Unfortunately most of us experience the sensation of tight muscles or restricted movement from time to time. I often see cyclists in the clinic with fatigued quads and glutes through to office workers who report tightness and pain in the front of the hips.
As a Myotherapist, I work with patients to identify which areas of their body are tight and why. From their we develop a plan to get things back on track… a vital part being self-management from the patient. All too often however, my patients have never heard of a foam roller or are unsure about how to stretch muscles appropriately to help with their performance. This is why I’ve put together this quick blog to share my thoughts on rollers and some simple strategies you could employ to help manage your symptoms. As always however, you should always consult with your healthcare professional is you have any concerns about your situation.
From Rollers Explained
There isn’t much too them really… they’re a high density block of foam, commonly measuring 90cm long by 15cm in diameter. They do come in various lengths, widths or with bumps over them. But as the process it typically quite challenging for a beginner, I usually recommend buying a 15 x 90cm as it will be the most versatile without being too painful.
There are differences in the quality of foam with rollers. Over the years of used many different brands and have unfortunately seen many cheaper versions deform quite quickly. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. I’d recommend buying one from your local clinic if you’re unsure of what you’re looking for.
Foam Rolling The Legs
Rolling the legs would definitely be the most common use of a roller from a soft tissue perspective. I treat a lot of runners and cyclist who really struggle with recovery. They’ll often present for a sports massage to ‘flush’ their legs out, which gives them the feeling of decreased tiredness and often increased performance. Often as the athlete’s training demand increases, so too does the heavy feeling in the legs. This is likely why I see athletes more often during competition and less so when they are off season.
Though it is always great to see my patients, I’m keen to equip them with as many tools as possible to decrease their reliance on passive therapies. That’s why most of my treatments will involve an educational component to help improve their outcomes in the longer term.
Important Point To Remember!
Don’t use the roller over a joint like the knee. You’ll place the joint under unnatural stresses and could potentially injure yourself!
Avoid using the roller repeatedly over boney areas. We often have structures call Bursa in these areas to help protect tissue from underlying bone. If you rub firmly over the area regularly, you’ll likely irritate the bursa and end up in more pain.
There is proven duration for using the roller. I find 30-60 seconds through an area is a good start, typically recommend patients use their roller during an ad break of their favourite show.
Lacrosse Ball For Hips
The body in a fascinating place. We are filled with nooks and crannies everywhere, with small muscles that give your symptoms hiding away in hard to reach areas. Using a foam roller is often too broad to these areas and this is where the lacrosse ball comes in.
Let me get one thing straight, there isn’t anything special about a lacrosse ball. You could use a tennis ball, spiked ball or an orange if you like. Why I like the lacrosse ball is it's size, it is firm and doesn’t slip out, and your dog will love to chew it when you’re done with it!
The muscle that I like to get with the ball in particular is the TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae). It’s tucked away on the front/side of the hip and often tightens up if we spend too much time in hip flexion (cycling or long hours at the desk). Using the ball is very similar to the roller but on a much more specific scale.
Referred Pain
Just like with a good soft tissue massage, you’ll often feel referred pain in to different areas of the body when you find a sensitive area of muscle. Commonly the TFL muscle with refer aching pain down the outside of the leg, even as far as the foot! This is perfectly normal so don’t get too concerned. If tolerable, I often recommend my patients to use the roller or ball in that area until that referral eases and then move on to the next area.
Summary
To summarise, none of these techniques are likely to cure you from your pain for the longterm. Pain is multifactorial and often needs a thorough assessment to develop an effective strategy to resolve. Where these techniques are handy is for ongoing ‘maintenance’ of symptoms and decreasing your reliance on passive therapies to make you feel better.