Is Foam Rolling Bad For You?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 พ.ค. 2024
- Thanks to YOGABODY Teachers College www.yogabody.com/iha for sponsoring this video. Check out their science-based, online yoga certification courses.
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Is Foam Rolling Bad For You?
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In this video, Justin from the Institute of Human Anatomy discusses the relevant anatomy behind myofascial release, foam rolling, and whether or not it's good for the IT Band.
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References
Myofascial Release
citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc...
journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fu...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/Fu...)
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
meridian.allenpress.com/jat/a...
feldenkrais.com/about-moshe-f...
www.nfpt.com/blog/john-barnes...
Foam Rolling
www.frontiersin.org/articles/...
journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Ab...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...
journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Ab...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...
Fascia
www.bodyworkmovementtherapies...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/f...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
www.fasciaresearch.com
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Video Timeline
00:00 - 00:21 Intro
00:22 - 01:41 The Weeds
01:42 - 02:19 What Is Myofascial Release?
02:20 - 04:31 What Is Fascia?
04:32 - 05:02 What Are Fascial Restrictions?
05:03 - 06:06 What Are Foam Rollers?
06:07 - 08:10 What Is the IT Band?
08:11 - 08:24 Two Questions
08:25 - 08:53 What Are Myofibroblasts?
08:54 - 09:57 When Do Myofibroblasts Contract?
09:58 - 10:59 Is It Inflammation?
11:00 - 11:35 Is It Muscle Tightness?
11:36 - 12:23 Can You Release Myofascial Restrictions?
12:24 - 13:42 Is Foam Rolling Good At All?
13:43 - 14:43 We Need More Data
14:44 -15:17 YOGABODY Teachers College
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Audio Credit: www.bensound.com
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#YogaBody #FoamRolling #Fascia
Thanks to YOGABODY Teachers College www.yogabody.com/iha for sponsoring this video. Check out their science-based, online yoga certification courses.
Can you do a video along the lines of Dr.Hightower hammer and chisel? I'd really love to try that but I'd love more to see what deep effects that and other treatments might have long term or what it's effecting
Can you please do a video on myositis ossificans...
Is there a way I can participate in research like this?
Hence it's very important to stress physical fitness & limberness from an early age and keep doing so throughout.. so we don't attach our bodies and muscles and fascia in the wrong way that needs fixing because of years of bad movement habits, posture or non-exercise
Thank you for this video!!!
I can't wait to see your video about fascia.
After a year or 2 now, I am still dumbfounded & curious what happened to me that caused me to have some kind of embolism during one of my myoskeletal alignment therapy session. I stopped seeing her since even though still owe me a few more sessions if not a refund. I'm scared to go back.
She was gentle too on the skin as I was laying facing up on the table during the bodywork session so it wasn't like she was being harsh although I can imagine her instructing me to inhale/exhale with her slight push and pull would be the problem.
It was my exposure towards the world of interoception (the mind body connection) and exteroception.
At first, everything seemed fine, but after my therapist worked around my head/neck a few times as she was instructing me to inhale/exhale specifically accordingly to her push/pull (she claims she created this technique) I felt a bubble rushed from my stomach to my chest and neck.
As I was laying on the table facing up, I just shooked and I got off the table immediately because it felt like something strange was happening with my blood flow, blood circulation or whatever it was that was moving in and around my body.
It was frightening.
That's when I started feeling like their was a bubble floating in the back of my head/neck towards my chest on the left.
It was an insane feeling. I couldn't think straight or function correctly because all I can feel was this constant bubble swirling and moving in my body.
I couldn't even move slightly without that feeling in.
I'm not sure how to describe it so it makes sense and doesn't sound crazy, but it was literally like me being a cup and their is this fluid in my body swirling with every movement I make.
Nobody believed me. Thought I was crazy because at the time, I couldn't even stand or lay down without that feeling.
Probably people still thinking I'm crazy even till today.
But the bubble like fluid feeling started disappearing in me after I got a blood draw multiple times that week.
I kept demanding a blood test.
That bubble/fluid sensation rushed out of my body to the syringe during one of my blood test.
That's when I realize..
..it has to be something that dealt with my blood flow or blood circulation and not just a psychological thing I made up in my head because it made no sense that this bubble/fluid sensation just intensely sharply traveled from my neck to somewhere in my left chest, then to my right chest and.....straight out to my right arm where I was being blood drawn.
.....sounds crazy, but ever since that experience, it changed my whole outlook on western/eastern perspective towards health. It doesn't fit in with the western perspective of traditional healthcare nor does it fit in exactly with what I know about eastern views of health or so I think. I remember, we reference how similar the whole thing like is to tai chi except she's the one during the slightly push and pulling of my fascia muscle.
It felt like I had my blood bended in me as she was touching me slightly with every inhale/exhale I make.
Avatar reference, but I'm not joking or trolling here. Scary..
Not sure if this is consider malpractice because she doesn't hold a degree other than an Associate in Massage Therapy & a few certs on posture & fasica claiming to be a master of musculoskeletal alighnment, but whatever the case is I can't do anything about it now about, but spread the word and tell people that this whole thing that seem like "hocus pocus" is dead real and it's scary. I don't even know if I want to hold it against her. I'm not sure what to do.
The effects of fascia with every inhale/exhale and how it affects every muscle, organ, blood including your neurons in the body needs to be studied in depth. These stuff can kill you.
I was lucky to still be alive. If it was an embolism which I have no doubt it has to be if not something else that deals with the blood, then I could of died.
On top of that, I think the healthcare profession needs to take in consideration of patient's opinions/feedbacks & studies and research more because they're the one feeling the interoception effects. Tired of being patients being looked at as crazy. I have studied multiple disciplines and I grew up in a household where my father trains doctors for a living growing up. I'm pretty sure I know a thing or two about healthcare.
Born too late to explore the seas, born too early to get a definitive answer on foam rolling, but born just in time for Institute of Human Anatomy videos
Born to loose but built to win,, Invest in some good superfoods and intense exersizes along with cold water therephy to unlock your full potential. Its never too late!
Born to late to live an enjoyable life 😵💫
😂
Born to be wild.
you can explore the sea depths, instead of the surface.😁
I've had back issues for many years, and to the point that I could barely walk and almost had a spinal operation. What has saved me is the humble foam roller. I roll out my back every day and it smoothes away any tension which may be there. Now aged 75 years, I have a happy back! 😊
That is good to know !
What spine condition did you have?
@@thevoidisshining Stenosis! I'm happy I did not go ahead with the surgery when I see family members struggling after their failed back surgeries. 😕!
Rolling is the best and easiest way to treat pain, even better than any pain killer. Back pain has normally two reason: either abs too tight or hip flexors too short, or vice versa on the back. Stretch and use e.g. a tennis ball for rolling your abs, and you will feel how back pain will disappear or will feel better.
@@user-jd7gh2ef4s Thanks for the explanation! It's certainly helpful in my situation! In fact I'm planning an international trip next month and have already packed a roller as an essential item! 🙃!
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, connective tissue / collagen disorder, and this fascia explanation FINALLY explains to me clearly why my body has so many challenges due to faulty connective tissue and what that actually means. Wow, THANK YOU!
Yeah this guy is such a great teacher!
Hey, hey! hEDS right here! Not surprised to see another EDSer here. I think we tend to really research the body as and our condition in a major way, since so few doctors know much about EDS (or even the fascia throughout our bodies). Anyway, cheers!
I have EDS..this is great info. I do Full Body work/ strength and mobility together not separate. I feel so much more stable and balanced and rolling is great for me. Love Feldenkreis!!
Me too! EDS I mean
Ayy, hello fellow EDS gang!
As someone who had to get a fasciotomy from chronic compartment syndrome I really enjoyed all the info on fascia. Even through my own research I still was left with a lot of questions. Loved the video!
In my experience in working with physios, you don't actually want to roll, you want to sit on a spot until it starts to release, then stop and stretch. But only do any of this after you've warmed up the muscles and tendons.
100%. I believe this too. I see often people running these foam rollers up and down their legs at such a rapid pace, and they even do it with those knobbly rollers which im not a fan about at all. I much prefer the harder and smooth rollers where i can pin point specific pressure on a site, rather than pinpoint specific pressure on a site, but also have other pressures applied elsewhere where i dont want because of the roller design. If i want to apply more specific pressure, which is possibly what garnered the development of the knobblies, i would use a hard ball. And still, i wouldnt be running it up and down. I did do this in the past, and it worked for a bit, and felt nice, but over time i realised i was doing more foam rolling to relieve pain than actually training, so i switched things up, slowed things down, and im much better for it. Only foam roll once every so often now. But i think that would be a good study. Have patients be instructed to foam roll in a particular fashion, and then have a control group whereby instructions would only be to foam roll, indicating toward a experiment on a certain technique for example. The patients would in fact be blinded to the technique, as they would simply imagine that they are being treated by foam rolling, not the technique. Many things would need to be done to convince the jury and the ethical reviewers on this, but im sure it wouldnt be difficult.
also i think an important aspect of both groups, particularly the control, is that both interventions are recorded very precisely, such as the individuals must in fact be ok with themselves and their treatments based on their grouping, be videoed for example to be shown to public scrutiny. As many aspects as possibly must be controlled for to allow for replication of the intervention. Would be very interesting to dive into the research that has been done already.
I figured rolling was part of warm up.
Do you use yoga/tenía balls to do so? I found from my experience that as you mentioned, focusing on one point without movement is best.
@@nissadiantina7091 any hard ball around the size of a tennis ball would do. Tennis balls go soft, so you can get a hockey ball for cheap, but they are slippery and very hard. I have this rubber like ball, similar to a dog's chew toy, but not slippery in any way. I'm not sure of the name, but any physiotherapist or sport shop should have similar. And they're not expensive at all.
Really interesting. Would be fascinated to see similar videos around other 'post exercise aids' like percussion guns, vibrating balls, peanuts, etc.
Oooh yeah! That would be really interesting. Some of these products cost hundreds!
oh no... those sound wrong
Cupping too
@@Tara_Masika never heard of any of them. Sounds like scams
@@SoulDelSol You're right, it could well be a scam. That's why it would be so interesting. Lots of athletes use the precession guns for warm up and recovery. The top of the range Theragun is very expensive about £500 but there are hundreds of different makes avalible.
Thanks for giving us options to skip through to certain points! I love watching your videos beginning to end but I love to link people certain parts of your videos during conversations. And this makes it so helpful for me to find certain points. Love your channel
I really appreciate these types of videos and information. I am naturally more skeptical of things (especially with money involved), so hearing the facts is so important! Thank you for what you do!
24 Y/O here! This might be controversial, but rolling my back, tight hips, inner thighs, glutes, calves, and feet out with a hard foam roller or lacrosse ball has drastically reduced MY recovery time for running, and biking. I find that when I’m lazy and don’t roll out, my recovery time is longer, and I’m a lot more sore. I have also found foam rolling my back (with breathing) has been one of the only things that really lowers my back pain. It might take us a while to get quality information on this topic for future suggested uses, but I will probably continue to use rollers as long as I’m not feeling lazy.
Arnica could do amazing things. Mid 80s Nan put it on right after a drastic fall, not 1 visible bruise arose
Not controversial, I truly physically feel the benefit after changing to a harder roller with peaks vs the flatter one I was using. I will admit that the smoother ones didn't really do much for me
That is because of the increased blood flow from rolling out your body. It decreases doms(delayed onset muscle soreness).
taking a walk could give you the same benefits and doesn’t require aggressive stretching of the fascia
*Its all mentality. You're thinking that it helps you recover so it will. But that may not really be the case long term*
As a Myotherapy Practitioner I love this! I have found that people with any lower body pain, working out all the hip muscles, especially the glutes, is the first place I start and often results are immediate. Rarely does relief come from working right on the IT band except to free up adhesions that might be actually lateral quad muscles.
Possibly off topic but i can absolutely attest to this. I went to PT for severe leg and knee pain. Come to find out my legs were doing all the support work of my lower body with little glute engagement thus wearing the whole leg down.
Stabilise the foot and lower back, mobilise the hips and ankle, then see how your knee feels.
Most of the time after mobilising the hips and foot you will require movement under load through full ranges of motion to keep that mobility and keep your motor patterns happy.
So nice you mentioned Feldenkrais! The interesting things for me as a practitioner, is that mostly I haven't seen other practitioners use it as a massage tool in this way, but rather as a support for different parts of the body, guide for mobility, and sensory tool.
I always learned so much from Doctor Oz’s cadaver demonstrations & am thrilled to discover your channel visually helping me understand the aches & pains of my body!
As a massage therapist this is really interesting information! There's so many conflicting opinions and pseudo science surrounding health and wellness that getting the results of studies is fantastic. Thank you as always for the video, this channel is fantastic
No difference for surgery and doctors
@@adamgrimsley6455 yup
We need more massage therapists like you. There's so much misinformation or there from/within your industry.
@@adamgrimsley6455 Funny you say that. I somewhat agree. When I was getting my paramedic certification, and working in the ER. It was amazing to see how it seemed like doctors a lot of times just really did not know what they were doing. But on the flip side of that, I've seen some pretty incredible treatments and complicated surgeries that have saved lives.
To follow up with that, my son would not be alive today, or at least not nearly as functional, if it wasn't for the incredible advancements of NICU care.
I’m a runner. My left leg was killing me last year and into this one. I tried a foam roller and it released some knot I had in my left gluteus maximus that relieved my pain immediately. Now I think it was more that I needed a sports massage rather than a foam roller but the pain is gone all the same. 7+ mile runs get some muscles tight and it does feel good to massage those muscles. I’m not certain it's what my muscles need most but it does FEEL good.
Fascinating!
@@theanatomylab I liken it to popping my knuckles, might get yelled at by an orthopedic doctor but it feels good.
@@theanatomylab more like fascia-nating
Sounds like your left foot in the landing inward.
@@playerforty4621 it was. I was forcing it with "runner's knee" and some time off and massaging that IT band area sure helped a ton. I’m running great again. Now whether it was the foam roller, the 4 weeks off, the combination or just the massaging of the hip, thigh and calf muscles is what fixed it. Either way, form has been corrected and the problem was gone, sort of. After adjusting my stride it was like installing a tonka toy car part into my sports suspension and it took time to build back.
My teacher told me this years ago. He was so on point with everything he taught the class
As a licensed massage therapist I always love your videos, near the end of this one when you mentioned foam rolls being able to damage the blood vessels is one of the many reasons why I frequently refuse to use what I consider excessive pressure on clients.
Simply roll very slowly from the hand or feet direction to the heart, and it will support natural veins circulation.
@@user-jd7gh2ef4s I'm aware it will support the vein direction and flow. But superficial veins, such as those to the skin, can still be ruptured even following that method. All my techniques are fairly slow to decrease the risk of breaking a blood vessel. That said, natural vein circulation doesn't mean to much with massage therapy as a 60 minute massage has the same benefit as a 5 minute walk on the blood circulator system.
@@nathantanner9433 For sure, this could be a problem especially for people with certain risk factors. Although am pretty sure if that happens it will hurt, and I'd expect visibly injured tissue. I hadn't thad that problem so far. Rolling is great for decreasing tension in the tissue, and also perfect for reducing pain
@@user-jd7gh2ef4s I've had blood vessels rupture from someone doing a poor job drawing blood. It didn't hurt anymore than a typical blood draw except the area became more tender. I'm not apposed to rolling, I foam roll fairly regularly, my comment was about massage therapy and why I don't work the IT bands directly or use excessive pressure.
This videos argument against foam rolling is based on a false premise. The problem is not fascia, the actual problem is oxalates (mostly calcium oxalates), which are like microscopic rocks that damage tissue. If people would only use the right electrolytes (bicarbonates from mineral water - especially magnesium) and replace inorganic minerals with organic minerals (by supplementing with fulvic acid and orthosilicic acid. Note: try to avoid mixing acidic stuff with alkaline and start off with the pH regulating electrolyte salts), these oxalates can be broken up by foam rolling and removed from the body, and then the body can actually repair itself from said oxalates and their breaking up. I hope this wasn't too convoluted.
Please please do a video about the sinuses. 🙏🏻 I am a chronic sinusitis sufferer and would like to learn more about the anatomy of it. Thanks and more power to your channel!
Same. Chronic rhinitis, sinusitis, and mutant polyps that all returned just 30 days after surgery. I didnt always have sinus problems, it's something that developed and ENT docs and allergists do not know why. Super expensive biologic treatment Dupixent helps, but even with financial aid isn't affordable. I have completely lost m sense of smell for several years now. HELP!!
It's caused by candida overgrowth
Iodine deficiency.
My sinuses were stuffed up year round my whole first 25 years of life cause of allergies....seemingly seasonal allergies...I got my blood tested and quit dairy, gluten, and soy and miraculously the allergies went away and only come back if I eat those foods. Going on allergy free for the last 10 years.
@@jaym9858 visit Institute for Taste and Smell in Philadelphia. They specialize in this.
I LOVE the reference list idea!!! I am obsessed with reading the research
Glad to see a fellow nerd!
Yes! Thank you from another nerd!
@@theanatomylab oh you know it
As someone who suffered from extreme acute ITB syndrome for years as a collegiate athlete and afterwards, this type of information is invaluable. If only we had known this 15 years ago.
Very interesting, easy to follow and good length so it does not become overwhelming for regular people. Subscribed!
This was extremely well done! You covered something quite complex. Would love to see an exploration of pudental nerve and potential injuries (i.e., cyclist's syndrome). Such an important structure, few know about it.
Fascinating video. It raised a couple of questions for me that you may want to address in the future. The first is, “What are trigger points, and what happens when you put pressure on them to release them?” Also, “Other than feeling good, what does massage do for the body and what does it mean when they say it loosens tight muscles?” Thanks!
Fascia-nating lmao
You can Google all your?’s.
@@fitnessbabe7958 can someone do it for us and post it tho 🤣
Massage degrees are around 1,000 classroom hours and upwards of $10k because the answers to these questions aren't simple enough to answer on youtube. Good questions
@@nathanhyde2079 Love it
Subscribing because of all the hard research and excellent information (or lack of) that is presented in every video. Thanks for sharing it !
all i can say is that after a latissimus dorsi flap surgery my PT's goal of releasing the fascia helped me SOOO much!! gave me range of motion and feeling back
Thanks for this video. I'm a PT and see so many using the foam roller. I love the links you've added and I'll be sure to read up on your research so I can provide facts to clients. Super interesting. Thank you!
I don’t know why,but the roller does work for me,I have years of bodybuilding,and roller literally helped me with almost all muscle tension problems.
The fact you made it for us to skip around chapters deserves you a full watch straight through. That and the fact it's high quality info/video. Good job
Very good video and the instructor's method ability to convey the information is excellent .
I’m a massage therapist and these videos are so helpful. I sometimes get clients that think massage will “fix” their muscles and I have to explain to them what exactly massage and myofascial release can definitively do for them and that massage is not a fix it is a treatment, and if you want permanent relief you have to do some work yourself, similar to how instead of foam rolling after every workout to help with pain it would be more beneficial to simply improve their form so issues don’t happen in the first place. Great video as always!
do you perform massage with your balls?
What do you recommend for beyond tight psoas and ilopsoas? It’s ruining my well being. They will not loosen up. What type of doctor should I see please? I would so appreciate an answer, it would help me so much.
Love the unbiased information! I'm learning so much from this channel, greatly appreciate it
Glad to hear it!
Unbiased? He’s literally speaking antithetical to an entire sector of chiropractic medicine called A.R.T. And he’s doing so without any interviews or evidence.
Talk to doctors who actually know what they’re talking about.
@@SolveForX I guess they are biased as they don't come from a chiropractic or physiotherapy background, but I don't think they dismissed any of the possible benefits (just unprovable from a modern science perspective?). I also listen to other specialists with an open mind too
@@SolveForX Aka : doctors who are shills.
Love when youtubers splat plenty of shots of young chicks in their videos so that people think they are learning so much, greatly appreciate it.
Love this video! It explains my own skepticism as an LMT. I would be interested in a similar video discussing the impact of stretching on muscle vs tendon vs fascia. Please, please, please.
Fascinating. Thank you for your scientific overall response. Skepticism but openness to new data is something everyone should practice in all areas.
In my experience, releasing the hip adductors and hip flexors helps a lot with IT band related pain. If you think about it, hip adductors being overly activated means the IT band is stretched. Most people have weakened hip extensors and hip abductors. Foam rolling these would make the problem worse
How do you release the adductors?
Weak = need to be worked on in order to make strong.
What is your expertise in this field?
Yeah, most people really don’t understand how much the feet, legs, and hips directly affect the back… especially the lower back. The hip is the keystone of the body and it’s center of of gravity, not an isolated component.
In other words lots of people aren't exercising properly, neglecting to do simple stretches and exercises and going for foam rolling instead.
@@undeadpresident As a 54 year old I can tell you, you stiffen up a LOT faster as you get older. You gotta do some exercise & stretching every day to maintain flexibility and function. Even a little is better than nothing. E.g A couple rounds of Salute to the Sun.
Im just 14 and this Channel will help me Advanced when I get to college And I'll dominate my Class!
Yes!
GOOD LUCK YOUNG ONE!!!!
By far, knowledge is the best gift you can give yourself as a youngster. Keep that brain active big dawg!!!
You’re 14 and can barely form a sentence.
So, I doubt it.
Good for you buddy. 👍
You’ll be like me, you will go in to your first day and will always remember what you saw and the smells, but by the end of the semester you will be able to do your work and studies in lab while eating a hamburger and fries with the other hand ! Best time of your life !
Love that you have references. I'll never read them, but love that you have them.
The first second of it has me so excited. Have wanted this for years!
I have Ehlos Danlos Syndrome. My fascia is always so painful. It would be an interesting video on EDS and how this affects the collagen.
We have a video in the works on EDS!
Oh yes please! I have been waiting forever for and EDS vid! When do you think it will be up?
@@theanatomylab amazing, thank you!! I also have EDS and was about to ask 😁
My daughter and a granddaughter have both been diagnosed with EDS. I don't know if I have it, but I'm in the genetic "chain".
I'm wondering the same for lipedema.
hey IHA, as a personal trainer and a student of anatomy and physiology I wanted to say thank you.... I love the depth that you guys take your topic to; also videos like this are perfect right now because there are a plethora of fitness influencers and non-reputable people that clients are blindly following advice from. This little dose of scientifically backed discussion is perfect for the fitness community!
I was taught in high school that rolling's primary purpose was to loosen the fascia and allow better blood flow into the deep tissue. But we were also taught to roll slow and focus on certain muscles.
same here and I was taught do not roll the band
I’ve found that very light touching of muscles around painful areas help my mind almost locate the problem issue. This allows me to focus on it and do exercises to promote elongation of my tendons and create space between my joints where needed
This channel will attract more booming biological scientist from young age then anything else in current world. 👍
We hope so!
@@theanatomylab that’s the spirit!
Foam rolling works amazing for me. Back when I ran 5-10 miles daily, best recovery came from foam rolling right after. So whatever the science, it kept me training hard and consistent. I work too hard as a construction worker to run alot anymore, but that roller still helps amazing.
i pulled a back muscle a few years ago.. it was painful, it was either foam roll it or have the doctor give me pain meds.. i don't want meds! so i foam rolled the hell out of it.. after the first foam roll bam.. 3 days later that muscle was good 2 go!
@@dirkdiggler2379 The question is though, would that muscle have been fine 3 days later without the foam roller.
@@stevenclark5173 nope! It would have taken a week or longer lol
@@dirkdiggler2379 it's only 50% nope as you didn't try it at all.
You really didn't give your body some rest huh?
First I will say this was extremely informative, and I understand your point. With that said, I feel like there is enough anecdotal evidence that can't be ignored. I think we just don't fully understand what is happening with our muscular system when we do things like massage, stretching, and foam rolling. Foam rolling may not provide benefits in the way that we commonly think, but we can't deny the benefits because they are clearly there.
I will tell you first hand that I can feel a physical difference in fatigue levels and recovery time depending on if I foam roll immediately after a heavy leg day versus when I don't. Improved blood flow means faster recovery. That's all anyone needs to know. And the possible increase in inflammation is likely due to that increased blood flow. Sometimes acute inflammation can be good if it prevents long term inflammation.
Foam rolling can also provide assisted stretching (i.e. stretching out calves, lats, triceps, etc). I swear by foam rollers and will continue to preach their place in fitness and recovery.
This is really interesting, and leads me to wonder if the benefits are more likely from the rolling of the muscles themselves.
Great video!
Wish you’d ask the big question: “can anyone actually feel myofascial restrictions?” As opposed to, “are myofibrils responsible for restrictions.”
Let us define “stiffness” or “tightness!”
As a massage therapist, I'm of the belief that most people use foam rollers wrong. They roll too fast. Slow rolling and focus on small areas is better than just quickly rolling up and down. Warming is what helps release fascia. I'd still take cupping over foam rolling
Do you really need rolling for warming up though? Heat might actually do the same.
@@cristina8868 think about dough. If you heat it, yes it will get soft but you still need to stretch it. When fascia gets tight it restricts blood flow so heating then stretching or foam rolling will ease the restrictions. If you don't like foam rollers they have handheld rollers. I like those better personally. Also if you heat, use moist heat. Wet a med size towel, wringe it out then microwave it for 1-2 mins. Repeat as it cools.
I wanted to add hydration is also key to keeping fascia loose.
@@brianp942 doesn’t cupping make you skin loose? Id be willing to do it but thats the only side effect that I know of
@@racer7007 actually quite the opposite. Cupping helps with collagen production. Some people actually use cupping to tighten loose skin around mid section after weight loss. Some even say it can be used for weight loss. Those last 2 are not in my scope of practice so I can't make any claims to whether it works or not.
I LOVE that references used are provided.
I was hurting just watching the heel striking in the animation at 10:00. Love this channel!
I have an IT Band issue that hurts my knee. Had it for years and thought it was just arthritis. Watched a Jeff Cavalier on using a foam roller to treat it, and the pain went away for a long time. I don't roll it often now, but it definitely helps me.
Do you know if this IT band issue is causing your patella to be pulled outward? Cuz that’s what I’m dealing with right now and it sucks.
@@114avataraang don't think it's pulled outward, just hurts
@@114avataraang when I’ve had IT band tightness it specifically hurts under the knee, but sometimes the side. I have definitely felt relief with both foam rollers and manual pressure, followed by some form correction, like making sure you’re not torquing your knee inwards as you bend and making sure that you’re engaging your quads and glutes as as you push off like when going up a step.
I was debating remaining a kinesiology major and honestly, this channel kept me fascinated by the body! Thank you
Happy to help!
That sounds like a really interesting major! What made you interested in the first place, out of curiosity? 😊
I actually quit a PT and Kinesiology major because of the large amt of BS/pseudoscience they were teaching. So many “techniques” are based on nothing but anecdotal evidence. Drugs and surgery typically either work or don’t but therapy is a large pile of opinions based on very little evidence and in many cases is simply placebo.
I use a foam roller to alleviate spine problems I have from surviving being hit by a car doing approx. 45mph while riding my skateboard. I call it ironing my bone shirt and it sounds like a stick running across a picket fence when I do it and it helps to relieve the pain I live with everyday.
The crunch! I totally relate
That is on of the most intelligent videos I have ever seen about fascia and foam rolling. There is a lot of weird stuff going around. That you for your content.
I think the disconnect between the strong anecdotes and inconsistent research results stems from the fact that most of the effects we experience with foam rolling come from modulating nervous system activity. Thus, environmental factors, psychological factors, and possibly even sociological factors could play a role in how foam rolling affects the tissues it's targeting.
Absolutely agree!! Fantastic point!
The high degree of innervation of fascia has always been the x-factor, in my eyes.
Lol, yea, if ur body is cold and stiff the foam rolling will feel different than if the body is warm
Psychological and sociological factors? Ahahahaha...
It's just a simple of massaging the muscle tissue to relieve pressure and pain. Nothing more, nothing less!
@@ytsux9259 how do you think massaging the muscles works? It provokes a response from the nerves, which are connected to the brain. The psychology can't be separated from the physiology in this case.
Beautifully explained sir
Now that you brought up the subject, I’m going to give it a try on my IT band.
This was really interesting. I have never foam-rolled with the intent to break up facial restrictions. I use my various foam rollers the way someone might use a massage ball , but it's convenient because it ...rolls...and is easier to use with larger muscle groups. When I feel muscular tightness or knots I spend time on that area to release the knot. I think it's important to know enough about your body to determine what is actually muscular tightness and what could be tendinitis or an injury, or simply a sore muscle from a workout. Without a doubt they can be very helpful , but I still don't roll my IT band
i think if you don't overdo it foamrolling can be extremely pleasuring. it's great for relaxation. when i'm really sore i will foamroll to get rid of pain and relax my tense, sore muscles followed by very light mobility work. it feels like taking out that tension is already benefitial in itself.
I love to foam roll my back like lower back period pain or general soreness from workouts. It feels so good and I feel instantly better. 🙌
Have u tried intercourse ?
Great video. But frustrating that we don't have more info on this yet since the anecdotes frequently suggest the opposite. When I was triathlon training I noticed consistently in my journalling that when I rolled before bed after a training day, I'd be recovered enough the next day to train again, and if I forgot, I'd be far too sore the next day to train. I assume it had something to do with forcing out blood so that new blood could come in and speed up my recovery (as you said, "improve blood flow, oxygen saturation, and inflammation"). But of course I can never cancel out placebo. But that coaches and YT videos continue to tell me not to do it, certainly feels frustrating. And as a person that usually tries to live a life as best informed by science as I can, I definitely feel some dissonance between this answer, and the fact that I'm probably going to keep doing it for now.
Check out the Melt method from Sue Hitzman.
But… unless it’s a bruise, isn’t blood constantly being pumped around the body? How is it ‘new blood’?🤔
I suspect what may be happening is that the science hasn't yet "caught up" to the beneficial effects you have noticed in your own experience. Sometimes that is the case. Studies are very specific in their focus. They may miss something if they're not looking for it. Just how it is.
Thanks for this validation for my reluctance to use the foam roller. I just knew that something that hurts that much couldn’t be good for me!
The issue with foam rolling is that it's directing the pressure directly "down" into the tissue. Rolfing or skilled fascial release can contact/move the tissue in different directions and specifically parallel with the direction of fibers almost lifting it instead of just pushing down directly into it.
that energy field!
I have snapping hip syndrome. it was nice to hear a general break down of the anatomy involved even if ive never used a foam roller before 😅
can't wait till the episode about fascia is out! for some reason I always end up watching this channel when I'm eating my dinner lol
In my experience, as a professional classical ballet dancer, IT Band rolling is extremely beneficial; and even more specifically, trigger point release of the TFL and piriformus appears to improve active and passive range of the hip, muscle activation quality of the entire glute and hip flexor area and even releave symptoms of patellar tendopathy.
This is my entire issue with my left patella which doesn't track properly and causes knee clicking and pain. How do you personally do trigger point release on the TFL and piriformis? With a massage therapist?
Been foam rolling has been amazing for me… been doing it 15+ years now. Body feels perfect.
Every time I have some spine blocks foam roller helps me greatly. I recently started to roll legs too and I see almost instant improvements. Not everything can have or need a randomized double blind control trial.
Maintain my daily health dose of skepticism. This is the healthiest and more on-point way of thinking. I am glad there are more people with their minds open, and not just devouring information without actual thought. Gj mate
I love channels with clickbait titles and thumbnails that ruins their reputation for everyone seeing them, somehow everytime you see the channel name in the future you manage to subconsciously proceed to another one, that simply provides actual value. Thank you for the video! (so i can keep looking)
Great video. And awesome explanation about why form rolling does not do as much as people believe that it does.
Lovee dr Chris Reynor…..
Wish someone could explain/figure out my 7 years of groin pain
my physical therapist recommended i get a foam roller to help with back pain at home and it definitely helps for my case.
That's great to hear!
Me too, and I think a big part of its effectiveness is due to just getting us to move and relax at angles we don't often achieve, but which we probably should, like relieving that hump me get from staring down all day. :)
Foam rolling has done wonders for me in keeping away back pain, since an intense episode 5 years ago. I rarely use it, but it's enough, I do not know what it is doing to me, but it has definitely worked.
Thank you for excellent insight into the efficacy of foam rolling!
Thank you for educating us so much
Our pleasure!
I use my foam roller for my back and hamstrings, not really my IT band. It helps relax the tightness in my lower back especially, but I believe it's from relaxing the muscles and doesn't really have much to do with fascia.
I have cEDS and this was so helpful to understand my condition. You should do a video on TMJ degradation!
Thanks for a great video. I am a Physical Therapist (old and opinionated). Thru past experience treating patients and thru my own experience I do not recommend rolling. Time spent stretching (long prolonged stretching) in conjunction with movement (increased blood flow to all tissues) is my recommended practice. Of course identifying muscle balance or imbalance and focusing on proper movement is another piece of the puzzle. A consistent stretching routine (at least 30 minute a day) will make believers out of "foam rollers addicts", time well spent and long term benefits compared to perching on top of a roller (the stage in a gym to get attention),
But what about doing both
@@dreamjackson5483 totally. I do both. I would not give up either.
Little tricks for you to release tightness.
1. Put a comfortable (just to be a little bit uncomfortable) pressure on the muscle that you want to work or stretch.
2. Go slowly, very slowly for 1cm-1sec in the sense of the fiber. Yeah it take times, but it's worth it.
3. You can hold positions sometimes too (for about 30sec to 1min) and adding more pressure while time passes and your muscles are stretching.
4. If it hurts, it would be more likely to damage you more than you already are, so be aware of yourself and don't act ''tough''.
5. Rest and do that 2-3 times a week until satisfaction on every part you feel tightness.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I did 6500hours + of massage as a massage therapist in like 5 years, so I've been practicing A LOT. So feel free to adapt that to yourself.
Have a good day, may your pain be released.
Love the vids guys. Maybe a follow up vid (if you haven’t already) on whether or not massage actually helps as it is similar to a foam roller? Thank you!
Massage helps, especially with acute issues. But ultimately proper and regular stretching, diet, body mechanics, etc are what keep muscles pain-free long-term.
Thanks! Informative well beyond the typical 3 min video.
I love how polite this is.
As Spock said, "even speculation require some facts..." Great video and work. I'm a biomedical engineer and can really appreciate and love your content and the way you express and convey complicated concepts. There's something beautiful to be said about simplicity. Oh and I've also had a bowel obstruction that required surgery with that awful NG tube...by far, the most awful experience I've ever had as well. Glad u made it through ok!
I was dancing ballet as at a pre-professional level in my late teens, 20 years ago, and I was told to use a foam roller for this purpose. I’m now suffering from permanent nerve damage that they can’t do anything for. The pain goes from my hip to my knee, down the side of both of my legs and it is exactly where you describe the facia to be. I wake up in excruciating pain and many doctors say “well, it’s just nerve damage.” I’m fairly sure it’s from excessive rolling after dance rehearsals.
That is sad to hear I use combination of Foam Roller Hot Baths Natural Calm Magnesium and foot baths up to my calf. I have a big foam roller which I never use anymore it has aggresive bumps on it so I store it in the basement.
At what point did your damage come? After how many weeks/months/years?
Is funny because this weekend I hurt my back really bad doin the foam rolling, I think I put to much pressure on it , and now I came across with this video
I've got Ehlers-Danlos. Myofascial pain is a huge source of my pain and discomfort because I have excess collagen. This was extremely useful.
44 (almost 45) y/o runner here and my ITB screams at me once my training hits 20+ mile long runs. I have found foam rolling in the days after to help me get back out running sooner.
It’s true that there’s tons of anecdotal evidence. So much so, that it might just be a matter of time before a conclusive scientific study taps into the reason why.
I also agree that many do it wrong...usually by doing too much. If all I’m actually doing is stimulating blood flow to my tired muscles, then even that can help speed recovery .
I was in my way to the gym but this CHANGED EVERYTHING
Hopefully a change for the better!
Any excuse will do? 🤪🤣🤣
Good video. You have to give the muscle time to release. Going slowly and even holding will accomplish far more than going fast.
Absolutely brilliant video. Thanks 👍
As a practicing pt I can say: Very good video. I don’t have a problem with foam rollers at all. I even use them with patients myself. BUT most people (and some of my colleagues) tend to forget that there is no evidence at all for foam rollers helping with tight fascias, like you are pointed out. For me, they are a great tool for increasing bloodflow and release tension in MUSCLES which is supported by actual evidence. But you will use a foam roll in a different way and intention when focusing on muscles. Using them for fascial release is, at least for now, scientifically bullshit.
My pt recommended I pick up a foam roller recently. Back in August my neighbor's dog pulled me over, I landed on my outstretched arm and ended up with an avulsion fracture of the greater tuberosity that almost needed surgery. I avoided surgery but my shoulder stiffened up horrendously. Laying on the foam roller, letting my back muscles relax, and the shoulder stretch feels amazing.
@@angel66136 physical therapist
Nope. I've used them and they fixed all the tightness in my back and hamstrings better than other form of PT.
@@markpommett5712 have you even read my comment? I lit said that you can use them for muscles (fe your hamstrings..) and that they can help there - just not by the mechanics they promote while selling foam rollers. You can achieve similar things with the same outcome without foam rollers but if they work best for someone, using them will work. I even said that i use them myself sometimes?
Can you do a video on lingual frenuloplasty/frenectomy. These surgeries seem to be done more often nowadays and sometimes providers go into the genioglossus muscle as well. Seeing and understanding the anatomy in that area would be interesting.
Glad this supports what I am already recommending to patients. I emphasize that foam rolling should be done medial or posterior to the IT band with moderate pressure no longer than 30 seconds and should always be paired with stretching. Targeting the dense regular tissue of the IT band never made a lot of sense to me .
I'm so grateful for this video. I thought there was data and science supporting it.
I really enjoyed this video. Personally I have always found that foam rolling areas of dense fascia groupings has a different and somewhat unpleasant feel to it - like its irritating the nerves. I always have to go a bit more gently on those areas! However on muscle tissue it is genius! I feel like for me this video answers not only why, but also indicates the best way to use one - focus on the muscle tissues, not the dense fascia groupings! That said, i have found deep percussive massage to certain areas of the itb to be pleasantly relieving - but at the same i always hunt for any surrounding tissue that may be tight. So its quite possible that what I've been doing all along is treating the muscle and fascia simultaneously 🤔 and the release is actually coming from the muscle not the fascia. I see some experimenting in my future! I would like to know why the itb usually has sensitive spots instead of uniform tension - but i guess that just depends on which related muscles carry the most tension. I guess at the end of the day, it shows that at least semi regular deep stretching after workouts is key to maintaining overall muscle, tendon and fascia health. 😅 Fascia fascinates me. It is so intricate and intrinsic to everything in our bodies, and we still know so little about it. Thanks for sharing!
Shoutout for references in the description !
This was awesome, thank you!
The way I always used foam rollers was to make stretching easier, and get deeper more effective stretches with less discomfort. Which actually fits pretty well with what the research seems to support. It increases flexibility and reduces pain for a little while, making it easier to stretch those muscles. I have no idea if that stretching is actually more effective for recovery, I just know it feels better lol.
Ay a physiotherapist i barely ever do stretching with patients. Its just not what we thought. Training the muscle is far more important than stretching.
@@NocholasP like I said lol it feels good to stretch sometimes, and in my own experience, when I stopped stretching regularly, I lost range of motion in my hamstrings. You can do whatever you want with your patients I didn't even say it helps recovery long-term, I just like it.
@@NocholasPhuh lol if you do strength training then stretching is key…
@@NocholasPI'll stay in my lane, but please do some research. 🤦♀️
This is what I've been doing and I think it helps. I foam roll slowly for just a couple minutes on each muscle that I'm going to stretch, and I feel like it helps get the blood flowing in parts of of the muscle that normally feel cold if that makes sense. Like squeezing the capillaries that haven't been getting much stimulation. Obviously doing warmup exercises helps with circulation too. Been doing the Hyperbolic Stretching program which I stumbled across, it's a PNF style stretching, which is new to me but I actually feel like I'm making progress now instead of just kind of aimlessly stretching.
Had back pain, y’all posted a video of back injuries. Started foam rolling, post a video about foam rolling.. this is getting personal 👀😂 I will say, I did foam rolling yesterday and I’ve had severe back pain for a long time and it helped me, this morning the pain is coming back. So honestly might be psychological but felt great during my workout, not having pain after foam rolling. Would like to see a video in the future when there are more studies hopefully.
Great vid, and thanks to your sponsor! That said, I got turned off of yoga from instructors telling me things like, "drape your stomach" instead of telling me which muscles -- and how to isolate and activate them, and the whole anatomy thing. So yes, I'm very down on yoga teachers at the moment; my ten year experience is: there may be science behind it, but this is NOT communicated to students.
great video! i have yet to try foam rolling so i guess i will wait for more research