Foam roller 101

Ahhh the foam roller. One of my favorite tools to use in my mobility routine. But why is it all the rage? What does it actually do for your body?

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release. Myo-what release?!? MYOFASCIAL!

Myo refers to anything having to do with muscle while fascia can be defined as a fibrous, opaque sheath that envelopes our individual muscles and connects layers of muscles to each other, forming a network of connective tissue within our entire body.

Now that we broke the term down... myofascial release aims to release the fascia surrounding our muscles and can be done so in various ways. A physical therapist can perform manual therapy to release localized tightness or use a metal instrument to break up adhesions in a particular part of the body aka instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). During myofascial release, you as a client remain passive during the treatment while the physical therapist performs a graded stretch to your muscles into the tightness or away from the restriction (Beardsey et al., 2015). One can also perform self-myofascial release, using things like a foam roller or lacrosse ball in tight spots.

Why should you care? Tight fascia can be a source of pain which is why physical therapists often incorporate it into your recovery plan. McKenney et al. (2013) used a really great analogy, likening fascia to plastic wrap: “[...]when one area is stretched, it can cause tightness, restriction and pain in another part of the body. this is similar to plastic wrap across a bowl. when one side is pulled tight, the opposite side becomes even more taut.”

There is still a lot of research to be done regarding fascia. Myofascial release however, has been linked to increased blood flow, flexibility and improved muscle recovery in athletes. Jury is still out on whether it can actually help with long-term flexibility changes.

So what now? If you’re familiar with the foam roller you may want to incorporate it more into your exercise routine than you currently are. Otherwise, physical therapists can most certainly teach you how to use it safely and appropriately, to address your specific needs!