Foam rolling is great right? We love a good foam roll and use (and sell) rollers regularly at FIX HQ. However a trend we’ve noticed is that sometimes clients fascia and muscles are very taught, rather than supple and perhaps as a result of bad rolling technique.
Are these clients using the foam roller because their muscles and fascia are so tight? Or, are these clients using the foam roller improperly and making their muscles in worse shape than before?! It’s a chicken and egg situation. And what exactly is fascia anyway? In simple (wikipedia!) terms : Fascia is a structure of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding some structures together, while permitting others to slide smoothly over each other. It’s similar to a web.
Putting too much pressure and force on fascia and muscle, via a foam roller, can make them stick together and cause a worsening effect rather than getting rid of your problem.
The motto here is not to stop rolling but to learn to roll right! A few things to keep in mind when you’re using a foam roller: Slow down. Is there a release happening or is more tension being created? Can you breathe calmly while using the roller? If not, you may be creating tension. Stay relaxed. If you are not relaxed, and the muscles you’re working into are not relaxed, you could be creating more of an issue. Breathe. Use your breath to control the pressure. If you are not breathing, you are going too deep. Find that area of tension, take a deep breath and slowly move through it. Assess yourself afterwards. Are you feeling more relaxed, or just as tense as before? So basically foam roll mindfully. If you have used these small, yet effective techniques, and are still feeling pain, we’d would suggest your next best step is to find a good manual therapist who can assess what is going on. They will be able to properly teach you self-care, and the correct areas for you to use the foam roller on.Â
To book in with a member of team FIX click here.