Myofascial Release, Revisited

It's been a long time since my last Catapult Fitness Blog (CFB) posting. While I have come close several times to jumping back in to the blogosphere, it's been difficult to commit the time with all that's been going on in my life.

Then came 1/27 and my surgery to repair a SLAP tear of my left shoulder, re-attaching my bicep (bicep tenodesis), and shaving down a bone spur.

Having undergone several different operations over the years (knee, hand, foot) and typically having a relatively easy time with rehab, I've been surprised by the lengthy recovery from my shoulder surgery.

A big part of my physical therapy has focused on Myofascial Release, and it's my growing interest in this area that has prompted me to re-post an article first appearing on CFB back in February, 2009.

This re-post is actually a primer on Myofascial Release. Stay tuned for future postings, including detailed postings on using Myofascial Release to alleviate shoulder problems!

The February 2009 Repost beings here ...

You may have noticed long white tubes of foam lying around your gym. These are not packing material but rather one of the best pieces of equipment at your gym that you probably have never used.

Meet the Foam Roller.

I was first introduced to foam rollers a couple of years ago when I started biking and developed tightness in my hip flexors. It was at this time that a friend introduced me to the concept of Self-Myofascial Release (SMFR), a technique first brought to the sports medicine community by NASM President, Micheal Clark whose explanation for SMFR is simply to get a foam foller and use your bodyweight to apply pressure to sore spots.

As simple as it sounds, that's about it.

You can read a detailed explanation of SMFR by Micheal Clark himself by visiting the Perform Better website.

In the simplest terms, SMFR is a form of deep tissue massage used to manipulate the fascia which can become restricted over time due to

1. Postural imbalances
2. Persistent inflammation
3. Disuse
4. Injury
5. Trauma, including surgery

Fascia is the soft connective tissue just below the skin that wraps and connects to our muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels. It is the glue that keeps our body together.

The fascia and muscle make up the myofasica system. For the reasons stated above, the fascia and muscle tissue can form adhesion's (become "stuck" together) which may result in pain, stiffness, soreness and reduced range of motion.

Through SMFR the fascia is manipulated, which allows for the connective tissue fibers to "unstick".

Below are some videos that provide instruction on how to use foam rollers. This is really just a starting point! YouTube offers many videos on SMFR that enable you to work out your kinks.

Piriformis Glute Myofascial Release


Thigh, IT Band Myofascial Release


Lats Self Myofascial Release


My Two Cents

If you ever had a deep tissue sports massage you know it's no walk in the park. It can be down-right painful. If you decide to give SMFR a try, be prepared for some level of discomfort as you work out your kinks and trigger points.

With that said, the foam roller should not cause bruising and at the end of the session, you should feel better.

Flexibility is important in order to maintain elasticity in our muscles and help prevent injury and SMFR is a worthy addition to a comprehensive flexibility program.

Do you have favorite SMFR exercises? I would love to hear about them!

Train hard; stay strong.

Peace.

Susan