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Browsing Tags self-myofascial release

Why You’re Not Seeing Results From Foam Rolling

April 10, 2019 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Article written on April 9th, 2019 at 09:16am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Foam rolling has grown in popularity over the years and for good reason. It’s prescribed and utilized to combat aches and pains, reduce soreness, and loosen tight and restricted muscles. But, what does the evidence actually show about foam rolling and it’s overall effectiveness?

Before reading further, please realize that I have no problem with foam rolling whatsoever. You will find people in the healthcare/fitness world who love it and sing it’s praises. While others will quickly object to any long-term benefit from using this device.

I typically adopt a research-based perspective but also encourage people to form their own opinion based on their experience. Basically, I know what the research says and am also open minded to the neurophysiological effects that keep people coming back for more.

The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research completed a fantastic review of literature that looked at the impact of foam rolling on flexibility, athletic performance, delayed onset muscle soreness, and balance. Here is a link to the review of literature. And, below is a summary of the findings…

Acute Effects on Flexibility

12 of 14 studies showed significant increase in acute flexibility.
Self-myofascial release appears to increase flexibility acutely for up to 10-minutes post-treatment.
Did not identify any consistent dose-response effect on flexibility by altering the duration of treatment or number of sets. Reported a tendency for total duration to have a greater effect on flexibility than the total number of sets.
Foam rolling produced non-local effects and increased flexibility on body parts that were not treated directly.
Conclusion: Foam rolling can cause an increase in short-term flexibility that lasts approximately 10-minutes. There is no specific dose-response consensus on how often or how long to foam roll for optimal results. And, foam rolling does not need to be performed on the specific muscle you are addressing since it seems to have a non-local effect on flexibility.

Acute Effects on Athletic Performance

No adverse effect of foam rolling on athletic performance as compared to static stretching.
One study found an improvement in athletic performance following foam rolling.
Conclusion: Foam rolling doesn’t reduce athletic performance (power, velocity) when performed beforehand.

Acute Effects on Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

3 out of 4 studies report that foam rolling does reduce the perceived sensation of delayed onset muscle soreness.
Most studies concluded that the only reliable method to reduce DOMS is exercise.
Conclusion: Foam rolling does seem to reduce the pain perception related to delayed onset muscle soreness. Although most studies state that exercise is the most reliable method.

Chronic Effects on Flexibility

3 of 5 studies report that foam rolling leads to increased flexibility over long-term periods of time (>2-weeks).
One study concluded that the long-term improvements were comparable to the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching program.
Conclusion: Foam rolling does show increased flexibility greater than 2-weeks. This effect is similar to PNF stretching protocols.

Chronic Effects on Balance

Rolling with a tennis ball led to increased performance on a balance test in chronic stroke patients.
Unfortunately, there was no control group to determine if rolling was the cause or the normal course of the condition.
Conclusion: Minimal research on non-injured subjects to conclude one way or another, besides it may improve balance in stroke patients.

Other Effects of Foam Rolling

Found to reduce brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, increase plasma nitric oxide concentration, reduce cortisol levels, and increase high frequency heart rate variability percentage, and reduce low frequency heart rate variability percentage.
Conclusion: Foam rolling may reduce parasympathetic nervous system activity.

Now, with all that being said, it’s obvious more research needs to be done on foam rolling. There is minimal consensus outlining the long-term benefit, how frequent to foam roll, the duration on each area/tissue, how many sets throughout the day, the speed of each repetition, etc. Therefore, much needs to be understood and further researched for us to know more.

One thing we need to take into consideration is that movement, exercise, mobility, balance training, and other active strategies have been shown to provide positive results. That’s why you should place priority on active interventions to move closer to your end-goal. And, if you want to include any type of passive intervention, such as foam rolling or self-myofascial release, do so in conjunction with an active intervention. This combination should provide more reliable long-term results not seen by foam rolling.

Watch this video to learn more…

Depending on when you read this article, there may have been further research done to either reinforce what has been found or negate it. Either way, I hope you found this article helpful in some way. Please comment below or reach out directly with more specific questions.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) for Dummies

September 14, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on September 14th, 2016 at 09:08am | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

Self-myofascial release (SMR) is a strategy often prescribed by many rehabilitation and fitness professionals to improve movement quality, increase flexibility, and expedite the recovery process. Although people do see results in these areas, the mechanism behind SMR can be cloudy.

In the following video series, I share my thoughts on the mechanism behind SMR, provide strategies to address specific areas, and cover various ways to make these changes stick long-term.

Self-myofascial release for the plantar foot and calf:

Self-myofascial release for the hamstrings:

Self-myofascial release/mobilization for the thoracic spine:

Foam rolling and lacrosse ball release can be a valuable intervention when carried out properly. I hope this video series provided you more insight on the area and ways that you can improve your SMR program to see better results. Thanks for watching!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Strategies to Prevent Lower Leg Injury

August 21, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on August 21st, 2016 at 10:12am | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

The lower leg is an overlooked area when it comes to self-treatment and strength/power development. That is why many people suffer from shin splits, calf strains, achilles tendonitis, and general aches and pains.

In the following article, I will show you various ways to improve the function and resilience of the lower leg. It’s important to implement strategies that offset poor footwear, increasing running mileage, or simply trying to improve performance. As always, looking elsewhere for dysfunction that could contribute to lower leg pain is important. But, we will keep it simple with this focused approach.

Self-myofascial release (SMR) has been a popular strategy to reduce tone and tension throughout the body. While incorporating foam rolling, trigger point release, and other related strategies, we are down-regulating the nervous system’s sympathetic control on a tissue. This can lead to more relaxation, improved flexibility, a reduction in soft-tissue pain, and quicker recovery between training bouts.

The lower leg in particular holds tons tension and stiffness. But, the problem is we usually target the calf (gastrocnemius/soleus) when it comes to SMR and not other important areas. The “other” areas that deserve just as much attention are the anterior tibilialis, and peroneals. These muscles create motion at the ankle and are very active to provide stability during single leg stance. That means they are essential for running, gait, and everyday movements.

Watch the video here to learn how to perform self-myofascial release on the anterior tibialis and peroneals…

Increasing the strength of a muscle will also raise its threshold to failure. This is usually a reason why those who incorporate strength training are less likely to be injured. But, where do we begin with the lower leg?

Calf raises are a known and well-used strengthening exercise for the gastrocnemius, and soleus muscles. These muscles provide much of the propulsion during push-off with the help of the great toe and hip. Although this area is still important to strengthen, I think most people would see tremendous results in also targeting the anterior tibialis.

Hopefully by now you have already watched the self-myofascial release video that showed the location of the anterior tibialis. It is essentially the big muscle on the front/lateral side of the lower leg. Its importance in running and gait comes from the muscle’s action to pull the foot up towards the front of the body. This is essential during movement so the toes can clear the ground during the swing phase. Quickly ramping up mileage, having limited mobility elsewhere, or a collapsing arch can cause this muscle to overwork, often leading to stiffness and/or pain.

Watch the video here to learn how to strengthen the muscles surrounding the lower leg…

Stability and balance are other characteristics that make the lower leg such a vital area to human movement. Not only do these muscles need to be strong and resistance to fatigue, they must fire in anticipation and reaction to movement. This is where I usually see people missing the boat… Just because a muscle is strong, doesn’t mean it will stabilize properly. They are two different characteristics that require different strategies.

Stability and balance can be best trained in split or single leg stance. In these positions, the surrounding musculature must fire to maintain control via the toes and ankle. This is important during movement, and running in particular, as the body needs to stabilize from the ground up to maintain proper alignment. Loss of stability has been known to increase the stress through the medial longitudinal arch, and knee.

And, the true beauty is that stability is really a team approach. The muscles respond with constant communication from the nervous system to either change or maintain joint position. That is why incorporating stability and balance training in addition to your strengthening routine will pay dividends.

Watch the video below to learn how to improve lower leg stability and balance…

The last strategy that will really put you in a better place to prevent injury and improve performance is power training. Because there are thousands, upon thousands, of push-offs happening throughout the day (especially during running), raising the muscle’s capability to produce force can be worthwhile. After improving soft-tissue quality, strength, and stability, we still need a certain degree of stiffness throughout the calf to create elasticity and also withstand the high rigors of training.

Power is actually one of the characteristics we lose earliest in life. With runners placing so much emphasis on strength and endurance, not taking into consideration power can be a decrement to performance. The great part is it doesn’t have to be fancy. In the following video, I demonstrate one of the most effective power movements that can be done with no equipment and as part of your dynamic warm-up. Completing a series of bounds, hops, and skips are also recommended to positively train the tissue as you increase mileage.

Watch the video below to learn how to increase power output and resiliency of the calf…

So there you have it! If you have suffered from lower leg pain and injury in the past, these strategies may be your saving grace in prevention moving forward. Remember, it’s always easier to put the work in on the front end which will allow you to function at a higher level and without the incidence of pain.

As I mentioned above, looking at the body as a whole is the best way to reduce the likelihood of injury. But, the above exercises and drills are a great starting point to ensure proper function of the lower leg. The key point to take away is that it’s about more than just strength. We must also take into consideration the quality of the tissue, stability, and power. That is why a well-rounded functional training program is the best injury prevention tool.
By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

5 Reasons You Should Incorporate a Better Dynamic Warm-Up

July 6, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on July 6th, 2016 at 10:33pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

The dynamic warm-up is one of the most important aspects of training. And, that is regardless of whether it’s for a lifting session or marathon. The biggest problem I see is people aimlessly throw together different drills and exercises and are happy they “warmed” up. Unfortunately, tissue temperature is not the only characteristic we are trying to attain. In this post, I will explain more. Here are 5 reasons you should incorporate a better dynamic warm-up:

1. You hate sludging through the first 5-10 minutes before your body is truly ready to kick it into gear. To be honest, I’m not even sure if sludging is a word, especially since it’s giving me the red squiggly line underneath. But you know exactly what I mean!

When you begin exercising before you are truly warmed up, movement is difficult. Tissues are tight, joints haven’t been lubricated, nerve signals are sent a little more slowly, and you just aren’t mentally focused yet. These 5-10 minutes will be better suited with a dynamic warm-up!

2. You have limited range of motion, mobility, and/or high levels of muscular tension.

Restriction in range of motion can be a negative when looking to thrive in your training. Especially if full ranges of motion are needed to be successful. The dynamic warm-up should take into consideration your specific deficiencies. Adding self-myofascial release (SMR), flexibility, mobility, and functional movement aimed at restoring or improving range of motion can be worthwhile. Don’t get stuck only thinking about tissue temperature. Spend some time improving your weaknesses.

3. Inhibition and poor activation are common problems which limit performance.

On a weekly basis, I come across people who are not firing important muscles to their fullest extent. This can range from muscles in the feet, all the way to the hips, core, and shoulders. When inhibition or poor firing occurs, compensation takes over to accomplish the same movement, but with other muscles. Over time, this is where tightness, tension, and overuse injuries can stem from.

Incorporating specific activation exercises within your pre-training routine can be monumental to the improvements you see. Getting inhibited muscles firing again results in better strength and power, as well as less compensation by surrounding muscles to aid in movement.

4. Improving function on the front end allows for better integrated changes.

One of my biggest pet peeves is stretching and foam rolling and doing nothing further. This will almost every time lead to limited or no improvements in function. But, doing corrective-based exercises on the front end, incorporating integration exercises, followed by training, allows for more long-term adaptation.

What we need to realize is that the brain and nervous system are the computer processors behind it all. Most of the interventions I see are aimed at specific muscles and joints without connecting with the nervous system. So when you have a specific limitation, it may be more beneficial to address it before you train or atleast incorporate integration exercises after to solidify these changes within the nervous system.

5. Locomotion sets the stage more advanced movement training.

Locomotion is a form of movement that gets us from point A to point B. As we develop, we sit up, roll over, crawl, walk, etc. But as we age, some of these locomotor skills become increasingly more difficult in a society who lacks movement competency.

Most high level athletes use locomotion drills to improve movement quality and prepare for training. This can be in the form of rolling patterns, to hopping, bounding, and skipping. They are a great supplement after working on your limitations to further increase tissue temperature and improving timing and coordination. Essentially, it is the last step in an effective dynamic warm-up that primes the neuromuscular system.

Therefore, the dynamic warm-up can provide significant benefits when structured properly to make movement quality the focus. That is why I educate my clients on how to incorporate the RAIL system as their warm-up. RAIL stands for Release, Activate, Integrate, and Locomote. When these four areas are combined within a system, improvements in movement and performance are often the result. It’s not enough to focus solely on tissue temperature as this can easily be attained while accomplishing more worthwhile goals.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

How to Resolve Hamstring “Tightness” Without Stretching

June 4, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on June 4th, 2016 at 12:53pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

Recently, I have had the conversation with several of my clients on the topic of tightness. Where I think most are going wrong is defining tightness and their intervention to it. Just because we feel “tight,” doesn’t mean we have to stretch. In some situations it may actually exacerbate the problem.

With “tightness” being so subjective, we often fall victim to stretching every single time with little to no resolution in the symptom. Essentially that is what it is, a symptom not the actual problem.

A deeper look at hamstring tightness…

The hamstrings in particular are a group of muscles that commonly feel tight. The first step is to assess hamstring length to determine if the muscles themselves are shortened. Shortened is the objective way to describe a truly tight hamstring. Here is a video to help you self-assess hamstring length…

After completing the self-assessment, the inability of the knee to extend within 30 degrees of full extension is a positive finding determining you have a shortened (“tight”) hamstring. A negative test means your symptoms are subjective and there may be something else that is causing this feeling.

Negative tests are the ones where looking for the root cause needs to be investigated. The origin can vary and may include pelvic malalignment, fascial restriction, lack of gluteal activation, and even hamstring weakness. Stretching in these cases can exacerbate your symptoms, rather than solve the problem. Luckily I created videos to help you investigate further.

The role of pelvic position on hamstring tightness…

First let’s look at the pelvis’ role in hamstring tightness. If you have malalignment or rotation at the pelvis than it may alter the length/tension relationship surrounding the hips. Hip flexor tightness is actually a predisposing factor to hamstring tightness as it often causes an anterior pelvic position which places stress on the hamstrings. Learn more below…

How a fascial restriction can cause hamstring tightness…

The fascial system is an interconnected matrix of tissue that spans throughout the body. The hamstrings are contained with the superficial back line (SBL) which runs from the bottom of the foot, up the back of the body, to the skull. This means that tightness elsewhere throughout the fascial line may be perceived as a hamstring issue. This includes the plantar fascia, calf, sacrotuberous ligament, erector spinae, and sub-occipitals, to name a few. Learn more below…

Gluteal inhibition and it’s affect on hamstring tightness…

The gluteals and hamstrings are important muscle groups when working together. Oftentimes from improper use, long hours sitting, and lack of attention, the gluteals become inhibited. When this happens, the neuromuscular connection becomes disrupted and the muscles don’t fire to their fullest extent leading to increased stress and tension through the hamstrings. Therefore, gluteal inhibition can predispose the hamstrings to unwanted tension. Learn more below…

Summary

For years, we have recommended stretching when tightness is present. The issue that arises is that tightness can be a feeling and not a true objective measure. When that’s the case, stretching can further exacerbate the problem and be far from a successful intervention. My hope is that this post allows you to dig deeper into your hamstring tightness and saves countless hours spent stretching.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Mobility Monday #9: The Mechanism Behind Foam Rolling

May 23, 2016 · by Garrett McLaughlin

| Article written on May 23rd, 2016 at 10:38am | Follow Garrett on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram |

The foam roller is a commonly used tool to perform self-myofascial release (SMR). SMR is a form of self-administered soft-tissue therapy that has gained popularity over the years for it’s impact on flexibility, recovery, and pain reduction. Even though the research does show conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of foam rolling with some being positive, the mechanism remains unclear.

In the following video, I provide my thoughts on the mechanism behind foam rolling. My point of view is often different from others which is why I am presenting it here. I’d love to hear your feedback if you feel foam rolling has an impact on the soft-tissue, nervous system, or some other area. Enjoy the video!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

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