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Business News/ News / Business Of Life/  The self-help massage trick
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The self-help massage trick

Foam rollers are simple, almost magical little aids to help you get rid of muscle pain all by yourself

Photographs by Indranil Bhoumik/MintPremium
Photographs by Indranil Bhoumik/Mint

NEW DELHI :

While stretching is great for the health of the muscles and connective tissue, once knots or adhesions develop, merely stretching does not always release the stubborn knots and taut bands. For years, people either suffered through these, or had to seek out qualified physiotherapists, doctors or chiropractors when the pain became debilitating.

The foam roller has changed that. It’s a simple, innocuous-looking thing, like a rolled-up, compact yoga mat. For most people, even if they have seen it in a gym, it’s a bit of a mystery. What exactly does it do? Is it safe? How do you use it?

What it is, simply, is a firm log made of foam, 6 inches in diameter; an aid that allows you to release your own tight muscles with no outside help, using simple, easy-to-learn techniques. Running and other exercises often lead to repetitive muscle stress, and over time these develop into knots.

Foam rollers use your own body weight to drive deep into the tissue, allowing the user to control the pressure and the precise location of pain, to manipulate the knotted muscle back into shape. In sports therapy terms, this self-massage to smooth out knots by applying direct pressure on the area is called myofascial release. Foam rollers are not the only things that are used for it; tennis, lacrosse and squash balls also give great results. Sometimes, using the foam roller can be better than going to a therapist—because it is entirely in your hands, you can target the pain point with more accuracy than a therapist, and you can control the amount of pressure by controlling how much weight you put on the roller. If you use your full body weight, you can get the kind of penetrative force that even the most experienced masseur will find hard to replicate using just his hands.

Finding the release

Let’s break down the word myofascial release: Myo is a prefix meaning muscle, and the fascia is a tough cellophane-like layer that wraps itself around every muscle, tendon, ligament, bone, blood vessel and nerves and is present throughout the body in a way that integrates the body into one unit. Anyone who has ever seen a goat or chicken being dressed would have noticed this thin, transparent, cellophane-like layer wrapped around the muscle.

In a normal functioning body, where the muscles are elastic and smooth, this fascia will slide over and along all other tissues like muscles, fat and nerves effortlessly and without much friction. However, injury, lack of mobility or poor joint mechanics can cause the fascia to stick or adhere to the underside of skin, blood vessels, bone, etc., and ultimately restrict blood flow, neuromuscular transmission and tissue integrity. These adhesions are referred to as trigger points and will lead to micro-trauma and tissue inflammation and, ultimately, pain in particularly vulnerable areas of the body like the back, neck, hip and legs.

The best way to attack a troublesome muscle knot is direct pressure. These knots are pesky. It typically takes several treatment sessions to fix a well-placed one. To make matters worse, these sneaky knots are famous for recurring when you are least expecting them. If left untreated, they have the potential to develop into chronic pain sites.

It is impractical for most of us to visit a massage therapist every day, but a foam roller and 10 minutes of your time can fix the issue.

How to use a foam roller

u Try to use foam before and after an activity. After training, it is best to roll before a stretch. Removing adhesions before stretching makes the connective tissue more elastic and responsive to stretching.

u Ensure that you only roll over soft connective tissue and not over joints and bony protuberances.

u On discovering stubborn, tight or sticky points, hold the spot and slowly progress to drive the movement deep till you feel the tissue relax, soften and release under pressure.

u Keep your body relaxed and breathe deeply through the entire rolling process.

u Do not roll on areas of the body vulnerable to excess pressure, like the lumbosacral vertebrae (lower back, for which tennis balls are preferred), the cervical vertebrae (neck), the bottom of the sternum (breastbone), and the 11th and 12th ribs.

u It hurts. It is meant to. But it’s short-term pain for long-term relief.

The following people should avoid foam-rolling:

u Those with open wounds or stitches in or near the area to be rolled, and those with fractures.

u Those with severe osteoporosis and acute rheumatoid arthritis.

u Those with hypersensitive skin.

u People suffering from localized infections in or around the area to be rolled.

u Blood pressure patients should be cautious.

Piriformis/Gluteus medius

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Sit on the roller with one knee bent and cross the other leg over in a “figure of 4" position. You could cross over one hand for better support to the crossed leg. The roller should be placed horizontally across the gluteal fold. Roll back and forth, driving deep into the fascia.

Thoracic spine mobility

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Mobilize each vertebra in the zone of restriction at least three times. Exhale as you go backwards and inhale on return.

Iliotibial band

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The way to release the tightness is to lie on your side with the roller just below the hip bone. Bend the top leg and place it in front of you while keeping the other leg extended and in line with your torso. Using your top leg for leverage, roll along the outer thigh from the
bottom of your hip bone to just above the knee. Repeat on the
other side.

Hamstrings

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Keep changing the angle of your legs to address both the medial and lateral aspect of the hamstring muscle group.

Latissimus dorsi

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With the roller under your armpits, placed horizontally across the upper back, extend your right arm and plant your left palm on the ground for support. Using your left arm for
leverage, roll across the upper torso. Repeat on the other side.

Ranadeep Moitra is a certified coach from the National Strength and Conditioning Association of America and has worked with the Indian cricket team, the Bengal cricket team and the East Bengal Football Club. He currently coaches the Indian golf team.

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Published: 01 Sep 2014, 08:26 PM IST
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