User:Gretchlovespizza/Foam Roller

Mistakes According to Sarah Klein in the Huffington Post, rolling out the muscles can actually lead to injury if not done properly. One common mistake is rolling out the lower back. Another mistake is bad posture when rolling. Like stretching, it is important to have good posture for effective rolling. Spending too much time on knots can lead to nerve or tissue damage. You should spend 20 seconds on each spot and move on. Try not to roll over spots too fast either or else the rolling was pointless to that area. It is not always beneficial to roll over the source of pain. Coach Jeff from Runners Connect says that sometimes the source of the actual pain is in different spots. He says that rolling over the surrounding muscles can actually help the targeted spot because the muscles are all connected. In addition foam rollers should not be used on injured muscles unless advised by a professional.

Benefits Monica Nelson says that foam rollers help release toxins in the body. Foam rolling works like a deep tissue massage. Rolling out the muscles will help release the toxins and inflammation that is stuck in the muscles. Foam rolling will also help with blood circulation including areas in the muscles, tendons, and skin which will allow for a better range of motion. Flexibility and a better range of motion will help prevent future injuries says Brynn Eliot in Muscle and Fitness. He also says that using a foam roller will decrease the time it takes for your body to recover after doing physical activity. Dr. Ben Kim says that "Some muscles (like hip flexors) and ligaments (iliotibial band) are prone to shortening, and are difficult to effectively stretch and apply therapeutic pressure to using standard massage and trigger point therapy techniques." Constantly working on these areas will be beneficial in the long run because it will improve range of motion. It is advisable for older adults to use a foam roller as a balance technique. Balance training can be done at home or under the supervision of a physical therapist. Sitting or standing on a foam roller will improve balance and posture by stabilizing the spine. It forces the muscles to work harder when on an unstable surface.

History There are many people who may be responsible for the creation of the foam roller. The act of foam rolling first started out as a physical therapy technique. Foam rollers then began to get seen around gyms being used for clients during personal training and for self use in stretching. Eventually foam rollers began to be used for self use at home and not just in the gym or in a physical therapist office. Stacy Barrows is one of the Americans responsible for being the founder of foam rollers. Barrows is a registered California physical therapist and claims she is the founder. She said that she first discovered foam rollers during her training with the Feldenkrais Method. Barrows then became a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner. In 2006 she got at patent for the foam roller. Another American Physical Therapist who is responsible for the invention of the foam roller is Michael Clark. His writings in the book Integrated Training for the New Millenium spoke about the use of a foam roller.

Muscles Different muscle groups can be trained when using a foam roller including the Latissimus dorsi muscle, the upper back, Gastrocnemius muscle, hamstrings, quadriceps, leg abductors, Muscles of the hip, piriformis, gluteus maximus, and the illoital tract. The Iliotibial tract is muscle that runs through the outside of the leg from the hip to below the knees. This is also called the "IT band". It is one of the most injury prone muscle for runners.

Uses

Physical Therapy

Physical therapists provide patients with exercises to do at home depending on the injury. Foam rollers are one of the tools Physical Therapists advise patients to use either at home or during physical therapy sessions. They are great tools for aiding in rehabilitation and can be used for many different reasons. Foam rollers are inexpensive and convenient to have for patients exercising at home. Foam rollers can come in different shapes and densities depending on the desired preference. They can come in lengths ranging from 1ft to 4ft with a diameter of usually 6inches. There are "round rollers" which are round foam rollers and semi-circular half rollers that are a half circle and are flat on the bottom. Semi-circular rollers are usually used for balance training purposes. Low density foam rollers are recommended for beginners and high density rollers are for the more experienced and supervised patients. One of the most common uses in Physical Therapy to use a foam roller is for a process called self-myofascial release. Self-myofascial release is another way to describe the process of using the foam roller to massage oneself. To mimic the effects of a deep tissue body massage, applied body weight to the foam roller will produce the same effects. Rolling over tight muscles and 'knots' using body weight will help elongate the local muscle fibers that will stimulate stretch receptors in that area. Stretching the muscles this way will help relax the muscles. Regularly massaging the muscles during therapy will help heal and restore the muscle fibers for quick recovery. Stretching is important in the muscle recovery process. Working on flexibility during therapy helps to regain mobility and over all range of motion in joints. Foam rollers can help with flexibility as well. Foam rolling the muscles also help with stiffness. Physical therapists work with foam rollers to help patients improve balance and stability. Doing exercises on an unstable surface such as a foam roller will help improve balance. Using an unstable surface forces the body to use abdomen muscles and other joints to work together and stabilize balance. Some Physical Therapists use balance techniques to help improve sports performance that require good balance.