Recently, foam rolling has gained popularity among trainers, physical therapists and fitness enthusiasts. What are the benefits of using a foam roller? Quicker recovery, decreased muscle pain and spasm, increased blood flow and less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) are some of the claims.
The physical act of rolling over the foam can break up tiny adhesions and scarring in the muscles which develop from exercise, overuse, injury, faulty mechanics or stress. Left unchecked, these adhesions can begin to obstruct blood flow, impinge nerves and inhibit proper contraction of the muscle.
There are some studies which suggest performing foam rolling after a workout will reduce DOMS. It can also be done prior to exercise as a warm up and in between workouts just to keep muscles loose and to reduce muscle tension.
There is not a lot of research regarding how or why the roller works at this time, but many patients report positive results. Try rolling on a specific muscle group for 1 minute then repeat if needed. You may feel a releasing sensation, after which you can move on to the next muscle group. Foam rolling can be painful so do not overdo it and work within your tolerance.
