Roll It Out! - The Key to Improved Function

How to Use a Foam Roller

Rolling out on a foam roller, also called Self Myofascial Release is a great way to release tight muscles, decrease soreness, and to warm up in general. This is accomplished by ironing out bunched up and restricted fascia or “fuzz” which can cause abnormal muscle function. Great! But the really great thing is there is more to this story, which means even more benefits!

The short story is: Rolling out, pausing for 10 seconds on painful areas = ↓ in muscle spasms and soreness, ↑in flexibility, improved ranges of motion, better/more normal muscle function, and correction of muscular imbalances. Pretty amazing that it can do all that, but this is accomplished by its effect not only on the mechanical aspect (fascia), but also the neurological aspect of the kinetic chain. That’s pretty much it, but I am about to get nerdy so for those who wish to continue reading:

The kinetic chain is made up of the muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, bones/joints, and the nerves and CNS. When one segment of the system malfunctions, the other elements overcompensate to accomplish the work being done which can ultimately lead to injury. For example, a muscle spasm in your hamstring produces a muscular imbalance/weakness in opposing muscles. Now your other muscles (or other leg, back, etc.) must overcompensate to achieve the work and your movement pattern is altered placing inappropriate stress on ligaments, tendons and joint structures – increasing the risk of injury but also reinforcing improper movement patterns over time. This translates into “bad” form on lifts, flexibility issues, and also timing on movements that require a lot of coordination.

So here’s how it works. Your nervous system turns “on” and “off” muscles at different times to create fluid movements and coordination through different receptors. Agonist and antagonist muscles oppose each other (reciprocal inhibition). The contraction of one causes a neurological relaxation of the other. Ex. Notice that when you curl your biceps, your triceps are relaxed but stretched and vice versa. Relaxation and contraction is also induced by stretch receptors. Ex. Stretch out your hamstrings to your max and notice how they begin to tighten and contract.
A muscle also has the ability to relax itself, through Autogenic Inhibition. This is thanks to the muscle spindle that runs parallel to muscle fibers and records the length and speed of the muscle, and the Golgi tendon organ which is sensitive to tension and is located where the muscle meets the tendon (musculotendinous junction). The muscle spindle triggers muscle spasms in response to injury or overload which induces pain. By stimulating the muscle spindles past a certain threshold, the Golgi tendon organs kick in and release the muscle spasm. This is your muscles’ system of checks and balances. Sometimes things ge t a little corrupt within the kinetic chain and an outside source is needed to facilitate the healing and correct neurological response. This is where the foam roller comes in.

This is what you do: ROLL OUT! Daily! Find the tender areas, and pause 10-30 seconds to stimulate the muscle spindles enough to trigger the GTOs. When you feel the painful spot is less painful, move on to other areas. Roll out your Quads, TFLs and IT Bands, Adductors, Glutes, and back and shoulders. It is important that you roll over the muscle origins and insertions (where the muscle attaches to your bones), so roll out over the bony areas also! Happy Rolling =)
Yours in Health,
Dr. Kelly