Posted by Stephen Messineo on Fri, Apr 30, 2010 @ 03:43 PM
Our muscles produce movement through the generation of force as they contract. Muscles take on many different shapes sizes and capabilities, but one thing that they all have in common is the way that they react when injured.
Damaged muscles release chemicals that cause pain which alerts the body to the stress placed upon it. Scar tissue forms around the injured area in an attempt to heal the damage.
Despite the body's remarkable ability to detect injury and heal itself, the system is not without inherent faults. The chemicals which are released during injury can accumulate and cause lasting pain. The newly forming scar tissue is less organized and less elastic than the original(1).
It is possible to facilitate a more efficient healing process through the use of soft tissue mobilization. In doing so you can return from injury more quickly and as strong as before with less risk of re-injury.
The use of foam rollers is an excellent way to help treat injured muscles; it is extremely effective and becoming more and more widely used by our patients.
A foam roller is a firm foam log about 15cm in diameter and 1.5 meters long (the black tubes you may have seen in our clinic). It can be used for a variety of exercises which help stretch the body and activate the core, but it is arguably most useful for the massage like effects it can produce on muscles.
The foam roller can be used to produce a massage like affect; you lie on the roller with the affected muscle(s) on top. Slowly rolling over the target area using body weight to produce force mobilizes the soft tissue in much the same way that a massage would. In the picture to the right, the foam roller is being used to massage the person's hamstring muscle.
Effects of foam rolling on injured muscle
The major benefits of foam rolling on injured muscle tissue are twofold:
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Increase in local blood flow
Chemicals, toxins and debris that surround the injured area can be cleared and flushed away via increased blood flow to the area. This debris is often a painful stimulus when collected in one place so by clearing it, we can reduce pain and discomfort.
We need scar tissue to form in order to repair the injured area; however this scar tissue has a tendency to become excessive, tight and immobile. Rolling to break down fibrous scar tissue increases the flexibility and pliability of the muscle.
Precautions of Foam Rolling
Mobilizing an injured muscle too soon could be detrimental; rolling too soon might risk re-injury or excessive scar production (2). Injured muscle needs a little time to form scar tissue and actually begin to ‘knit' the injured areas back together. 48-72 hours is usually enough time for the scar tissue to form without it starting to become too tight.
When used correctly foam rolling will help to maximise recovery from a muscle injury, it can be used instead of, or in addition to physical/manual therapy. The use of a foam roller to aid recovery from muscle injury should be based on an accurate diagnosis; you should always seek professional advice if you are unsure.
References
1. Kolt, G S and Snyder-Mackler. Physical therapies in sport and exercise. 2nd Edition. London : Churchill Livingstone, 2007.
2. The effect of early mobilization and immobilization on the healing process following muscl injuries. Jarvinen, M and Lehto, M U K. 1993, Sports Medicine, Vol. 15, pp. 78-89.