Fitness Fact or Fiction: Foam Rolling Fixes Everything
The Myth: Foam rolling will release knots and fix stiff, sore muscles.
This topic was inspired by a conversation I recently had with a client! She brought up fascia scraping, which led us to a discussion about foam rolling, and finally, whether or not this practice was as beneficial as it seems.
Before we get into that, let’s talk about fascia and why we foam roll!
Fascia
Most of us are familiar with muscles, but fascia might be lesser known!
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Fascia is a thin casing of connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, nerve fiber, and muscle in place…When stressed, it tightens up.”
Rather than a single layer of tissue, fascia is actually multiple layers of tissue, separated by a liquid called hyaluronan.
Fascia is supposed to be flexible and smooth. However, things like repetitive movements, limited physical activity, and injury can cause the fascia to thicken and crinkle up, leading to pain and stiffness. This is called an adhesion.
It can be difficult to determine if someone’s pain and stiffness are actually caused by fascia or by muscles or joint problems. It is generally thought that muscle and joint issues feel worse with movement, but fascia adhesions tend to feel better with movement.
Enter Foam Rolling
Foam rolling (FR) is a form of self massage, or self-myofascial release (SMR). “Myofascial” is a combination of two terms– “myo,” meaning muscle, and “fascial,” meaning the fascia in the body.
The general idea behind this practice is that it can “release” muscles/knots, decreasing the soreness of that muscle and increasing flexibility and range of motion (ROM).
Essentially, what’s actually happening here is a change to the nervous system. Physical changes aren’t really being made to muscles or fascia. Instead, the pressure applied to the muscles and tissue sends a signal to the brain, causing the nervous system to override the signals of tightness and pain. This override can improve flexibility and range of motion.
Studies have shown that foam rolling improves short-term, or acute, flexibility.
Foam rolling is a commonly suggested remedy for stiff muscles and fascia. However, if someone is in serious pain or finds foam rolling intolerably painful, it’s important to stop and contact a medical professional.
Science Says…
FR is a fairly popular topic, so there’s no shortage of research! That being said, many of these studies are small trials done for short lengths of time, often highlighting the need for additional research.
For example, this very short study on the effects of foam rolling and fascial pressure massage showed a single session can improve cervical spine mobility while also reducing pain. The findings rely on a single session with a study size of 90 people, so though the results are promising, more research is needed.
The longevity of the effects of FR is also not well known. Like other works, this study finds an improvement in range of motion up to 10 minutes after FR but asserts that more research needs to be done on how long ROM remains enhanced beyond this 10-minute mark.
There is plenty more evidence to suggest that foam rolling is beneficial. The point of this post is not to discredit these findings! However, it’s a common misconception that foam rolling is a “fix-all;” a permanent solution to the problem. In reality, foam rolling is only a way to temporarily alleviate pain and stiffness.
Why It’s Not a Cureall
As discussed above, there’s plenty of evidence showing that foam rolling is beneficial. The problem is that FR and other forms of self-massage don’t necessarily solve the problem of why a person was sore in the first place.
For those experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness or stiffness from exercise, the correlation between movement and stiffness/soreness is clear. The muscles and tissues might not always feel this way after physical activity and, assuming no injuries were incurred, this is a sort of “acceptable” form of soreness where intervention or lifestyle changes are not required.
However, for those experiencing repetitive pain for unknown reasons or reasons not related to exercise, self-massage, and foam rolling are just slapping a bandaid on the real problem. A person might feel temporary relief, but the affected muscles and tissues will likely be put back into the same position, returning to their shortened positions, and the cycle repeats again.
Many of the clients to whom I’ve recommended foam rolling are experiencing movement and mobility impairments are experiencing these impairments due to non-exercise-related causes.
so our goal is simply to regain some flexibility and range of motion for the most benefit in our exercise session.
In order to truly solve chronic pain and stiffness, the root cause of the problem must be identified and solved.
For example, foam rolling the glutes might provide temporary relief for stiff or painful hips or lower back, but if the cause is prolonged sitting, nothing will change. Those muscles and fascia will return to their shortened or stiff position, and the cycle continues.
There’s No Magic Pill BUT Many Pieces to the Puzzle!
Foam rolling is a great way to temporarily relieve stiffness and soreness! It is a practice that works well in tandem with other measures to prevent the conditions that led to these muscles being sore and tight in the first place.
If you’re trying to fit foam rolling into your exercise routine, it’s likely best as part of your cooldown. Similar to static stretching, foam rolling should be a part of a warm-up only when there’s a notable movement dysfunction.
The Takeaway
While foam rolling certainly has its uses, they’re all temporary. It’s not that FR isn’t worth it, but just remember that it’s mostly beneficial in the moment. Without doing some deeper digging as to why you’re sore and stiff in the first place, the cycle is bound to repeat itself.
Remember that there is no “One Thing” that will solve your problems or give you the answers you want. Instead, it’s important to apply a variety of methods, techniques, and elements that work synergistically.
It can be frustrating and sometimes overwhelming to know that there’s so much involved in taking care of ourselves and our wellness, but it’s okay to approach things one step at a time!
Foam rolling is a commonly suggested remedy for stiff muscles and fascia. However, if someone is in serious pain or finds this activity intolerably painful, it’s important to stop and contact a medical professional.
If you’d like to know more about foam rolling, additional solutions to muscle stiffness, or other topics, let me know!
Photo by Andrew Valdivia on Unsplash