Foam Rollers For Massage

Have you tried using a foam roller?

Foam rollers offer many of the same benefits as a sports massage, without the cost of getting a massage, and it can be used in the comfort of your own home. Five minutes a day, or even just once or twice a week can benefit people greatly.  It is a great tool to use in conjunction with professional massages.

The foam roller not only stretches muscles and tendons but it also breaks down adhesions and scar tissue. Combining your own body weight with a cylindrical foam roller allows you to perform self-massage or myofascial release, break up trigger points, and loosen tight fascia. Foam rolling also increases blood flow and circulation to the soft tissues.

How It Works

Fascia is soft connective tissue located just below the skin. It wraps and connects your muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels. Muscle and fascia combined make up what is called the myofascia system. The fascia and the underlying muscle tissue can become stuck together for various reasons including disuse, injuries, or lack of stretching. This can cause an adhesion that results in restricted muscle movement. It can also cause pain, soreness, and reduced flexibility.

Myofascial release is a bodywork modality in which a practitioner uses gentle, sustained pressure on the soft tissues while applying traction to the fascia. This technique results in softening and lengthening (release) of the fascia and breaking down scar tissue or adhesions between skin, muscles and bones.

Myofascial release has also been shown to relieve various muscle and joint pains such as IT band syndrome, shin splints, and plantar fasciitis.

Foam rollers are not expensive, and with some experimentation you can target just about any muscle group. The Internet is a great resource to lookup videos, descriptions, and illustrations of how to use the roller. The possibilities are endless.

Where Can I Buy a Foam Roller?

You can purchase a foam roller locally at Dick’s Sporting Goods or Running Central. Running Central carries the Grid Roller that has a grid pattern on it which can target trigger points while rolling.

I recommend investing in one and making it a part of your self care routine.