Foam roller fixed my knees

[Sal Webber]

Just thought I'd share for those experiencing occasional knee discomfort. I was feeling "creaky" anytime I would sit or lie down for a long time. I would also have pain during workouts that felt like something was impinged. I started using a foam roller every night before bed and a little bit before my workouts and my knees feel brand new again. I focus on trying to loosen up all of my muscles that distally attach right into the knee area. It was as if the tight quad muscles were binding my patella and patella tendons down tight enough to cause pain and stiffness. I was taking Advil on workout days but haven't needed any for the last two weeks.

I have hamstring issues too but haven't found a good self massage technique yet. I use an old softball to try to get at my hamstrings...it's not as effective as the foam roller for my quads though.

[chevyguy3]

Which roller are you using? I'm at the point where I need to start doing it, but am lost in all the different rollers out there. Might go for PVC just so I don't have to choose.

[allyn703]

I need to get one too. I noticed that my shin pain was being cause by tight quad muscles. I started stretching and the pain is gone.

[Tom Campitelli]

Any foam roller will probably be fine. The white, open cell foam gets squishy the fastest. When you are ready to step up to something more painful that will never get squishy, 6" diameter PVC pipe is the way.

[Sal Webber]

I picked up a red colored roller from the local Dick's sporting goods. I think it's stiffer than the white ones. Maybe I'll try PVC when this one wears out.

[chevyguy3]

I picked up some 4" PVC today and wrapped it with athletic tape as somebody in one of the other threads did. We'll see how it goes.

[famendoza]

Aside from a bit of nice cracking at the upper back, I haven't yet experienced any improvements with foam roller. Everything is slightly, to very painful.

Upper back (crossover arms) - not too bad.
Glutes (one leg over knee) - not too bad which probably means I'm doing it wrong
Lat roll - painful
Pec roll - painful
Side scapula roll (crossarms leaning towards either my left or right) - painful
Ham roll - not painful, probably doing it wrong.
Quad roll - slightly painful
Side of leg, ostensibly the ITB roll - very painful
Calf roll - soleus - VERY painful
Calf roll - gastrocnemius - HOLY CHRIST PAINFUL

I assume I just keep doing these until they aren't painful (including the calf ones)?? I guess I'm paying an arm and a leg, figuratively, for all these knots I've developed over the years in the calves...

Foam roll is the standard 36 inch roller - white. The 30 bucks kind.

[Guido]

Aside from a bit of nice cracking at the upper back, I haven't yet experienced any improvements with foam roller. Everything is slightly, to very painful.

Upper back (crossover arms) - not too bad.
Glutes (one leg over knee) - not too bad which probably means I'm doing it wrong
Lat roll - painful
Pec roll - painful
Side scapula roll (crossarms leaning towards either my left or right) - painful
Ham roll - not painful, probably doing it wrong.
Quad roll - slightly painful
Side of leg, ostensibly the ITB roll - very painful
Calf roll - soleus - VERY painful
Calf roll - gastrocnemius - HOLY CHRIST PAINFUL

I assume I just keep doing these until they aren't painful (including the calf ones)?? I guess I'm paying an arm and a leg, figuratively, for all these knots I've developed over the years in the calves...

Foam roll is the standard 36 inch roller - white. The 30 bucks kind.

Yikes! Yes, keep doing every day or two for a couple weeks and see if it becomes less painful. It should. If you are using the white roller and it still hurts that bad you must be all kinds of messed up, though. Might need to see a good massage therapist to work some of those real trouble areas out first.

[cjangelo]

probably doing it wrong.

http://www.tmuscle.com/readArticle.do?id=475832

I don't like this website, but I do like Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson.

[gman]

http://www.tmuscle.com/readArticle.do?id=475832

I don't like this website, but I do like Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson.

Here is a more direct link to Mike's Self-Myofascial release manual. More comprehensive and easier to print out.

http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/...Techniques.pdf