Roll Away the Pain, Roll Away the Tightness

Do you use a foam roller? It seems in the past few years, this simple but genius physical therapy
device has experienced a surge in popularity and acceptance. The standard design
couldn’t be more straightforward – a cylinder of hard foam, usually six inches
in diameter and just over three feet long. It’s similar to a rolling pin for
your body, and helps to soothe knotted muscles and tissue adhesions. You
control the pressure by leveraging your body weight against the foam and
rolling back and forth over the targeted area. It’s about as close as you can
get to self-massage, and many people (myself included) find it an extremely
effective therapeutic technique.

My experience,until just recently, has been entirely with a traditional white foam roller.
And while I own one and love how much it helps to soothe and stretch my often
achy body, there’s now a new roller on my wish list. I started working with a
new Chiropractor/ART practitioner this week, and she has an array of therapy
tools, including a molded foam roller similar to this one (from online retailer
Perform Better). The molded foam does not contain cells, and therefore it is
more firm and durable than the traditional style roller – and my body felt the
difference!

Foam rollers also come in a variety of designs beyond the basic cylinder, targeted to various
body parts or stretching and strengthening techniques. Whichever model you try,
I highly encourage you to take a test roll – it’s amazing how such a simple
piece of equipment can make your body feel so good!