those who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle
will find it easier to “pull a muscle” as they age.
This exercise will loosen both your hamstrings and your glutes,
simultaneously while releasing those trigger points that have come to
be associated with decreased function of the hamstring and gluteus
maximus.
You will start this exercise by sitting on the roller with the soft, meaty
part of your buttock directly on top of the roller. Slowly roll back and
forth with a slight side to side movement to release the tight spots,
starting from the top of your buttocks slowly rolling down the back of
your legs toward your knee, while working the hamstrings. As you
work downwards stop whenever you feel a tight or sore spot, and
maintain a steady pressure on that area for approximately 10
minutes, releasing and repeating until the tightness or soreness has
been alleviated. You can increase or decrease the pressure by using
only one leg, or using both legs at the same time. Roll with your feet
turned in and out to cover the entire muscle group.
Soles of the Feet
The American College of Sports and Medicine estimates that the
average adult takes between 5,000 and 10,000 steps per day. Most
of this activity is borne by the muscles and ligaments of the foot.
Arch pain is most commonly felt as discomfort under the long arch of
the foot. It can vary in severity, and can be characterized by pain in
the arch of the foot on weight bearing after rest or gradual onset
during the day. The structure most often involved is the plantar
fascia, the band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot.
The plantar fascia ligament is located along the sole of your foot.
This ligament is made of up fascia that stretch from the calcaneus
(heel bone) and branches out across the arch through the ball of the
foot toward the metatarsals (the base of the toes). There are many
layers of muscles, nerves and blood vessels that run across the
soles of your feet. The plantar fascia covers these layers, acting as a
bowstring on the bottom of the foot, this in turn helps the food bones
maintain an healthy arch. You could say that the plantar fascia is
what gives you the bounce and spring in your normal daily activities.
In the case of Plantar Fasciitis, the plantar fascia is stretched more
than it should be which ends up resulting in small tears in the fascia.
Every time you flex your foot, those tendons, ligaments, and tissue
move and when they are inflamed, every movement hurts. Often,
many people think simply soaking their feet will relieve the pain, but
in reality this is only a temporary relief as the adhesions (or tears)
will continue to build up and cause increased pain in the foot.
Often, people who have plantar fasciitis will experience pain in the
foot and heel upon awaking and after taking their first few steps (or
upon standing after sitting for a long period of time). They may have
less pain after a few steps, but the foot will start to be more painful
as the day goes on. This pain is most pronounced when standing for
a long period of time or climbing stairs. Plantar fasciitis is most
common in runners but also frequently found in those who are
overweight and from shoes that offer inadequate support of the
arches and other parts of the feet.
On the other hand, if you experience foot pain while trying to sleep or
when sitting or lying down, there is a good bet you have some other
problem such as arthritis or tarsal tunnel syndrome (which is the
foot’s counterpart to carpal tunnel syndrome). If you are experiencing
this type of pain, I highly advise you to check with your doctor to rule
out any underlying condition which may need to be treated. Your
doctor will usually do a physical examination of your feet, as well as
asking you to stand and walk so he or she can determine possible
causes for this pain. Your doctor may also order X-rays if he or she
suspects that the problem may arise from a possible bone condition
(such as stress fracture).
Luckily there is a quick and easy remedy to help keep your muscles
and tendons free of stress and strain, thus staving off any serious
condition that may develop in and around the plantar fasciitis. There
are actually several different ways you can use your foam roller to
relieve foot stress and keep your feet healthy and happy.
One of the simplest and easiest ways is to sit down on a comfortable
chair, with the roller beneath your feet. Starting from the middle of
the foot, slowly roll your foot up toward the toes, stopping just before
you reach your toes, then roll back toward the heel. Continue to work
back and forth and moving slightly from side to side on each foot
several times. You should immediately feel much of the strain on
your feet ease up. Whenever you roll across a tight or very sore spot
on your foot, be sure to keep the pressure at that point for eight to
ten seconds and then release and repeat until the soreness has
dissipated.
Another rolling method is to perform the same exercise as stipulated
above, but do it from a standing position while using something to
steady yourself. This will allow you apply greater pressure to the
underlying fascia to relieve any serious myofascial adhesions. You
can do this with one foot at a time or both feet, but be very cautious
to have something to hold onto, and only try this if you have a good
sense of balance as it is very easy to fall right on your Gluteus
Maximus.
Incorporating your own roller exercises
I have tried to incorporate all of the major muscle groups in the
above set of exercises, as well as the very best rolling techniques
available. However, not everyone is built the same, and some of
these exercises may not work as well for some as for others. You
may also discover a new technique while working on the techniques
listed here, whereby you gain an even greater release of certain
muscle groups. I would encourage you to not feel you are confined
to this set of exercises but allow yourself the freedom to explore your
own body’s reaction to the foam roller.
While, it is important to remember a few key points, if you are going
to incorporate your own exercises; for the most part the most
important thing to keep in mind is that you should always ease into
any pain, and you should go slow and gentle while gradually working
up pressure. If you feel any stretching or straining of any muscle, you
should discontinue, or try to move the roller around until you can
ease the muscle without straining it.
While we are dealing, mostly, with myofascial release, it should be
noted that many of the roller exercises discussed herein are also
stretching exercises (or can incorporate stretching). I highly advise
doing the self-myofacial exercises on any muscle group before
beginning any stretching. By releasing the knots and adhesions, you
allow those muscles to stretch freely and greatly reduce any possible
strain on those muscles.
That said, feel free to experiment with the roller. As long as you
follow the basic points listed above, you really can’t hurt yourself. On
the other hand, there are some parts of your body that are much
more susceptible to strain than others, such as the lower back, and if
you don’t pay careful attention to strain or pain, you could injure
yourself. Key rule: If you feel like you're straining, then you’re doing it
wrong, and if you are experiencing a high amount of pain, you are
going too fast and you need to ease into it.
Regardless of whether you use these exercises, your own exercises
or a combination of both, you will want to pay close attention to any
localized areas of pain or pressure, especially when this pain is
radiating out from a central point. This usually is due to a myofascial
adhesion causing a trigger point. Whenever you come across one of
these trigger points (which we will cover more thoroughly in chapter
7) you should always stop the roller directly over the point and apply
steady pressure to the area for eight to ten seconds, then release
and repeat until the tension, pain or soreness is alleviated.
As has been mentioned before, if you experience any sharp pain that
seems to get worse with rolling, you should discontinue rolling and
seek a professional, especially if this is an ongoing pain that lasts
more than a few days. This kind of pain is often indicative of a more
serious condition, such as a fracture or torn ligament which may be
further exacerbated by rolling.
CHAPTER 6: WHY DOES IT HURT?
One of the most common questions I am asked by people just
getting started in foam rolling is, “Why does it hurt?” or “Is it
supposed to hurt this much?”. The answer to this question depends
on how much pain we are talking about. Some pain is to be
expected, as you are not only breaking up fascial adhesions and
releasing problematic trigger points but often you will be loosening
and releasing tight muscles and joints. If you want an example of
what we are talking about, make a fist and hold it for about two
minutes, tight as you can. Then slowly release your fist. You will
notice that this is a bit painful when you release your fist. Your fascial
material, muscles, joints and tendons are much like your tightened
fist, especially if they have been in a contracted position for a long
period of time, so when you first start rolling, there will be that same
type of pain or discomfort you felt when releasing your fist.
There is no cause for alarm, as this is normal and the more you
release your tight muscles and joints, the less pain you will feel over
time. The first few times, however, will more than likely result in
some discomfort and pain. It should be stressed however, that this
pain should be only minor and if you are feeling a great deal of pain,
you may have a sprain or strain that should be treated by a doctor or
therapist before you continue your foam rolling routine.
How much pain is too much pain?
If it is almost bringing tears to your eyes, then it is probably too much
pain. It shouldn’t be so painful that you can hardly take it, but rather
a minor pain, such as you would experience unclenching your fist
after holding it tight for a couple of minutes. Each person
experiences pain differently and what may seem extremely painful to
one person might seem only minor to another. Therefore, it is really
hard to exactly pinpoint how much pain is too much pain. If you can
get through your rolling session, with some pain, then you should be
okay, but if it is just too painful to continue you might seek medical
advice. Once you roll on a regular basis, the pain and discomfort
should dissipate to where you are feeling only a release with very
little pain or (ideally) no pain at all.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are not doing the
exercises outlined in this book properly, there is a chance you may
actually pull a muscle or sprain something, which is why it is very
important to do these exercises exactly as outlined. Don’t try to
improvise, at least not until you have gotten the hang of it and can do
so safely (by gauging the amount of strain on your joints and
muscles) and you should try to stay away from the overwhelming
amount of rolling exercises and programs found online, as many of
these exercises can actually cause more harm than good. Our
exercises in this book are tried and proven and are should cause no
strain or stress on key muscle groups.
If you’ve ever received a massage from a professional massage
therapist, you will know that there is going to be some pain involved
when releasing tight muscles, but after a while that pain will
eventually subside and be replaced with a feeling of great release
and relaxation. It should be the same thing with self-myofascial
release. There will be an initial pain as your muscles loosen, but it
shouldn’t last more than one or two session, after which you will feel
only the soothing release of any tight muscles.
Remember, however, self-myofascial release is about smoothing the
fascia and breaking up any fascial adhesions. Whenever you roll
across a particularly troublesome fascial adhesion, there will be a
totally different kind of pain. It will usually cause a muscle spasm or a
referred pain in another part of the body. These are commonly
referred to as trigger points and foam rolling is one of the best trigger
point therapies out there. We’ll talk more about trigger points in the
next chapter, but I felt it prudent to point out in this chapter that
trigger point pain is quite different from the pains we have covered in
this chapter. When you roll across a trigger point, you will feel an
area of pain, usually quite small. You will definitely know you’ve hit a
trigger point when you feel pain elsewhere whenever you roll over
that point.
Referred pain can be quite interesting, and unexpected. For
instance, you may be rolling your back and hit a trigger point that
causes you to suddenly get a headache. As you roll the adhesion
away (covered in the next chapter) you may find the cause of your
past headaches was a myofascial adhesion. You may find your
headaches suddenly vanish. This actually happens more often than
you may be aware of. Many people who foam roll are not really
aware of trigger points or how to “roll with them” to get maximum
benefit from their rolling sessions. Often, a person untrained in rolling
will simply ease pressure when hitting a trigger point and then
continue with his/her rolling, ignoring that painful pressure point. The
worst thing you can do is ignore trigger points, as trigger points may
cause many side effects and even affect your energy level and ability
to focus.
In closing, I’d like to stress once more, if there is extreme pain in any
of your joints or muscles, you should immediately consult a doctor or
therapist to determine if there is any underlying damage, before
continuing with foam rolling. Even though foam rolling is one of the
safest methods of releasing tight muscles and reducing painful
inflammation that comes from rigorous exercise, if there is torn
ligaments or other problems, it could further damage the tissue by
applying pressure to the affected area, so please see your doctor if
you experience excruciating pain while rolling, or if your pain does
not go away within a couple of sessions, as this could be an
indication of a more serious problem.
CHAPTER 7: TRIGGER POINT THERAPY
One of the main reasons you might feel pain during your rolling
session is due to something called a “trigger point”. Myofascial
trigger points are aggravated spots in fascia tissue with substantial
swellings in small bands of muscle fibers. There is little actual
scientific or medical research to date on trigger points and therefore
some disagreement within the medical community on how to treat
myofascial trigger point pain, or even the cause of such pain.
In their medical textbook, “Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction: The
Trigger Point Manual”, Drs. Janet Travell and David Simons define
trigger points as tiny contraction knots that develop in the muscle
due to overwork or injury.
The actual muscle fiber that is doing all of this contracting is called
the sarcomere, a microscopic unit in the muscle. When the two parts
of sarcomere come together to interlock it causes an extremely
minute contraction. If a million sarcomere interlocked in your muscle,
it might cause a slight twitch.
Normally, sarcomeres act as pumps in the body, as the muscle
works these microscopic fibers contract and relax to help in blood
circulation. Trigger points occur when overstimulated sarcomeres are
unable to release from an interlocked state. This in turn causes the
muscles to become starved for oxygen while the buildup of
metabolisms irritate the trigger point. This in turn causes the trigger
point to send out pain signals to the brain through the muscle fibers
being affected.
The problem with these signals is that with trigger point we have
referred pain, which we have already briefly touched on. Referred
pain basically means that trigger points will send their pain to some
other site, so that we may have pains in other parts of our bodies
and, instead of actually paying attention to the trigger site, we try to
treat that area of the body. A trigger point can cause headaches,
neck pain, lower back pain, jaw pain and may be mistaken as tennis
elbow or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. The trigger point might also be
the source of pain in areas of the body that may be misdiagnosed as
arthritis, tendinitis or bursitis.
A trigger point may be found in the upper back that, when pressed,
may cause referred pain in the neck, whereupon the neck may act
as a satellite trigger point, further causing pain in the head or eyes.
This pain may be a sharp pain or it may be dull and throbbing.
The trigger point model says that unexplained pain usually radiate
from small local tenderness outward toward the broader areas which
may, in fact, be quite distant from the original trigger point. Many
therapists have found that certain patterns of pain can be attributed
to and traced to certain trigger points in disparate locations about the
body. When the trigger point is pressed (or compressed) local
tenderness, referred pain or twitching will usually be the response. It
should be noted that this twitching is not to be confused with
spasms, where a muscle spasm effect a larger group of muscles, the
twitching will be small localized around the actual trigger point.
The actual term “trigger point” did not come into use until 1942, when
Dr. Janet Travell used this term to describe certain clinical findings
that had the following criteria:
• The pain cannot be explained by traditional exploration and
neurological examination.
• The pain is related to a point in the fascia, discrete and not caused
by any local trauma, infection, degeneration, etc.
• The point can be seen and felt as a nodule or band in the muscle
and upon stimulation will cause a twitch response.
• The pain radiates in a distribution typical of the specific muscle
where the trigger point is found
The problem with trigger points is that medical doctors, physicians
and practitioners, as well as actual physical therapists are not always
aware of the trigger point and may treat pain as another possible
condition, or may treat the referred pain, due to the very limited
understand of myofascial trigger points today. The good news,
however, is that the medical community is starting to become more
aware and thankfully many people are learning not only the source
of their pain, but the awesome power the foam roller has in relieving
trigger points and reducing the pain felt due to these trigger points.
If you go through the exercises in this book, you will often find that
there will be very sore spots on your muscles that make the rolling
seem more painful than in other places. The trick with myofascial
trigger points is in finding the trigger point and focusing on that
trigger point with the roller by applying a steady pressure for eight to
ten seconds, releasing the pressure then reapplying the pressure.
You will know you’ve found a trigger point when you feel pain
radiating outward from that point, especially in whole muscle groups,
simply by pushing on that single point. You will also notice the point
is harder, often with a lump or a knot.
Traditionally, with a typical trigger point, one would see a
professional to have them massage these points, breaking up the
adhesions and improving blood circulation to that point. There are
several different trigger point therapies available, such a freeze and
stretch, dry needling and massage therapy. With the invention of
foam rollers, however, and myofascial release therapy, we can work
our own trigger points even more effectively, and much less
expensively as well.
You will note on all of the exercises in this book that if you come
across a particularly tight or sore spot, it is suggested you focus the
roller gently on that spot, until the pain dissipates. When you hit a
particularly aggressive trigger point, you may be tempted to quit
rolling as the pain will be much more pronounced, but don’t give into
that temptation. Simply ease into that sore, tender area and apply a
steady pressure for about eight to ten second, then slowly release
the pressure. You may have to do this a couple of times, then slowly
roll the area a few times. After a short while, as your muscle fibers
are getting more oxygen, and the blood flow increases, you will find
a release of those tight muscles and often even notice pain from
other areas disappearing as well.
This method of trigger point release is known as ischemic
compression and massage. What this basically does is put pressure
on the blockage, letting pressure build up around the adhesion.
When we release the compression, the blood flow helps in breaking
up the adhesion and providing a fresh, nutrient rich supply of blood
flow to the area. When you continue to roll the whole length of the
muscle, you will aid in carrying contaminants away from the previous
adhesion and further breaking down any further adhesions that may
lie dormant. Another thing to keep in mind when releasing trigger
points is that you should allow the muscles and tendons (or the
myofascia that covers them) to stretch by doing some simple
stretches after your rolling session.
I’ve written a book on Trigger Point Therapy, in which I have
highlighted many points of this book, as I have found foam rolling to
be the best aid available in releasing trigger points. Anybody who
doesn’t understand how important trigger point therapy is for our
health I would suggest either reading my book or (if you have the
time) do a little research on your own. Or you could do both. Much of
what foam rolling is about is releasing trigger points and smoothing
your myofascial tissue.
Some people think of foam rolling as being all about massaging sore
muscles, which it actually does a fantastic job of doing, but that is not
what it is all about. Myofascial massage works out kinks in your
myofascia tissue (if you will) and it is those adhesions that actually
cause the majority of health issues relating to poor blood flow,
including tired and sore muscles and common aches and pains.
Finding those trigger points and releasing them is vital to helping
your muscles remain healthy. Some preliminary research even
shows that these trigger point may be a leading cause of
fibromyalgia and other serious and painful conditions. Taking care of
them now may help avoid many conditions in the future caused by
muscular oxygen deprivation and metabolic buildups originating with
trigger points. A regular foam rolling regimen may go a long ways to
preventing many age-related ailments as well, caused by tight
muscles and improper oxygen flow in the muscles.
CHAPTER 8: FOAM ROLLING FOR
RUNNERS
Many runners have found foam rolling to be an important part of their
regimen, even healthy runners who feel no pain or discomfort after
running. The main benefit of foam rolling for runners has to do
mostly with the mobility of the fascia. If the fascia is not properly
mobile the fibers may become cross linked and bind themselves to
our nerves and muscles, which impedes normal movement and may
cause pain over time.
Most runners will perform stretching exercises in order to keep their
muscles from tightening up, but recent research has found that
stretching may not be enough. A study published in the Journal of
Sport Rehabilitation (January 2014) found that there was a much
increased range of motion in the hip joint after rolling the hamstring,
than with stretching exercises alone. It is postulated that this is due
to an increase blood flow and an increase in intramuscular
temperature. Both of these are necessary to help the elastic
properties of the muscle.
The above mentioned study suggests that stretching prior to
exercise may not only be unbeneficial, but may even cause injuries.
Many experts are now suggesting that stretching should only be
performed after the run, as the muscles are relaxing and returning to
their normal positions and lengths. The study also suggested that it
might be of a greater benefit to perform self-myofascial release
preceding the post exercise stretch.
It is important to understand how fascia is constantly being created
and renewed in our body. As we put stress on our own body,
especially through exercises such as running, that stress will affect
how the body is forming those fibers which may cause pain and
problems in mobility. By utilizing the foam rolling techniques outlined
in this book we can keep trigger points and scar tissue from forming
by breaking up those tissues within the muscle and the fascia. This
will allow our tissue the proper mobility and help with normal function
and motion as well as providing a healthy blood circulation to those
muscles.
As you continue with self-myofascial release exercises, you muscles
will become more flexible and hopefully perform within the normal
range of motion. This will enable them to be more productive and
produce more power, due to the elastic energy inherent within them.
As a muscle stretches it stores more energy the more it stretches
and the more stored energy it has the greater the force it will be able
to produce. If there is less flexibility in the muscle, there will be a
reduced elasticity (or stretch), which in turn provides a reduced
range of motion, less stored energy and a decrease in force output.
If you are a runner, combining foam rolling with proper stretching can
help your muscles to perform at their peak performance level which
will help you to achieve a greater standard of performance than you
may have thought possible.
Runners should pay particular attention to the Gluteal Muscles,
Iliotibial Band, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, calves and the plantar fascia
ligament (running along the bottom of the feet) when rolling, as these
are areas more prone to adhesions or trigger points in runners. Many
runners find that it is beneficial to roll before as well as after running.
The pre-running session will help to loosen you up and stretch out
the fascia to prepare it for workout and the post-rolling session
(along with stretches) keeps any trigger points from forming by
smoothing the fascia and massaging underlying muscles.
There are several common running injuries that can be avoided by
regular foam rolling sessions. The following are the six most
common injuries:
Achilles Tendinitis
Achilles Tendinitis is a tenderness of the lower calf, near the heel of
the foot. This condition usually is mostly pronounced when a runner
pushes off his or her toes. If you are overweight or run more than
nine miles per minute or faster, then you are at a greater risk of
contracting Achilles Tendinitis. When you run your achilles is
absorbing several times your own body weight each time your foot
hits the ground and as you increase your speed, you will increase
the stress on this tendon by adding additional weight to it.
Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome
Medial tibial stress syndrome is a pain felt along the inner front of the
lower leg and is commonly referred to as shin splints. Runners are
especially susceptible to this condition when their feet roll inward
excessively (also known as overpronation). The posterior tibial
tendon runs into the arch of the foot. When your feet roll inward, this
tendon has to work harder to counteract this motion, causing pain,
possible tears and trigger points along the food and tibia. Anybody
experiencing daily shin pain for longer than a month should seek
medical advice to rule out a possible fracture.
Patellar Tendinitis
Patellar Tendinitis is a pain felt in the tendon that connects the
kneecap to the patella (or shin bone). Overweight runners and
basketball players are at greater risk of developing patellar tendinitis.
The Patellar tendon helps in extending the leg during running and
jumping, but repeat motion on this tendon can create adhesions and
small tears in the tendon. After years of this activity, the adhesions
and tears may accumulate causing pain in the knee and shin.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is felt as a pain and stiffness around
the patella or kneecap. Women who run 10 miles per minute or
slower are at an increased risk of developing Patellofemoral Pain
Syndrome. Women, who have a more extreme angle from hip to
knee (referred to as the Q angle) than men, are more likely to have
their kneecaps fall out of alignment. This pain will intensify at slower
paced running as the knee goes through less range of motion which
in turn places more demand on the joint.
Iliotibial-Band Syndrome
An inflammation in the band of fibers running along the outside of
your knee to the top of your shin is usually diagnosed as IliotibialBand Syndrome. Women who are moderately overweight (BMI of 21
or higher) and run for more than two hours at a time are more prone
to develop Iliotibial-band syndrome. The reason for this syndrome is
due to the extra weight putting a greater load on the hips, and
therefore more pressure on the IT band.
Plantar Fasciitis
We briefly mentioned this condition in the exercise section of this
book. Plantar fasciitis is basically an inflammation of the plantar
fascia tissue running along the bottom of your foot. This pain is
usually worse upon first getting out of bed, or standing up after sitting
for long periods of time. Men who are over the age of 40 are at the
greatest risk, especially if there is a family history of Plantar Fasciitis.
This tissue is usually stiffer in men and becomes less flexible with
age. Many experts believe that this may also be a genetic condition.
The good news is that all of these common running injuries can be
prevented (and often treated) by rolling before and after your run. By
keeping the fascia healthy, you are able to keep the tendons and
ligaments from atrophying due to lack of oxygen and a fresh supply
of blood. This will also help you run more effectively and experience
far less pain and strain in many other muscle groups.
CHAPTER 9: INCORPORATING THE FOAM
ROLLER INTO YOUR YOGA ROUTINE
I have received quite a few questions dealing with yoga and foam
rolling. Many people know about foam rollers and how great they are
in helping with many different fitness routines. Most people, however,
don’t realize how much the foam roller fits right into many different
yoga routines, helping to increase range of motion and flexibility as
well as providing muscle tissues with increased blood flow and
oxygen.
While many people think that yoga is all about stretching, yoga is
much more than this, it is creating a balance in the body by
developing both strength and flexibility. One way this is achieved is
by placing your body in a variety of positions, or poses. Your practice
(or your individual experience with yoga) will always change, it is not
to be static. That is not to say that the poses will change, but your
experience with yoga will change, always evolving. By adding foam
rolling to your practice, you will find that you will achieve an even
greater balance and feeling of wellness from your head to your feet.
Many fitness trainers and enthusiasts have noticed that when they
started with foam rolling, many of the exercises looked very similar to
many yoga positions and sessions. If you have done any type of
yoga, you may have noticed the similarity in those exercises listed in
this book. Because so many yoga poses are similar to foam roller
exercises, it is much easier to adjust your yoga sessions to include
the foam roller as an integral part of your yoga practice.
Below, I have listed a few yoga positions and exercises that can be
greatly enhanced using the foam roller. This is just some ideas, but
as you do your yoga postures, you will no doubt find many other
uses for the foam roller in your yoga practice.
Plank Position
Instead of resting your forearms on the floor, you can use the roller
instead. In this manner you can push back and forth with your arms,
thus incorporating an added level of balance and control to the plank
position.
Pike Position
From the chaturanga pose you can place your ankles on the roller,
then roll up into the pike position and then back to the chaturanga
pose. This will help you to increase your lower leg muscle and
mobility.
Bridge Position
As you move your body into the bridge position, position your lower
spine on your roller. You can then pull your knees up to your chest
and rotate the knees and legs in a circular motion, which will help to
massage your lower spine, relieving tension from the lower back.
Downward facing dog
While you are in the downward facing dog position, you can utilize
the roller by placing your thighs on the roller and move down to the
upward facing dog. From this position, allow your body to move into
a low plank while rolling the front of the thighs, moving from the
plank to the upward facing dog and back into the plank position. You
can move into the side facing plank and roll the outer thighs, as well.
These are just a few examples of how you can utilize the roller with
your yoga, and there are probably dozens if not hundreds of other
ways of using that roller to enhance your yoga practice. If you
already have a good practice set up, you will find that it is almost
second nature to incorporate the roller into them, to add balancing,
toning and control to your practice.
On the other side of the coin, you may find while performing the
exercises already outlined in this book, you can also incorporate
yoga into your roller exercises, as many of the roller positions will
mirror many of your yoga positions to some degree. Just allow
yourself to be creative, but remember not to overdo it. With yoga, in
many cases, you are stretching your body to extremes, but by
incorporating the roller, you allow your body to stretch, release and
massage many points, thus helping you to not only enhance the
exercises but to decrease the likelihood of accidental sprains and
tears to your facial tissue.
CHAPTER 10: ROLLING BACK THE YEARS
This may sound like an exaggerated claim, but foam rolling may
actually help to not only make you feel younger and more vital, but
can be an extreme benefit to actually slowing the aging process and
helping you to live a longer, healthier life. While it hasn’t been
“scientifically proven” there are many theories why this is true, which
we will cover in this chapter.
One effect of aging is sore muscles, limited mobility and certain
muscle and tendon issues such as arthritis and bursitis that tend to
creep up on us as we age. Some doctors are prone to saying “you’re
just getting older”, suggesting these conditions are normal and we
should just accept them as part of our aging process. This is
hogwash!
If you recall from Chapter 6, on trigger point therapy, there are
certain microfibers then can get “knotted” over time, called
sarcomeres (or fascial adhesions). As these fibers continue to
contract without releasing, they begin to pile up causing poor
circulation and depriving our muscles of the oxygen necessary to
keep them healthy and working properly. If left unattended, as we
age these knots or trigger points become more and more
pronounced and we tend to find more aches and pains setting in,
until eventually those muscles no longer function properly.
Theoretically, this could very well be the cause of many ailments we
face in our latter years, such as arthritic pain, lower and upper back
pain, leg pain, etc.
Low or poor blood circulation can cause many different health
issues, including heart issues that may lead to death. Utilizing the
roller exercises in this book will help you to actually increase your
blood circulation by breaking up those tight areas where your fascial
tissue may be knotted. Improving blood circulation improves oxygen
flow to your entire body. All of our organs need a good supply of
oxygen in order to function properly, and as we age these organs
may end up having serious issues if they have consistently been
unable to receive the proper supply of oxygen.
If you are young now, then it is the perfect time to start rolling, as this
will keep your muscles working properly, thus adding years to your
mobility. If you keep up with your exercises daily, you will be helping
yourself avoid a plethora of health problems that come about through
inactive muscles and poor circulation so that by the time you reach
into your 60’s and 70’s you will find yourself feeling healthy and vital
as others fall victim to “old age”.
The great news is that, if you’re already considered to be, or even
consider yourself as “over the hill” and suffering from these ailments
so often associated with old age, it is not too late to do something
about it. The nice thing about foam rolling is that, unlike many
exercises, most of these exercises are safe and effective, regardless
of your age or condition. Of course, you will want to talk with your
doctor first, but in most cases you will find that adding foam rolling to
your daily regimen will be nothing but beneficial to you.
I have heard from men and women into their 80’s who have raved at
how foam rolling has given them a new lease on life! One woman
who recently celebrated her 80th birthday had been suffering from
lower hip pains that doctors had been treating by giving her pain
medication, for the past 5 years. However it had been progressively
getting worse and she was desperate for a cure and tired of being
told it was “old age” and she should just accept it. Luckily she didn’t
accept this, she went out looking for answers, and she came across
an article about foam rolling helping in several different joint pain
therapies.
She went out and bought a foam roller and she started doing some
of the exercises (listed in this book) and found that by just gently
rolling on her side for 10 minutes a day, coupled with a few other
easy rolling exercises, her pain started to dissipate. She eventually
found that there were numerous trigger points in her lower back that
was actually the root cause of her pain. In just a couple of months,
this woman says she felt years younger and her family is amazed at
her increased mobility and the vitality she is exhibiting. Her friends
and family have commented that after she turned 80 she seems to
have been turning back the clock, and is moving around like she did
20 years ago.
While not all people are going to have the same drastic results, I
wanted to share this story to illustrate how much foam rollers can
help both the young and the old. We don’t need to listen to doctors
telling us we are just getting older and we don’t have to just accept it.
With foam rolling you can actually roll back that clock, if you are
elderly. If you are young you can slow down or stop that clock from
ticking, by keeping your circulation healthy, thus keeping your body
healthy. Then, on your next doctor visit you can surprise your doctor
by your sudden increase in mobility and in overall vitality. You can tell
him or her, I don’t have to accept pain as a condition of age, I have
taken it by the horns and “rolled back the years”.
CONCLUSION
If you’ve made it all the way through this book, congratulations! You
are now on your way to being an expert in self-myofascial release.
You’ve learned how foam rolling came about, what exactly selfmyofascial release is about and why foam rolling can really help you
in keeping yourself limber with full-range of motions in your joints
and muscles.
You’ve also learned that by utilizing your foam roller daily, you can
add years to your life or take years off your life (as in feeling
younger), by increasing your circulation and keeping your muscles
from knotting up.
You’ve learned the very best exercises from the neck to the soles of
the feet and not only how to do the exercises, but why you should be
doing the exercises as well. I have taken great pains to delve into,
not only the exercises, but the exact muscles and tendons being
addressed by the roller. It may take several readings to acquaint
yourself with these groups of muscles, but knowing the muscles and
the functions of the muscles, tendons and fascia will bring you a
much greater understanding of not only what to work on, but why.
You can use these exercises by themselves, or you can perform
these exercises before and after training or workouts, in order to
keep yourself limber and to release any adhesions inherent with
most workouts.
I highly recommend, if you haven’t yet checked it out, that you also
start working with some yoga postures to help increase the
effectiveness of your rolling. If you already are into yoga, you’ve
learned herein how easy it is to incorporate the foam roller into many
yoga poses, in order to maximize the effectiveness of the yoga
routine. Yoga and Foam rolling go together quite well in helping to
keep muscles and tendons limber and keep your blood circulation at
peak performance.
Eventually, once you have tried all of the exercises in this book you
will develop your own regime, such as doing the upper back
exercises followed by the neck exercises. You may want to
incorporate all or several exercises a day, or simply do a different
exercise each day. This is a personal choice depending on what your
personal needs are and why you are doing these exercises. While
some people find that doing all of the exercises in succession
provides them with the most benefit, others may find that focusing on
only one or two areas each day is perfect for them. Each person is
unique, so you should find what works best for you and go with that.
As you progress in your rolling exercises you may even find yourself
improvising and coming up with new techniques. Just remember,
when you do any self-myofascial release, there should be very little
pain and no strain on any muscles. If you feel you are straining, then
you need to ease off and/or position yourself so that there is no
strain. There will, more than likely, be some slight pain or discomfort
when you first begin, but this will very quickly ease up and you will
feel a release soon afterward.
Keep in mind, as well, that if or when you hit a trigger point, you may
experience an increase in your pain, but as you gently and firmly
focus your rolling on the trigger point, this pain will decrease and you
will feel a release in both tension as well as pain. Don’t stop rolling
when you do encounter one of those “tender” spots that cause you
pain, just ease up a little and ease into the trigger point until it is
released.
Remember, by releasing trigger points, you are actually increasing
the flow of blood and oxygen to your muscles and the rest of your
body, which will help to not only make you feel better, but may also
help to stave off many age-related illnesses that are often chalked up
to “your just getting old”. This is why it is very important to not give
up when you feel that pain, or to avoid that area, but to work it out
with the foam roller until it has eased up and your circulation has
returned to normal.
I would also like to say, if your doctor just says your pains and lack of
mobility is “normal” and it is just a part of aging, you might think
about finding another doctor. I know many doctors will hate me for
this, but there is always a reason, a root cause to any pain or
discomfort and it is just plain lazy to say it is due to old age and
nothing can be done about it, but give them pills and let them deal
with it.
One way to find a good doctor is when the doctor examines you if
he/she asks questions about your lifestyle, diet and exercise and
offers suggestions to help you to increase your circulation, mobility
and muscle tone, then he or she is more than likely a holistic
practitioner and is interested in getting to the root of your problem,
not simply masking the symptoms. A great doctor would be one who
suggests you get a foam roller, in my humble opinion, as this is one
of the best way to reverse many muscle related ailments, as well as
ailments rooted in poor circulation.
Once you have mastered the techniques found in this book, you will
probably find that foam rolling is so addictive that your body will
complain if you go a couple days without it. It is one of the best and
easiest ways to give your body that all over massage without having
to hire a professional masseuse, and of course much less
expensive.
So save your money, save your muscles and save your mobility, get
yourself a foam roller (if you haven’t already done so) and get to
feeling better, more energized and healthier through self-myofascial
release.