Back Pain Roller

30.06.2023 Chukwudi Eze 0 Comments

Contents

0.1 Do rollers help with back pain?
0.2 Are back rollers worth it?
- 0.2.1 Where should you not use a foam roller?

1 Why does rolling my back feel good?
2 Why shouldn’t you foam roll your back?

Do rollers help with back pain?

Foam Roller for Your Back Pain | Texas Orthopedics Foam rollers have surged in popularity over the past decade. Foam rollers can be used to help boost circulation and improve flexibility and can also be beneficial in relieving back pain, if used properly. Board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician explains how to use a foam roller for back pain on,

“A few research studies have shown that foam rolling can improve joint range of motion, especially when coupled with static stretching,” says Ai Mukai, MD. “We know that tight hip flexors, hamstrings, and even knees can affect the lumbar spine and cause unhealthy pressure points and stress. Foam rolling has also been shown to delay muscle soreness and improve recovery.” Foam rollers come in different softness and texture.

In general, Dr. Mukai recommends softer foam rollers for beginners who might not be able to tolerate the deeper pressure that a harder one would provide. Rollers with texture can help get deeper into pressure points. There are also rollers that combine modalities such as heat, cold, and vibration with the massage, which can further help reduce soreness and inflammation, and relax muscles.

For the neck, Dr.
Mukai believes lacrosse balls and trigger point massagers do a better job of isolating the tight trigger points in the trapezius and muscles around the shoulder blade.
Foam rollers don’t always fix the underlying concern and may cause more harm if used incorrectly.
Extreme pressure applied to the muscle can cause muscle damage or even bruise a bone.

Dr. Mukai advises that you should be cognizant of the speed and location of where you’re applying pressure and your stability. “Anything that can make you so unsteady that you end up being jerked into bad positions can hurt you,” says Dr. Mukai, “Also, the back has more superficial bones compared to some of the other muscular areas of the body and you can end up bruising the bones if you put too much pressure on the bony prominences.” While foam rollers have proven to be helpful in muscle recovery and are used widely, they are not going to help with other types of musculoskeletal pain.

Won’t help with disc-related pain, nerve-related pain, or joint-related pain,” Dr.
Mukai adds, “And as always, any nerve-related symptoms like numbness, weakness, and bowel or bladder incontinence should be a red flag to seek medical help.” Read the entire article,
Texas Orthopedics team provides comprehensive back and neck treatment options to help manage symptoms and provide pain relief.

Our team consists of board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians and board certified orthopedic spine surgeons. To learn more about and the rest of our spine care team, visit txortho.com or call (512) 439-1000. Keep up with the latest news and updates on Facebook and,

Are back rollers worth it?

Is foam rolling actually good for you? – Yes, foam rolling is a really good exercise for self-muscle release. It creates a deep tissue massage and works well on tight muscles that may be causing issues with joints and mobility. You can also use a foam roller to break down scar tissue within muscle and increase blood circulation into muscles.

Where should you not use a foam roller?

Five Areas That You Absolutely Do Not Want to Foam Roller Over – AID PPT Hey, there. It’s Andrew Dombek. I know it’s been a long time since you’ve seen me last. You might not recognize me. I’ve got glasses on today. I don’t normally wear glasses. Nevertheless, today is the day that all the kiddies get back to school.

And, you know what, all you stay-at-home moms and dads, I have some clients that are stay-at-home dads, you now have extra time on your hands.
What are you going to do with that extra time? Well, today is back-to-school lesson number one.
You’re gonna get back out there and start exercising again.
There’s no excuses, the kids are gone, you have the house to yourself for a couple hours.

Let’s get back at it. So, today, one of the things, a good way to get your body up in motion and everything like that, is use a foam roller. We prescribe using a foam roller with all of our clients that come through AID. And a lot of people don’t know how to use a foam roller.

So today, what I’m going to talk about is five areas that you do not, absolutely do not, I repeat, do not want to foam roller over. All right. Number one, I know these may seem obvious but you got to spell it out for some people. Number one is you don’t want a foam roll over your face. You’ve got lots of little nerves and everything like that and you can cause a lot of damage, paralysis.

That’s the last thing we need you to do is, “Hey, honey, I got back out to working, you know, working out and I got a facial droop.” No, we don’t wanna do that. Area number two, the neck. No, that’s a big no-no. You don’t want to roll over the neck either.

You’ve got nerves but you also have got arteries and veins in there. We don’t want any wind up with any strokes or any other things because you’ve cut off the circulation to your head That would be a no bueno. Number three. You know, I know there’s a lot of muscles. You have your lats that come through here, your pecks go across the front.

But you really do not want a foam roll your armpit. That is a big no-no. Why? You have this thing called the brachial plexus. Brachial plexus is all the nerves coming from your neck down through your armpit. And that what they do is they innervate or control all the muscles in your arm and hand.

So that’s the last thing you want to do. There’s also, there’s is what they call the neurovascular bundle. So you also not only along nerves but you also have your artery and your vein that go through your armpit. So foam rolling in your armpit is a no-no. Same thing, we’re gonna cut off circulation, we’re gonna cause paralysis, numbness and tingling in your hands and fingers.

That is a big no-no. All right, number four. If you’ve been paying attention, you do not want a foam roll over your stomach. I know you’ve got these core muscles, these abdominal muscles in there. Big, big, big deal. You’ve got your internal and external obliques, you’ve got your transverse abdominis, you’ve got your rectus.

You know, you can strain these muscles but you do not want to lay down on the foam roller on your belly. That is a big no-no. Why? What is in our belly? Our organs. You do not want to mess with your intestinal tract, your internal organs. That is a big no-no. Can you do it on your back? Yes. You know why? Your kidneys are protecting your your kidneys are being protected by your pelvis and you have much thicker muscle in the back than you do on the front so it’s okay to foam roll on your back.

It’s not okay to foam roll over your stomach. Number five. In case, you can’t see it, it’s called the popliteal fossa, the back of your knee. That’s another no-no. Just like your armpit, what goes through you there? Your neurovascular bundle. You don’t want to cut off the circulation or compress the nerves and create numbness and tingling in your feet.

That can be a whole another issue.
That is something that we do not want to do.
So, in summary, the five areas that you do not want to foam roll over is number one, your face.
You don’t want a foam roll over your neck.
You don’t want to foam roll over your armpits.
Gotta leave the abs alone and the back of your knee.

So I’ve got another hint for you here. If you’re looking to get back on track, maybe you’re gonna run a 5K this fall, there’s a lot of races or you want to get back into the gym, a good place to start is at AID Performance Physical Therapy. We offer free discovery sessions.

You can come in, let them know that you saw me on this video. We’ll offer you a free discovery session where you can meet with me or Tyler and discuss what your plans are and how we can help you to get back into shape and teach you, give you a routine how to get back so you don’t get hurt and you wind up here in the first place.

So you come in, we’ll get you running through some exercises to determine where your areas of weaknesses are, where you have muscles that need to be stretched or foam rolled out, teach you proper form, give you a home program that you can then take to the gym and get back on to your merry way.

We can also get you running properly, standing properly by doing our postural or video analysis.
Direct access.
You don’t need an authorization from a doctor.
You don’t need a prescription from a doctor.
You can come in without a prescription from them.
You can come see us for 30 days, we can work on you, no problem.

If you want to know more about this, give us a call, 703-723-6758 if you’re interested. So stay tuned for more back to school lessons. I have some more lessons coming up. Thank you. Have a great day. Bye-bye. Owner and Founder at Andrew Dombek is a nationally known Physical Therapist and founder of Northern Virginia’s Leading Private Physical Therapy Specialist for athletes in their teens,30s, 40sand 50s, who want to keep healthy and active.You might know Andrew from his early days working in downtown Washington D.C.

where he was one of the former physical therapist for the finest athletes and performers in town performing at the Kennedy Center, in shows like Aida (The Timeless Love Story), The Producers, and the Washington Ballet. Andrew (having been through many injuries throughout out his life), is a rare expert in understanding the psyche of returning to your sport after injury.

Helping people stay active and giving back to his community are his passions. These characteristics have helped Andrew become an expert Physical Therapist and his Clinic to become the fastest growing PT clinic in Loudoun County.Over the last several yearshas become the premier physical therapy practice for runners in Northern, Virginia.Where the local running groups like the Ashburn Chapter of Mom’s Run This Town as well as the high schools in his area like Broad Runand Briar Woods have retained AID Performance Physical Therapy for treating their runners and athletes.

Why does rolling my back feel good?

Increases range of motion – Foam rolling before a workout can reduce stiffness and help your body feel more limber. As mentioned, foam rolling signals the parasympathetic nervous system to relax the muscles and tendons you are rolling. As these tissues relax, the fibers move from a contracted state to an elongated state.

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How often should you use a back roller?

Our articles are not designed to replace medical advice. If you have an injury we recommend seeing a qualified health professional. To book an appointment with Tom Goom (AKA ‘The Running Physio’) visit our clinic page, We offer both in-person assessments and online consultations.

Like many runners I enjoy a love-hate relationship with my foam roller.
My fiancé really likes it, but mainly uses it to prop the window open! Lots has been said about them by fellow runners though few have had such a unique view as @4races4cities,
One of my favourite descriptions comes from @Jens_Itchy_Feet, “A lot of strange humping and squealing in pain on the living room floormy muscles felt like they’d been worked over by one of those moustachioed-man-woman masseurs you may expect to find in a Moroccan Haman” But there’s much more to using a foam roller than swearing and pain – recent research has started to show great benefits in improving flexibility.

The work of McDonald et al (2012) is so recent in fact that it’s yet to be published in full although it has been accepted for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. An abstract is available here, They found that performing Self Myofascial Release with a foam roller on the quadriceps muscles improved range of movement without impairing muscular performance.

We’ll look at their research and that of others in this area to try and answer some of the common questions around using a foam roller. What does using a foam roller actually do? Muscles are surrounded by a soft tissue known as fascia. It is thought that this tissue can influence flexibility and joint range of movement.

Research suggests that using a foam roller is a form of “Self Myofascial Release” and that it makes the fascia more flexible and breaks down scar tissue and adhesions. Which one should I buy? McDonald et al used a roller with a hollow but solid PVC core surrounded by a layer of neoprene foam and had very positive results.

Miller and Rockey (2006) used the more traditional roller composed entirely of foam and found rolling made no significant difference to hamstring flexibility.
Curran, Fiore and Crisco (2008) compared these 2 types, the Multilevel Rigid Roller and Bio-Foam Roller and found “significantly higher pressure and isolated contact area” with the Multilevel Rigid Roller.

In short, it appears the hollow but solid core design is more effective than the traditional foam roller as it appears to place higher pressure on the fascia. This is the design favoured by The Grid, which is the foam roller I currently use. I find it effective but at close to £40 it may be out of many people’s budgets and there may be cheaper alternatives available. How long should I use it for? McDonald et al got good results from using the roller for just 2 minutes in the form of 2 x 1 minute sessions separated by a rest period of 30 seconds. Other research suggests between 1 and 5 minutes on each muscle group or working until a sensation of release is felt.

How often? The guidance from the research on this is far less clear.
In fact, as with many things, there is a lack of in-depth research in this area.
Most studies seem to focus on the acute effects of using a foam roller rather than long term useage.
Miller and Rockey (2006) used the foam roller 3 times per week over 8 weeks but offered no justification in the research as to why.

This can hardly be used as guidance considering they also didn’t report any beneficial effects! I think how often you use a foam roller depends on your goals and your body. If you are a flexible runner who seldom suffers from muscular tightness there may be very little benefit in doing regular sessions with the foam roller.

If, like many runners, you struggle with persistent tight areas a or are trying to stretch as part of rehab (e.g.
ITB) you may want to use it every other day for a short period, until symptoms/ tightness improves.
There is a balance here, as with most things.
If you are too aggressive with the roller and use it too often you may cause a build up of micro-trauma in the muscles and cause pain.

I would suggest a frequency of 2-3 times per week is usually adequate in most cases but you can increase this to as much as 3 times per day providing it isn’t increasing your pain levels and you make this change gradually. In some ways using a foam roller is comparable to stretching and many stretching protocols recommend as much as 3 times per day so it should be feasible with a roller too.

You have to ask though why is this area so tight, and why is it needing this level of input to release it? Sometimes persistent muscle tightness continues due to weakness elsewhere or because you keep aggravating by continuing to train too much or too intensively.
What’s the technique? McDonald et al describe the technique nicely in their article.

There are a host of videos on YouTube to look at if you want specific ideas for certain muscles but this is the technique used in McDonald et al’s research;

Place as much of your body mass as possible on the foam roller (within pain limits). Begin at the proximal part of the muscle (the part closest to the body) and roll down the length of the muscle using short kneading like motions. One you’ve covered the length of the muscle quickly return to the start position moving the roller in once fluid motion. Roll the length of the muscle 3-4 times within each 1 minute session. Swearing is optional.

(I may have made that last one up) Other studies used similar techniques with fairly similar time frames, however what’s more important is what works for you. If you have a technique you find effective for your needs then stick with it. There is also the technique of finding a sore area and holding the pressure on this area for 30-60 seconds or until you feel it release.

This can be beneficial but is often very sore! Using the roller when injured I haven’t found any convincing research on the use of the foam roller to manage specific injuries.
Several studies mention it but these tend to be expert opinion pieces rather than randomised controlled trials (which is really what we want).

Our rational comes from clinical reasoning rather than high quality research. For example where we know that tissue flexibility plays an important part we can reason that using a foam roller can be useful as the research suggests it improves flexibility.

Following that reasoning we can make a few broad recommendations on which areas to work on with the foam roller; Plantar fasciitis Gastrocnemius and Soleus (calf muscles) Plantar Fascia itself – using a pedi roller or cold can Patellofemoral Pain (runners knee) Quadriceps ITB and TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae – muscle on the outside of the thigh – roughly where your pocket is) Hamstrings Calf muscles ITBS ITB itself – be cautious when using the foam roller directly over the tender area, work into this gradually.

It’s often best to work above the area first. TFL Quadriceps Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome “Shin Splints” Calf muscles Achilles Tendinopathy Calf muscles You’ll see a few areas come up regularly so a programme of rolling calf, quads, ITB and hamstrings will cover most things and could be used for injury prevention as well as treatment.

Does using the roller impair muscle performance? One of the key findings of McDonald et al was that the roller increased flexibility without reducing muscle performance. Other studies have reported similar findings. As a result some have recommended it as a part of a warm to improve flexibility. However, none of these studied have demonstrated improved running performance or reduced injury rate as a direct result of using a foam roller.

How does it compare to static stretching? Static stretching used to be a huge part of an athlete’s regime but in recent years research has suggested it may be detrimental to performance and it’s now not recommended prior to sport. It still has a role in improving and maintaining flexibility and I continue to recommend it as part of a cool down after sport or within a rehab programme.

To some degree tight, fairly inflexible tissues can be very effective – they help to transmit the impact of running into forward momentum more efficiently than loose flexible tissues. There tends to be a connection between strength and tissue tightness – tight tissues are often strong. The downside is when this tightness starts to cause pain, affects movement patterns or places structures under a greater tension (e.g.

Calf tightness increases tension on the plantar fascia, ITB tightness affects movement of the knee cap, TFL tightness affects the ITB etc). So like many things, it’s a balance – enough tightness to be effective with enough flexibility to move freely. D’Amico and Morin compared stretching the hamstrings and using the foam roller in a pilot study, that, as far as I’m aware is yet to be published in a Journal.

They concluded that using the roller increased range of movement as much as static stretching but that the foam roller improved isometric strength and jumping ability compared to static stretching (and the control group).
They went on to conclude that Self Myofascial Release using a foam roller could be used to aid strength or power performance.

In theory then the foam roller could be used as part of a warm up as it appears to improve flexibility without impairing performance. Limitations in the research It’s worth noting that the research on foam rollers isn’t extensive. What is there is fairly limited and has a number of limitations.

McDonald et al’s research only involved 11 subjects and all were male.
D’Amico and Morin only had 13 subjects and neither studies examined direct the effect of using a foam roller on running performance.
There have also been some conflicting studies, such as Miller and Rockey (2006) who found no change in hamstring flexibility after 8 weeks of foam rolling, 3 times per week and there is very little evidence on use of rolling for specific injuries.

Clearly further research is needed, until then we can take some guidance from what evidence is available, while being aware of its limitations. Closing thoughts: Foam rolling is a form of Self Myofascial Release which is thought to improve flexibility without reducing muscle performance.

Why does it hurt when I use a roller?

How to use a foam roller – Using a foam roller can be a great way to help prep your muscles before a workout and to help recover afterward. And it’s something those who work in front of a computer or stand at work all day can use as well. So, basically, it can be a good tool for almost anyone.

And if you feel overwhelmed by all the different ways you can use a foam roller, you’re not alone.
Many people feel like they’re not using it correctly because there’s many variations of foam rollers and many different ways to use them,” says Kuharik.
But remember that there’s no one perfect way to do it.” To get started, Kuharik suggests using a lightweight, smooth foam roller.

You can use a foam roller at any point in the day, but he recommends using it in the morning. “Spend about one to two minutes per muscle group or area where you’re feeling sore or stiff,” he says. While foam rolling can help with pain, many who use a foam roller may experience pain and discomfort when they roll over certain muscles or areas.

These trigger points mean that the muscle you’re working on is stuck in a contracted position. “Just putting that pressure on it helps release any tension,” says Kuharik. “The pain can be intense. But by working on the spot with a foam roller, you’re able to relax and feel better.” If you hit a tender spot, he says it’s best to adjust the pressure and work around the sore area first before returning to that spot.

“Start out light — don’t put your whole body weight into it right away,” he continues. “You want to find your tolerance then adjust if you’re sore from it the next day.” Once you find a sore spot, you want to roll slowly and take a deep breaths in through your nose, out of your mouth.

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Why does my lower back hurt when I use foam roller?

It’s difficult to balance a foam roller on the lower part of the back, says Jiang. Trying to get into the right position to roll out the area can ultimately force you to overarch your spine, which can cause discomfort or even a strain.

Do rollers help with tight muscles?

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Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm? Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence? Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. It can help relieve muscle tightness, soreness, and inflammation, and increase your joint range of motion. Foam rolling can be an effective tool to add to your warm-up or cooldown, before and after exercise.

And the benefits of foam rolling may vary from person to person.
Read on to learn the about foam rolling’s benefits and potential risks, plus how to add it to your routine.
Foam rolling can be beneficial for easing sore muscles and reducing inflammation.
One small study of eight male participants found evidence that foam rolling after exercise may help reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness,

In the study, physically active men foam rolled for 20 minutes immediately after exercise in addition to 24 and 48 hours after exercising. These participants saw a decrease in their delayed-onset muscle soreness when compared to exercising without foam rolling.

They also performed physical exercises better than those who didn’t foam roll.
More research is needed in a larger, more diverse group of people to confirm how foam rolling affects muscle pain.
Foam rolling may help increase your range of motion, but more research is needed.
Range of motion is important for flexibility and performance.

Researchers found evidence from one small study of 11 adolescent athletes that a combination of foam rolling and static stretching was most effective for increasing range of motion. This was compared to static stretching or foam rolling alone. More research is needed among a larger, more diverse group of people to fully understand the connection to foam rolling and range of motion.

For best results from foam rolling, try to stretch out and foam roll after each workout. Providers of some foam rolling products claim the products can help loosen and break up your fascia. Fascia are the body’s connective tissues and contribute to the appearance of cellulite. While foam rolling may help smooth out your skin temporarily, there is currently no scientific evidence that it can permanently reduce cellulite,

The best way to reduce cellulite is to maintain an active lifestyle and consume a healthy diet. SMR may be effective for easing pain in the body. It may help ease tension in the back, too. It’s important to take care when using a foam roller on the back, however.

It’s easy to strain or injure your back further.
To use your foam roller for lower back pain, turn your foam roller so it’s vertical (in-line with your spine) and slowly roll the roller from side to side, still in line with your spine.
Do this as opposed to keeping it horizontal, which can cause you to arch and strain your back.

You can also try lying on a foam massage ball or a tennis ball to work out knots in the back. SMR has shown promising results for the treatment of fibromyalgia symptoms. In one study of 66 adults living with fibromyalgia, participants who foam rolled for 20 weeks reported that they felt better and had less pain intensity, fatigue, stiffness, and depression than those who didn’t try SMR techniques.

They also reported an increase in their range of motion.
While this study is promising, more research is needed to confirm the efficacy of foam rolling for treating fibromyalgia symptoms.
Many people find foam rolling to be relaxing.
Breaking up tightness in your muscles may help you feel less tense and calmer as a result.

But little evidence exists to show that foam rolling helps with relaxation. In one small study, 20 female participants either foam rolled or rested for 30 minutes after walking on the treadmill. Researchers didn’t find that foam rolling significantly reduced stress levels more than resting.

More research is needed. In the meantime, if you find foam rolling to be relaxing, there’s no harm in adding it to your weekly routine. Foam rolling is generally considered safe to do if you experience muscle tightness or regularly exercise. But avoid foam rolling if you have a serious injury such as a muscle tear or break, unless your doctor or a physical therapist has cleared you first.

Also avoid rolling over small joints like your knees, elbows, and ankles, which could cause you to hyperextend or damage them. Instead, when foam rolling your legs, roll out your calves first and then your quads separately, avoiding the knee area. Foam rolling may help relieve tension during pregnancy.

Just get cleared by your doctor first and avoid lying on your back to foam roll later in your pregnancy. You also should skip rolling out the calves in your third trimester. This may cause premature labor. Talk to your doctor if you are concerned. A foam roller is usually cylinder-shaped and made of dense foam.

But you can find foam rollers in a range of sizes and shapes, and in various levels of firmness. It may take some trial and error to find the foam roller that’s right for you. Try out different foam rollers before purchasing to find one that is comfortable for you to use.

Smooth rollers are known for having a smooth, dense foam surface. They are best for people new to foam rolling. They offer even texture and aren’t as intense as a textured roller. This option is less expensive, too. Texture d rollers have ridges and knobs on them. They are used to work deeper into muscles, and work out knots and tension. Foam-covered massage sticks can be used to deeply massage your legs or upper back. Foam massage balls can be used for targeted muscle areas. For example, to work out knots in shoulders.

When choosing a foam roller, you’ll also want to take the shape and size into consideration. A shorter roller is more effective for smaller areas like the arms and calves, for example. Shorter rollers are also are more portable if you plan to travel with your roller.

If you’ve never foam rolled before, you may want to learn a few basics before you get started.
You can find endless “foam rolling for beginners” videos online that will explain how to safely roll out different parts of the body.
Or if you exercise at a gym with foam rollers, you can also ask a trainer to walk you through how to use one.

You can also try foam rolling classes to learn how to use it effectively. In general, follow these tips to get started:

Start with light pressure and build up as you get used to foam rolling. You may find it painful to foam roll at first if your muscles are tight. To adjust pressure, reduce the amount of body weight you’re putting onto the roller. For example, if you’re rolling out your calf, use your arms to help support your body and take some of your body weight off of the roller. Slowly roll tender areas for 10 seconds to start, then work up to 30 to 60 seconds at a time.Drink plenty of water after foam rolling to help with recovery.

If you want more tips, here are 8 foam rolling moves you can try. Foam rolling can be an effective way to reduce muscle tension before starting your workout. That’s especially the case if you have any leftover tension from exercising over the previous few days.

Foam rolling can also be an important tool to use while cooling down after exercise.
If you add a foam roller to your warm-up and cooldown routine, you may find yourself feeling less sore in the days following.
If you regularly sit or stand for your job, or just have aches and pains, foam rolling can also be useful.

Always talk to your doctor before adding any new tools to your daily routine.

Why shouldn’t you foam roll your back?

Medical Condition Warning – Foam rolling is not recommended for pregnant women whose joints are naturally loose due to a hormone called relaxin. People who have rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups, deep-vein thrombosis, advanced osteoporosis, or neuropathy also should not foam roll.

Never apply pressure to open wounds or fractures. The greatest risk of injury to the back with foam rolling is using it directly on the vertebrae of the neck or on the mid-to-lower vertebrae of the back. Doing so requires using intense muscle control to keep the proper form and hold the roller in place at a trigger point.

Using the lower back muscles in this way may cause excess muscle tension, which can do more harm than good. Using a foam roller directly on the lower back may cause harmful pressure on the kidneys and liver. Muscles provide some padding, but unlike the heart and lungs, which are safely housed in the rib cage, the kidneys and liver don’t have bones protecting them.

Can foam roller cause damage?

Foam rolling is a popular strategy for reducing muscle soreness and improving mobility. But many people make the mistake of rolling directly on connective tissue or bone, an expert said. To avoid injury and maximize benefits, focus on large muscle groups and don’t forget to stretch.

Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go. Foam rolling is often cited as a way to help muscles recover after exercise, or as a warm up to improve mobility and blood flow.

But many popular foam rolling techniques are likely to do more harm than good, according to Justin Cottle, lab director at the Institute of Human Anatomy, “I’m not against foam rolling, I just think people attribute too much to it,” he told Insider. While there’s some evidence that foam rolling can help reduce muscle inflammation and soreness, many purported benefits go beyond what science supports, Cottle said.

Improperly putting pressure on the body with a foam roller can also cause damage, worsening pain or mobility issues. If you do foam roll, maximize the benefits by focusing on specific muscle groups using light pressure, and steer clear of potential risky moves like rolling the spine or IT band, he said.

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Do rollers actually help sore muscles?

Context: – After an intense bout of exercise, foam rolling is thought to alleviate muscle fatigue and soreness (ie, delayed-onset muscle soreness ) and improve muscular performance. Potentially, foam rolling may be an effective therapeutic modality to reduce DOMS while enhancing the recovery of muscular performance.

Why do back rollers feel so good?

How does foam rolling work? – Contrary to popular belief, foam rolling doesn’t physically break up knots in muscles; rather, it stimulates the nervous system to relax tension in the surrounding tissues. Essentially, foam rolling works by sending input to your nervous system via receptors in your muscles, tendons, and fascia.

As you roll over these soft tissues, the receptors send signals to the spinal cord.
The parasympathetic nervous system responds by sending signals back to the muscles or tissues to relax.
In doing so, foam rolling increases the range of motion in muscles and tendons and around joints.
Foam rolling also increases blood flow, aiding the delivery of oxygen and other nutrients to muscles.

This can improve the effectiveness of a warmup routine and enhance recovery and removal of metabolic waste products accumulated in muscles after exercise.

How many times a day should you use a back roller?

Like many runners I enjoy a love-hate relationship with my foam roller. My fiancé really likes it, but mainly uses it to prop the window open! Lots has been said about them by fellow runners though few have had such a unique view as @4races4cities, One of my favourite descriptions comes from @Jens_Itchy_Feet, “A lot of strange humping and squealing in pain on the living room floormy muscles felt like they’d been worked over by one of those moustachioed-man-woman masseurs you may expect to find in a Moroccan Haman” But there’s much more to using a foam roller than swearing and pain – recent research has started to show great benefits in improving flexibility.

We’ll look at their research and that of others in this area to try and answer some of the common questions around using a foam roller. What does using a foam roller actually do? Muscles are surrounded by a soft tissue known as fascia. It is thought that this tissue can influence flexibility and joint range of movement.

Miller and Rockey (2006) used the more traditional roller composed entirely of foam and found rolling made no significant difference to hamstring flexibility. Curran, Fiore and Crisco (2008) compared these 2 types, the Multilevel Rigid Roller and Bio-Foam Roller and found “significantly higher pressure and isolated contact area” with the Multilevel Rigid Roller.

How often? The guidance from the research on this is far less clear.
In fact, as with many things, there is a lack of in-depth research in this area.
Most studies seem to focus on the acute effects of using a foam roller rather than long term useage.
Miller and Rockey (2006) used the foam roller 3 times per week over 8 weeks but offered no justification in the research as to why.

If, like many runners, you struggle with persistent tight areas a or are trying to stretch as part of rehab (e.g. ITB) you may want to use it every other day for a short period, until symptoms/ tightness improves. There is a balance here, as with most things. If you are too aggressive with the roller and use it too often you may cause a build up of micro-trauma in the muscles and cause pain.

You have to ask though why is this area so tight, and why is it needing this level of input to release it? Sometimes persistent muscle tightness continues due to weakness elsewhere or because you keep aggravating by continuing to train too much or too intensively.
What’s the technique? McDonald et al describe the technique nicely in their article.

There are a host of videos on YouTube to look at if you want specific ideas for certain muscles but this is the technique used in McDonald et al’s research;

This can be beneficial but is often very sore! Using the roller when injured I haven’t found any convincing research on the use of the foam roller to manage specific injuries. Several studies mention it but these tend to be expert opinion pieces rather than randomised controlled trials (which is really what we want).

Following that reasoning we can make a few broad recommendations on which areas to work on with the foam roller; Plantar fasciitis Gastrocnemius and Soleus (calf muscles) Plantar Fascia itself – using a pedi roller or cold can Patellofemoral Pain (runners knee) Quadriceps ITB and TFL (Tensor Fasciae Latae – muscle on the outside of the thigh – roughly where your pocket is) Hamstrings Calf muscles ITBS ITB itself – be cautious when using the foam roller directly over the tender area, work into this gradually.

Does using the roller impair muscle performance? One of the key findings of McDonald et al was that the roller increased flexibility without reducing muscle performance. Other studies have reported similar findings. As a result some have recommended it as a part of a warm to improve flexibility. However, none of these studied have demonstrated improved running performance or reduced injury rate as a direct result of using a foam roller.

To some degree tight, fairly inflexible tissues can be very effective – they help to transmit the impact of running into forward momentum more efficiently than loose flexible tissues.
There tends to be a connection between strength and tissue tightness – tight tissues are often strong.
The downside is when this tightness starts to cause pain, affects movement patterns or places structures under a greater tension (e.g.

They concluded that using the roller increased range of movement as much as static stretching but that the foam roller improved isometric strength and jumping ability compared to static stretching (and the control group). They went on to conclude that Self Myofascial Release using a foam roller could be used to aid strength or power performance.

McDonald et al’s research only involved 11 subjects and all were male. D’Amico and Morin only had 13 subjects and neither studies examined direct the effect of using a foam roller on running performance. There have also been some conflicting studies, such as Miller and Rockey (2006) who found no change in hamstring flexibility after 8 weeks of foam rolling, 3 times per week and there is very little evidence on use of rolling for specific injuries.

Chukwudi Eze