Foam rolling. Does it really work?
If we are to believe the claims, foam rollers can make us pain free and super flexible. But is this actually true? And are you wasting your money?
If you haven’t at some point used a foam roller, tripped over a foam roller, or been told to foam roll your iliotibial band (ITB), I’ll be surprised. Foam rolling is a favourite “self myofascial release” tool in the health and fitness arena. The love for these “self myofascial release” tools is not showing any signs of slowing down. Apparently the foam rolling market alone made $320.4 million in 2022, and is estimated to make $589.7 million in 2028. With huge claims spouted from the health and fitness industry about the benefits of foam rolling (and by extension massage guns, scraping tools and massage balls), it’s no wonder this industry is making millions from us. But is it really as amazing as they say?
WHAT IS MYOFASCIAL RELEASE?
Myofascial “release” techniques are popular because of claims that the deep fascia is a prominent cause of aches and pains. According to the manufacturers, using tools such as foam rollers rids us of pain by “releasing” our fascia, breaking down adhesions (or scar tissue), and also rids us of the infamous trigger point. The problem with these claims is that they don’t actually appear to be true. It’s also still out for debate as to whether fascia has such a dominant role in pain and injury. There are so many other factors that influence our pain levels that can’t be ignored, including stress and anxiety. So blaming the fascia alone is way too big of a statement and you’re not going to be pain free by focusing solely on “releasing” it.
So how does it make us feel better?
And should we use these tools or not?
Let me just take a moment to clarify what is meant by fascia and trigger points. We find fascia all over our bodies. Imagine it like the chicken skin you find around a pre cooked roast chicken (apologies for this analogy). It’s tissue that connects our organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibres and transmits tension generated from our muscles to other regions of the body. The deep fascia is the layer where myofascial release supposedly targets.
Trigger points are proposed to be specific parts of the muscle where the nerve endings have become very sensitive to touch and with movement. We typically feel them on the top of our shoulders. However, there is no conclusive agreement on what trigger points actually are or whether “breaking them down” is actually possible.
So what's the Issue?
My issue is with the marketing. Bold claims that self myofascial release tools such as foam rollers “release” adhesions or scar tissue in the fascia and can get rid of trigger points, and therefore get rid of your pain, is misleading. And companies are profiting from this.
1.Research has found that there cannot be enough force applied through a foam roller, massage gun or human hands to get through the layers of skin and superficial fascia and other tissue to get to the deep fascia and trigger points. Considering this, it’s also highly highly unlikely you’d then be able to “break down” any scar tissue or adhesions in the fascia (if you even get to it) through these tools. So to be frank, the claims that foam rollers etc break down scar tissue, release fascia or lengthen muscles, is false.
2.Pain is complex, and to focus purely on “releasing” fascia or trigger points, even if they could be directly affected by these tools, will not mean a long term reduction in pain. It only ever provides short term relief and doesn’t address the route of the problem which is causing your symptoms.
3.Any improvements in flexibility and movement will be short term only. It’s believed this is due to thixotropy – an increase in muscle temperature, viscosity of fluids, and blood flow to the area making movement feel freer, but only whilst the pressure is being applied.
So we shouldn't use them?
Brace yourself for a potentially annoying response….
You can if you want.
But I wouldn’t waste money on it and it should only be used for temporary relief, not a long term fix.
The reason I’m not hardline “no” about using them is for one reason only – temporary pain relief. This is likely through a cool mechanism called autogenic inhibition rather than through the “fascia release” claims.
Autogenic inhibition is when nerve endings (called golgi tendon organs – GTOs) around our muscle and tendons are stimulated by the pressure from the foam roller (or any external pressure such as a maximal muscle contraction, massage, massage gun…you name it).
This increase in pressure results in a message being sent from the GTOs to the brain to inform it that there is a lot of pressure suddenly in the area, and this could cause damage to the muscle/tendon if it becomes overly tense. So a message is sent back down from the brain to the muscle/tendon to relax so it doesn’t become damaged. This can then make you feel immediately more flexible and less sore as the muscle relaxes.
Another potential theory is pain modulation through the pain gate theory. This occurs from using the external pressure to stimulate skin receptors in the area, which reduces pain and then movement feels easier. Imagine when you stub your toe. It’s really painful and then you rub it, suddenly it feels better right? This is the pain gate theory. This can explain how “self release” tools and massage (and a hug) make us feel better. This effect, however, is temporary.
The problem is that it’s not fixing the underlying issue. If a client asks me about self release tools, I suggest that if they already have one then they can use it for some temporary pain relief WHILST we address the underlying issue AND as long as they include techniques we know will improve the fascia, increase mobility and reduce pain long term. These techniques are free and in the form of movement and exercise (see below).
Research that has been done comparing foam rolling to other forms of (free) treatment. This research has found that movement and exercises are just as effective at temporary pain relief and more effective long term for improvements in pain and mobility/flexibility.
How to increase mobility immediately
- Warming up
- Eccentric exercises as a warm up
- Plank exercise
How to reduce pain immediately
- Breathing exercises
- Using a ball of any kind that’s around. A tennis ball will do!
- Massage the area that’s painful yourself, just for a few minutes
How to improve pain & flexibility long term
- Movement, little and often! Set reminders to move regularly at work (every 30 minutes or hourly at least) to avoid staying in one posture. No matter how good your posture is you still need to move!
- Eccentric exercises eg. Romanian deadlifts
- Optimise sleep to help with injury recovery and reduce stress and anxiety
- Mental health exercises eg. breathing exercises, mindfulness, and meditations to manage stress and anxiety
- Regular and varied exercise every week, even if brief, to keep the fascia, muscles, tendons, bones and nerves mobile and strong.
So before you start spending your hard earned money on these tools, try these free tools first!
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