Foam Roller

Yes. I use it to roll my quads, back, butt and neck. Use it often as in many times a day.

I've read somewhere that you are supposed to stop before the knee, but that doesn't make too much sense to me. The critical part is right at the knee. The Foam Roller does a great job of relieving tightness in that area. No stretch comes close to the effectiveness of the foam roller.

I roll right through the knee. I agree with the above poster. There's almost no part of your legs, the foam roller doesn't help. Achilles, hips, groin....list goes on.

Yeah, people always say do it until it hurts, but it doesn't really hurt me for whatever reason. Is that bad?

I was always told to stop before the knee. I think you are supposed to avoid rolling on inflamed areas. It is still effective as IT pain, although felt at the knee, stems from tightness further up. I have never rolled on the knee, but have had great success with the foam roller.

I have used the roller extensively to help with my ITband issues and certainly you should roll it, laying on your side of course all the way to the knee because the IT band inserts right below the knee kinda...The roller should be used for the entire side of the leg, hip to knee... I have used it on my rear and hamstrings although its not quite as effective and my stick gets into those areas to a greater degree than the roller. If used regularly and diligently IT band issues can really be nipped in the bud, all the best to you :o)

runner129 wrote:

When you use the foam roller for IT pain, are you supposed to roll past your knee on the way down or do you stop before you reach the knee?

I was taught to use it mainly on the belly portion of the muscle, not so much on the tendons and definitely not at the muscles insertion and origin point.

Here's an old link to help guide you on the use of a foam roller. This is not the holy grail, it's just a guide!

NEVER roll over a bone. If one part of the IT loosens up it will help all of it. I start fairly high and work down to a couple inches above the knee

I roll from just below the hip down to the knee not going past. I agree, loosening up any part of the IT band will provide the help you need. I use a solid pool noodle (not the hollow kind) cut to about 18".

i do pretty much the same and I tell my athletes that when they find the belly of the muscle, the tensor fasciae latae in this case, they should roll back and forth even though it will hurt. You're using gravity to help release the tightness. I would only want a trained professional to manipulate tendons, joints.

Why do some guys foam when they run?

What is the best foam roller to get? Where did you get it?

I bought some from OPTP a physical therapy product company and also from M&F athletic, their "perform better" division.

I'm very dissapointed.

b0B

What's up with people starting at the hip and working down to the knee? Shouldn't you always work towards the heart?

mine is like 6 inches in diameter with a small one inside it that is like 2.5 inches in diameter. I think the smaller one works better sometimes.

where might one purchase a foam roller

I use a small piece of PVC pipe, the harder surface feels a lot better. It takes a little getting use to, but I think it's better than foam. I had to buy a 6 foot long piece at a local Lowe's for like $5 and cut a small piece off.

google search "Foam roller" and you'll get a number of online retailers that sell foam rollers.

You want a solid-core foam roller. They are better. A nalgene bottle also works.