A few year ago I was stricken with a back injury that left me damn near immobile. I could barely take a deep breath without intense pain that radiated from my low back all the way down the back of my left leg. I could not take a full stride when walking, or even think about bending over to tie my own shoe. I also lost a great deal of strength in my left leg and foot. To say it was miserable is such an understatement. The most baffling part of the whole situation is that I had experienced no accident, fall, or any major event that could explain my awful condition. I can only trace it back to the possibly of over twisting and stretching after a workout. That’s it. I know…it’s ridiculous. But…there I was. Absolutely down for the count. My chiropractor at the time assured me that, barring a serious accident or fall, it’s usually not one thing, but rather everything (job, repetitive motions, etc.) that leads to an injury like mine. He was also sure that I would make a full recovery. I was not so sure about that at that moment. After a visit with my Dr. and the prescribed MRI, I was diagnosed with a disc bulge that was hitting a nerve in my low back. The treatment for my bulging disc nightmare was physical therapy.
When I started PT for my back I can honestly say I didn’t have high hopes that it would fix my extremely painful nerve/bulging disc situation. I felt so bad physically that I thought for sure the only cure would end up being surgery. Which scared the shit out of me. But to my surprise, slowly and surely the physical therapy was working. I also learned from my awesome physical therapists (I had a team of 2) that I had been neglecting some pretty important aspects of fitness. Mobility, flexibility, and pliability.
One of the various things that my PT’s were doing for me was foam and stick rolling. Of course I had heard of it, but never given much thought to it. Looking back, I wish that I would have incorporated rolling years before I did. I could have saved myself from so much pain and stiffness. Not because the foam and stick rolling was enjoyable. Far from it. I would sweat from the pain when the physical therapist would have me use the foam roller on my left upper leg and butt cheek. They would also roll the area with the stick roller. It was awful. But the results were amazing. I would have more mobility the rest of the day. And the improvements continued. It was then that I was sold on the foam and stick rolling method.
I decide to do a little browsing online for my own foam and stick rollers. I started to notice the term myofascial kept popping up. So did the words mobility, flexibility, and pliability. I found it all very interesting. It actually gave me so much insight as to why I might have been experiencing so many aches and pains despite the fact that I was actively trying to take good care of myself by working out, playing sports, and just being active. All of the repetitive motion and activities (including my job as a barber for 20yrs) in my life had created inflammation and tightness in my body. Specifically, in the fascia, which is the continuous connective tissue that covers the muscles in the body. When you use a roller, (or see a professional trained in Myofascial Release Massage, which I have and it’s wonderful), you are relaxing the muscles, improving blood flow, and lymphatic circulation. All of which can help with pain, inflammation, mobility, and pliability. The best information that I was able to find on all things myofascial was a program called The Melt Method by Sue Hitzmann. I highly recommend her books and programs. I even took a couple private Melt Method classes from a certified instructor to further understand the process. All of it was well worth the time and money.
I have since made changes and additions to my workout routines. I make sure to stretch regularly, have added in some basic yoga for beginners, and try harder to change things up more often. That last one is super hard when you are as routine as I am…LOL. I also still use and love my rollers. (The links to the ones I bought are below) They make short work of any knots or sore muscles! As I have aged, my main goal and motivation for working out is to feel good, and stay mobile and flexible. I truly feel that the natural methods of foam and stick rolling for myofascial release, (as well professional massage), are invaluable for addressing any pain and inflammation in my body that might hinder those goals.
Stay healthy and be well. Thanks for stopping by!