The dangers of foam roller addiction

The foam roll, a cost effective, low risk way to reduce muscle tension? Or, the gateway drug sending patients on a self massage spiral that ends with an $800 Theragun? I've watched countless patients graduate from the soft roller, to the harder one, to the REALLY hard one, to the lacrosse ball, to the golf ball (ouch), inevitably landing on the Gatling gun of all self administered soft tissue release tools, the (usually off brand) Theragun.

In truth, this post isn't actually about foam rolling addiction, although I'm pretty sure it's a thing. I wonder though, if these techniques work so well, why do we still have trigger points in our traps after beating the crap out of them every. single. day?

Research shows that there is no consensus on how or why these techniques do (or don't) work. What we do know is that rolling can immediately increase range of motion, however, this effect lasts an average of ten minutes. Now, before you throw your roller in the dumpster, let me tell you about two ways to make it more effective. 1) Use it as a part of a greater home exercise program, and 2) make sure you're rolling the right areas.

To become more effective rollers, we need to take advantage of that ten minute window. Let's say for example you're experiencing tension around your ankles that is limiting your squat depth. One way to improve your ankle range is to foam roll your calf muscles. After rolling, it is important to activate the muscles that create the limited movement. Finally, you should use the new range of motion by squatting or working on a knee to wall movement.

By activating muscles and working on movement patterns after rolling tight areas we can increase the likelihood that our brain will pick up a new habit. Otherwise, it's likely to think, "That was nice! Now let's go back to the way we've always been doing things.", resulting in the return of those nasty, tight calf muscles. Like all habits, new motor learning takes time. In practice I've noticed that changes start after three diligent weeks of a home exercise program.

The other reason that foam rolling isn't always effective is that tight muscles are often weak muscles. Tension can be felt when the demands are too high for a muscle. These areas need to be strengthened rather than rolled, and will continue to stay tight until we modify the demand or increase the strength!

Best way to really figure out all your tension? Go see a physio! They'll help direct the rolling, stretching, and strengthening aspects of your home exercise program to keep your muscles feeling nice and relaxed.

#selfrehab #workfromhome