Can Foam Rollers Help Relieve Muscle Pain?

Motion & Fascia on a Roll to Mainstream

It’s great to see an article promoting rollers in today’s Wall Street Journal. Rollers as affordable tools to unlock and maintain motion, both to address problems clinically and to promote full range motion for wellness and performance – which is why I am a big fan.

Motion can be global, regional or segmental, and rollers work in the gap between regional and segmental motion. The small point of contact between the round surface and the body provides a surprising amount of pressure on a small area, and the rolling nature of the surface means that the pressure transition hits every point cleanly. So its not surprising that different kinds of rollers – foam, rubber, plastic and stone – have become popular with motion and movement specialists.

Posture specialist integration of foam rollers

For the chiropractor, physical therapist or massage therapist, the goal is removing restrictions to full-range symmetry of motion, and rollers are a great self help technique tool to relieve pain between visits.

For coachers and trainers, and especially in yoga or StrongPosture^® exercise, the goal is strengthening full-range symmetry of motion with control, and rollers are a great adjunct to any training program.

We use and recommend both the rubberized TheraBand massage roller “rolling pin” and white dense styrofoam foam rollers to CPEPs and other posture professionals. In fact, on deck for new posture and rehab protocols, our developers have been having fun experimenting with TheraBand’s new rubberized foam roller wraps, which add a really interesting dimension that can be customized with progressive hardness.

TAKEAWAY:  Rollers are an excellent way to help keep the body moving well.