Roll Away Your Muscle Pain

Do your joints and muscles crave attention at the end of a hard week of training and/or challenging work? Whether you're an athlete or someone simply in pain, you likely know that massage can heal and promote relaxation. But, a weekly or even monthly massage is costly. What if I told you that you could effectively mimic a massage in your living room? Don't worry-I'm not promising a ripped abdominal region, as well, for the low price of $9.99. There are no empty pledges behind this amazing process, which involves nothing more than a piece of circular foam and no more than twenty minutes of your time.

SERIOUSLY!

Self-myofascial release, or SMR, is the act of simulating muscular tension within a mechanoreceptor at the muscle-tendon junction. Simply put, utilizing SMR properly allows your muscles to stretch-and then some! Unlike stretching alone, SMR works on the tone of the muscle which, when coupled with stretching, presents a perfect complement to the functionality of the muscles. Since our muscles need to be both strong and supple, SMR will allow one's musculature to be powerful and perform optimally through its entire range of motion. Enough with the scientific babble...how can you get started?

In order to truly perform SMR, you need to purchase a 6" by 36" foam roller from either a physical therapy clinic or online (I suggest this one here). If you've got any kind of circulatory problems or chronic pain diseases, then read no further! SMR is not recommended for those particular populations. They come in a variety of lengths and densities, so it might be beneficial to seek out a qualified medical professional before you make a purchase. Once you've got your foam roller, the rest of SMR is all about testing your muscles out and seeing where the "trigger-points" are hiding. You can focus on your hamstrings, hip flexors, TFL, IT band, adductors, quads, gluts, calves, back, lats, pecs, and even the triceps. The possibilities are endless, as long as you can perform the movements properly.

The movements are actually very simple to learn. Essentially, you just use your body weight to insert the roller between the soft tissue to be released and the floor. Roll at a slow pace and actually stop and bear down on the tender spots ("trigger points") for 30 or 45 seconds (or as long as you can stand it). Once the pain diminishes, roll the other areas. In order to increase the pressure on the soft tissue, simply apply more of your body weight to the roller. The simplest way to do this is by either moving from working both legs at once to one leg, or by "stacking" one of your legs on top of the other to increase the tension.

As you get more comfortable with SMR, you'll really want to be bearing down on the roller with most (if not all) of your body weight. There's considerable room for experimentation, so you'll definitely want to play around with the roller to see what works best for you. One other technique found to be beneficial is to work from the proximal (nearest the center of the body) to the distal (away from the center of the body) attachment of the muscle. For instance, instead of working your quadriceps from top to bottom all in one shot, try and shorten your stroke a little bit. Work the top half first, and after it has loosened up, move on to the bottom half. This is an important strategy because as you get closer to the distal muscle-tendon junction, there's a related increase in tension. By working the top half first, you decrease the subsequent tension at the bottom, essentially taking care of the problem in advance.

Remember, you're not limited to just the quadriceps! You can literally work your entire body! It might take a shorter foam roller, a massage stick, or even a tennis ball, but you can perform SMR nearly everywhere you feel tension or rigidity! Here some more muscle groups and techniques to try out (courtesy of sport-fitness-advisor.com):

Adductor

1. Extend the thigh and place foam roll in the groin region with body prone (face down) on the floor.
2. Be cautious when rolling near the adductor complex origins at the pelvis.
3. If a "tender point" is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Hamstring

1. Place hamstrings on the roll with hips unsupported.
2. Feet can be crossed so that only leg at a time is one the foam roll.
3. Roll from knee toward posterior hip.
4. If a "tender point" is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

IT Band

1. Position yourself on your side lying on foam roll.
2. Bottom leg is raised slightly off floor.
3. Maintain head in "neutral" position with ears aligned with shoulders.
4. This may be PAINFUL for many, and should be done in moderation.
5. Roll just below hip joint down the outside thigh to the knee.
6. If a "tender point" is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

Upper Back

1. Place hands behind head or wrap arms around chest to clear the shoulder blades across the thoracic wall.
2. Raise hips until unsupported.
4. Stabilize the head in a "neutral" position.
5. Roll mid-back area on the foam roll.
6. If a "tender point" is located, stop rolling, and rest on the tender point until pain decreases by 75%.

So there you have it! You can soon be on your way to more relaxed and less tired muscles, and all you had to do was spend twelve dollars. Be careful-SMR is a horribly addicting addition to the training regimen. If you would prefer to have a professional teach you the techniques, contact a physical therapist in your area in order to learn the proper technique in a more hands-on setting.

Dan Gaz is a Fitness Associate and Personal Trainer at the Rochester Athletic Club, in Rochester, MN. He has both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University.