Ice, hot tubs, and aspirin usually work to soothe, or at least, ease, minor aches and pains. But when you’re in that, “It’s not a major injury, but it’s more than aspirin will solve” stage, muscle massage seems to work best. And even though people seem to really enjoy getting a massage after a hard workout, I worry that the therapist will push too hard and hurt me even more while trying to unknot a muscle.
Of course, a professional massage every week might be ideal for some, but few of us have the money or time for that. But, there is a convenient and inexpensive way to self massage. For quite a while now, most gyms have had foam rollers available; pieces of equipment that resemble the pool noodles that kids use to float. These foam rollers come in a variety of colors and densities and the trainers use them to “massage” the client’s tight areas after a workout. This technique, called SMR, or self myofasial release, is a flexibility technique that relaxes muscles and allows them to work more efficiently.
Basically, tissue that is repeatedly exposed to excessive strain (lifting, pushing, pulling, running) can become dense, knotted or otherwise stuck together. This cumulative injury cycle follows a path of inflammation, muscle spasms, and development of soft tissue adhesions that reduce the elasticity of the soft tissues and change the soft tissue structure (resulting in “knots” or “trigger points” of pain). These adhesions can cause your muscles to lose independent movement, dragging their “neighbors” along with them for every movement.
SMR focuses on alleviating the adhesions to restore optimal muscle motion and function.
-In SMR , the pressure of the body against a foam roller or other tool is sustained on top of the “trigger point” (muscle receptors, also called the pain site or “knot”) .
-As you “roll” against the trigger, the sensory receptors (called GTOs or Gogli tendon organs) “turn off” the contraction or tightness, allowing the muscle to stretch.
Using the foam roller with your body weight can bring about improvements:
-in flexibility, muscle recovery, and movement efficiency
-along with pain reduction and additional benefits like:
-Breaking down muscle adhesions
-Relaxing muscles
-Improving joint range of motion
-Improving neuromuscular activity
-Improving tissue recovery and repair (reduced soreness)
-Suppressing trigger point sensitivity and pain
-Correcting muscle imbalances
-Relieving muscle soreness and joint stress
Although these techniques originated in the rehabilitative setting, SMR has gained a lot of popularity with fitness professionals over the last decade. In most gyms and clubs, foam rollers and massage balls are as common as treadmills and free weights.
They're inexpensive, easy to use, and readily accessible (Even Target and Wal-mart sell them). The typical roller is about a six-inch-round, foam-celled cylinder. To use it, simply put the roller on the ground and allow the weight of your body to press into the surface of the roller.
You should roll at a slow pace, building up a deliberate wave of pressure over tender areas until they become less sensitive. The pressure from the roller will produce a deep local stretch, pushing apart the gnarled tissue and relaxing over-stimulated fibers.
It’s best to begin rolling muscles at their proximal (closest to the body) attachments, then work distally (away from the center) to accommodate changes in muscular tension
Even slightly changing positions or angles can target different areas.
SLOWLY roll the area until you find the most tender spot and hold it while relaxing the targeted area until discomfort is reduced (between 30 and 90 seconds).
After foam rolling, you should feel better -- not worse. The truth is, the more discomfort you feel when massaging your muscles with the foam roller, the more those muscles actually need to be massaged -- the discomfort is telling you where you need to focus your efforts.
You can try some of these basic ways to utilize the foam roller:
Back-Cross arms to the opposite shoulder. Keep your abdominals drawn-in, and raise your hips until unsupported. Also stabilize the head in "neutral." Roll the mid-back area on the foam.
Quadriceps-Position your body prone with the quadriceps on foam roller. Maintain proper core control (with your abdominals drawn-In and glutes tight) to prevent low back pain. Roll from the pelvic bone to the knee, emphasizing the thigh.
Hamstring-Place hamstrings on the roll with hips unsupported. Cross your feet to increase leverage. Roll from your knee toward the back of your hip while keeping quadriceps tightened.
Foot-place the arch of the foot on the curve of the foam roller and roll back and forth across the bottom of the foot. You can put more pressure on the roller with your body weight, but be sure to have something to hold onto for balance as you roll your foot over the foa
When you choose a foam roller, product density is very important:
-If the foam is too soft, less than adequate tissue massage is applied.
-On the other hand, if the foam is too hard, bruising and more advanced soft-tissue trauma may occur.
-Usually rollers in blue/white/red are softer and those in black are firmer.
-Foam rollers with grids and rumble rollers have knobs that work into the muscle more deeply.
I've even used tennis balls and less pliable balls to roll on my foot for the same benefits as the rollers. Over time, the foam can break down, so buying a higher quality roller is worth the investment.
Foam rolling has been a lifesaver as I get older. It's shortened my recovery time from a grueling workout, and increased my flexibility.
I’ve found that I’ll feel the pain after rolling for a day or so, but the affected area heals much more quickly when I release the knotted muscle with SMR. So, if you just can’t seem to shake that tense area in your back or hamstrings or if you're just trying to relax a “charley horse” in your calf, give SMR a try. You’ll feel better. I promise!
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