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Foam Rolling

Foam rolling is a great way to reduce muscle density and deactivate troublesome trigger points that can cause muscle shortening, diminish strength and result in pain.

No fancy equipment is needed and the technique is relatively easy to incorporate into your daily routine and/or warm-up. It can even be done on rest days in front of your television.

Are LMT's aware of this modality and therefore using or suggesting this technique?

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Alfred Ball on December 26, 2009 at 9:16pm

Last year I attended a course by Ann and Chris Frederick on Fascial Stretch Therapy, they attend the Fascial Congress and have worked with some leaders in body work. They suggested that Foam Rolling ITB actually sticks it down even further. I believe this. One way to realease the ITB instead is to use manual cross frictioning and a tennis ball to reduce trigger points in the glutes, therefore giving it more slack.

Even better is to look at the client's hip, knee and ankle alignment to see if there are reasons for something such ITB Syndrome (common in runners) to keep occuring. I try to chase the problem and not the pain.

Permalink Reply by Jacqueline Gomez on December 31, 2009 at 2:49pm

I love my foam roller. I tell all my clients about the benefits of it. It's interesting to think that people only think to use it for the IT band, and yet it can be used for the lats, chest, quads, hams, erectors, glutes, hip rotators, psoas (insertion), and adductors. Clients are always surprised to learn that. But proper use of it is necessary... its not just rolling...

Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Bishop on January 4, 2010 at 11:35am

I use the foam roller for all sorts of conditions. Some of my favorite is balance testing on a half foam roller. Many foot and lower leg stabilization techniques can be created, also some great strengthening for the 'core'. I have a lot of people use the half foam roller in the kitchen, while cooking, doing dishes etc., rather than just standing on the flat floor, they may challenge themselves to recruit foot, leg, thigh and abs. Standing with the heels right in the center of a half roller, round side down is great for strengthening tibialis anterior.

Another favorite of mine is lying on a roller lengthwise up the spine, from occiput to sacrum and lifting the feet alternately off the floor just an inch. You will find variation between motor dominate and vestibular dominance. This is a fun way to do hamstring stretching, butterflies, etc.! Lastly, the foam roller is a favorite tool for getting very specific lines of stretch for pec major and minor...

Permalink Reply by Kathleen Benanti on January 7, 2010 at 8:27am

I specialize in and only see endurance athletes. I warn them about using the foam roller improperly and strongly suggest that they do not use it on the ITB. I find that it aggravates the condition and makes it worse. I suspect that many people purchase a foam roller, and without proper training, roll the heck out of themselves. I also wonder, on smaller muscle groups, if it doesn't in fact active a contract reflex. I try to guide my clients towards proper stretching and the use of "the stick."

Permalink Reply by Danny Christie on January 9, 2010 at 10:09am

Tuning the Office to the Athlete: Part 2
This faulty posture, known as upper and lower cross syndrome, can affect strength, stability performance and negatively impact on our ability to incorporate ideal form during key CrossFit lifts.
This article will demonstrate some simple soft tissue release techniques you can do yourself, along with focused stretches for commonly tight musculature. I’ll also share some simple but hugely effective gluteal and scapula retractor activation exercises.
Foam rolling and Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) are my personal techniques of choice. No fancy equipment is needed and both techniques are relatively easy to incorporate into your warm-up or to do on rest days in front of your television.
Foam rolling is a great way to reduce muscle density and deactivate troublesome trigger points that cause muscle shortening and diminish strength.
The protocol I suggest is to foam roll and stretch so that you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to common tight muscles. I have tried to include straightforward techniques that don’t require awkward body positioning and time consuming set-ups.
The entire foam rolling, AIS stretching and activation routine should take approximately 15 minutes.
The Rules
Foam Rolling
• When rolling long muscles, you should roll in sections, always starting closest to the body. For example, when you roll your quads, begin with the mid thigh to hip, then move on to the knee area to mid thigh.
• Complete 4-6 strokes over each section or muscle.
• If an active trigger point is located, maintain pressure on that area until the discomfort felt reduces by 50%. If the discomfort does not reduce by 50% after 15 seconds move off the area and then revisit it applying slightly less pressure.
Active Isolated Stretching
• Hold each stretch for a maximum of 2 seconds.
• Use reciprocal inhibition to accentuate the stretch response. For example, tighten your quads to improve a hamstring stretch (this works by relaxing the hamstring). You can further improve the stretch with the use of a rope or band.
• Stretching should not be painful; you should experience mild discomfort at worst.

Activation
• Perform between 6-8 repetitions. The idea here is to activate commonly weak muscles without inducing any muscle fatigue.
• Perform each exercise at a moderate pace and incorporate a 3 second isometric hold at the end of each movement.
• Always perform activation work after you stretch your tight areas.
Sometimes it can be hard to try to sell the benefits of foam rolling to peers and clients, as it will add another 15 minutes or so on your warm-up.
If this approach to pre-habiliation (injury prevention) is met with resistance, you can break the routine up into mini pre-habilitaton routines.

full article with pictures and further instruction to follow.

Permalink Reply by Geoffrey Bishop on January 9, 2010 at 10:14am

Looking forward to seeing the entire series Danny!

Permalink Reply by Erik Dalton, Ph.D. on January 17, 2010 at 4:29pm

Hey Danny:

Your new Foam Rolling article will be posted on my website at www.ErikDalton.com tomorrow for those who want to see some of the exercises you use in clinic.

Permalink Reply by Erik Dalton, Ph.D. on January 17, 2010 at 4:43pm

Bert:

The scoliosis routing is a bit too complex to describe here but suffice to say, the same rules Hippocrates handed down for the treatment of scoliosis apply. Pressure to the convex side (supine), open up the concavity via sidelying rolling on contralateral side (arm above head). Cross-patterned stretch through the external obliques to the contralateral ASIS (prone), etc.

Bert Davich said:

Thanks Erik,
It would be great if you would care to elaborate on the revisions for scoliotics to use the foam roller.

Permalink Reply by Bert Davich on January 17, 2010 at 6:22pm

Thanks Danny,
I am looking forward to your article also.

Permalink Reply by Danny Christie on January 21, 2010 at 8:22pm

Further Foam Rolling Info-
http://erikdalton.com/Article_Christie_TuningTheAthlete.pdf

Permalink Reply by Danny Christie on January 21, 2010 at 8:57pm

Thanks, glad you like it.

I am from London but currently living in the US

Rick Britton said:

great stuff Danny

where you from in England?

keep it coming, loving your stuff

Danny Christie said:
Further Foam Rolling Info-
http://erikdalton.com/Article_Christie_TuningTheAthlete.pdf