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Fight muscle complaints yourself
Suffering from stiff calves, muscle pain or back pain? You will often recover reasonably well from a sports massage. However, you can also get started with a foam roller yourself. These roles are now indispensable in (top) sport. Physiotherapist Mark Chen answers five questions.
1. What is a foam roller?
“The foam roller is a cylindrical roller that is used for self-massage. Also called ‘self-myofascial release’. They come in all kinds of different shapes, colors and hardnesses. The most popular are about 30 centimeters long and have a diameter of about 20 cm.
2. What kind of complaints does it help?
“Especially with muscle complaints that you have suffered from for a long time, the foam roller is extremely valuable. You can think of tight calves or thighs. We see this mainly in people who run or cycle a lot. In addition, it can be used very well for various stretching exercises. Especially for the (upper) back. Postural problems that arise in the office can be tackled excellently with the foam roller. In case of acute complaints, for example a muscle tear, you should not use the foam roller.”
3. What should you pay attention to when you buy a foam roller?
“Go for a handy version. For most exercises, a 90 centimeter long roll is not necessary at all. If you opt for a smaller version, you can take it with you when you go on holiday, for example. And of course it does not take up much space in the home. The hardness is also important. There should be a foam rubber layer around the roll that is somewhat compressible. foam roller the compressibility may differ. If you have ever had a massage yourself, you may know about yourself how much pressure you can take. Keep this in mind when choosing a roll, because it is important that you can relax during use.”
4. How does a massage with the foam roller feel?
“If you have ever undergone a deep tissue massage, you know that this hurts. With the foam roller you try to get the same effect, so you will certainly experience some pain. This is also allowed. The amount of pain varies greatly per person. .
Try to keep in mind that ‘healthy’ muscles don’t hurt when you press on them. When a muscle region is painful, there are probably a lot of tension points (trigger points) present in the tissue. Those regions are therefore often very grateful to be able to do work. So take a break.
It can also help to keep in mind that it is a ‘good’ pain. The pain should go away almost immediately when you take the pressure off.”
5. Can you just get started with a foam roller (and YouTube) or is it wise to work under supervision first?
“I personally advise people to do a session once or twice with someone who is experienced in the use. That can be a personal trainer or a physiotherapist who works with it a lot. It seems very straight forward, but if you understand the details of the technique, you can get a lot more out of it.
I myself have started a video series “Foam roll Essentials” in which I explain various techniques for muscle groups. I also have a free Foam Roll Guide written, in which I explain six important techniques. Maybe that will help you!”
Mark Chen is a physiotherapist and NASM trained personal trainer. Since August 2014 he has been working in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His expertise lies in analyzing and optimizing movement patterns. Dry needling and medical taping are an important part of his vision and training predominates.