The Best Foam Rolling Routines For Back Pain

Foam rolling is an alternative natural remedy when managing and reducing back pain. Although foam rolling shows promise, don’t stop using your back support.

What Is Foam Rolling For Back Pain?

Foam rolling is a self-massage technique you can practise in your own home.

The technique has been shown to reduce inflammation in sore and aching muscles.

Does foam rolling benefit the skeletal structure? More research is needed on this topic. However, in general, reduced inflammation in muscle tissue helps support better posture and spinal alignment.

As the muscles support our skeletal structure, it is easy to understand why many who practise foam rolling say back pain and other aches in the body are reduced.

What Do I Need To Practise Foam Rolling?

Invest in an exercise mat for when you want to use your foam roller on the floor.

Most importantly you need to buy a good quality foam roller. You can order a foam roller online. Some retail outlets also sell foam rollers.

Do I Need To Get Down Onto the Floor?

No, you don’t. If you find accessing the floor challenging, you can use your foam roller against a wall.

Is Foam Rolling An Exercise?

It is a blend of exercise and therapy.

Many use foam rolling to improve their muscle tone and blood flow. Both have a positive effect on your well-being.

What Health Benefits Do I Get From Foam Rolling?

Reduced back pain, muscle tightness and soreness are two of the main benefits you notice.

Over time, you may also notice your range of motion increases. Improved flexibility is one of the top benefits of foam rolling.

Is Foam Rolling Hard To Master?

No, it isn’t very hard to master. But, just like anything else, it is best to have patience while you perfect your technique.

How long before I notice results? That all depends on what you are trying to achieve.

If you have exercised in the past, you will know positive results are not immediate. It takes time to learn the technique and you need to be persistent.

Start by practising foam rolling every other day until you get used to the technique. Complimenting the practice with other exercises such as yoga and tai-chi is a good idea for back pain relief.

Best Foam Rolling Exercises For Beginners

What are the best exercises for beginners? To benefit from rolling, you need to master the technique. You do that by starting off doing simple exercises that give you confidence.

Once you have mastered those, you can move onto more complex movements. Let’s take a look at four easy exercises.

Shoulder Roll

This is a great exercise for beginners.

Lie on your tummy with an arm at a slight angle from your body. Leave the other arm lying parallel to the mat.

Place the foam roller under your armpit on the stretched-out arm. Slowly roll from side to side.

This exercise can also be completed standing up against the back of the arm.

First, bend your needs for balance, place the foam roller against the wall and lean into it. Put your hands on your knees and gently move the roller from side to side.

Repeat on the other side. You can try the exercise facing the wall but this is more challenging.

Back Roll

Lie down on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. To get the most out of this exercise, it is important your feet are flat on the ground.

Place the roller under your shoulder blades. For stability, place your hands over your chest.

This exercise means you have to lift your hips slightly off the mat. Once you have found your balance, roll up and down doing your best to relax your weight into the roller.

If you are experiencing a back problem, opt for doing this exercise standing up instead.

Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle and place your hands on them once you have placed the roller between your shoulder blades.

Move up and down against the wall just like you are getting up and down out of a chair. Just remember to keep on pressing your back against the wall and keep the spine straight.

An alternative is to place the roller in the lower back and roll gently up and down. This technique is harder to master but perfectly doable. Once again, the motion is the same as sitting down in a chair. Remember to keep your back straight at all times.

Quad Roll

There are two different ways of doing what is known as a quad roll.

This exercise is mainly aimed towards the front of the upper leg but can be used for the back of the leg.

Lay down on your mat supporting yourself on both elbows similar to the plank yoga position.

Position your foam roller under the top of your upper leg known as the quad.

Using your arms roll your body up and down while pressing down on the foam roller.

If you find using your arms difficult, you can also support your body on your hands, similar to doing push-ups.

Once you have completed the exercise on one leg, switch to the other leg.

If you are experiencing sciatica, you should use the roller on the back of your leg instead.

Foam Rolling For Sciatica

Sit on the floor with your foam roller under the back of your lower legs.

While holding your back straight, move the roller with your lower legs up and down. Pressing into the roller as much as you can is important.

You can also do the same exercise on the back of your legs, but you may have to support your body on both hands. Roll back and forth slowly making sure you control the roller by pressing down.

When you find this difficult, place the roller under your buttocks, sit on it and roll slowly.

If you have a problem with sciatica, it is better to do fewer repetitions but more sets.

Try doing 5 repetitions but increase your sets 6. Then you have completed 30 full rolls.

 Final Thoughts

Foam rolling improves your flexibility and reduces back pain from inflammation by stimulating blood flow. Remember -  only do the exercises that suit your needs and do not cause discomfort. Also, it takes time to master any exercise which is new to you.

 

Brought to you by Your Back Pain Relief