A massage roller for the back will restore the health of joints and muscles

Let's talk about massage rollers, rollers and half-rollers. A necessary, one might even say necessary, equipment in an athlete’s arsenal, the usefulness of which, unfortunately, many underestimate. We are sure that among our readers there are those who consider this device to be useless, as well as those who have already purchased a roller, but have not figured out how to use it correctly.

What can you learn about massage rollers from the Internet? The fact that they allow you to do myofascial massage yourself. A massage that improves the elasticity of fascia (muscles) and joint mobility. This massage will help relax muscles after training and reduce pain. MFR is also recommended as a muscle warm-up. MFR is ideally combined with stretching exercises and allows you to achieve the desired result without injury or pain. Well, and of course myofascial massage is one of the important components of restorative therapy. Self-massage improves blood and lymph circulation and is a good addition to training and procedures aimed at weight loss and figure correction.

This is in general terms. We are not entirely satisfied with such a dry formulation. For a more detailed analysis of this category of products, we turned to a specialist who answered all our questions. We learned a lot of new and interesting things about the use of massage rollers, their varieties and how to properly do self-massage at home.

Today the main character of our interview is rehabilitologist TUMARETS KIRILL MIKHAILOVICH

Rehabilitologist.

8 years of experience. SKILLED IN TECHNIQUES AND METHODS: Kinesiology, Manual therapy, Exercise therapy, Work on simulators.

Education:

Secondary medical MMK 12, Higher Mgafk (Moscow State Academy). Profile: Rehabilitation

Additional education:

Radiation diagnostics. EXARTA suspension system. Gym instructor. Bodybuilding Academy Moscow. Myofascial release. Working on trigger points. Massage. TRX training. PNF

Question: What are massage rollers (Rolls) for? What function do they perform?

Answer: Massage rollers or rollers are needed to work out (roll) muscles, relieve spasms and muscle tension. Myofascial massage (MFM) is aimed at relieving superficial triggers. Due to its own weight, a certain pressure is created on the area, and the shape of the roller itself ensures stimulation of the length of muscle fibers, which improves their elasticity.

Question: Who needs massage rollers and what exercises are they used for?

Answer: Everyone who is at least somehow involved in sports, leads an active lifestyle, and takes care of their health. For professionals and semi-pros, MFR is an integral procedure. During rehabilitation, rollers can speed up the recovery process. Amateurs and simply active people also need such a massage to maintain good health and relieve pain in the back, lower back, thoracic and cervical regions.

Question: How to choose a roller? Let's look at the example of the assortment of the online store Zozhno.ru

Answer: Ok, let's look at each roller presented in your catalog.

Massage in addition to training

Many muscles, for example, the lower thigh, are quite difficult to “pump up” with conventional exercise equipment in the gym. This is especially true for fascia - the connective tissue that forms the muscular skeleton of the body. The ability to stretch, show flexibility, plasticity, mobility - all this is thanks to these miracle muscles.

It is difficult to stretch and relax the fascia through exercise, but it must be done for normal body comfort. This effect is extremely useful after strength loads, muscle injuries during the recovery stage, for correction or weight loss. A special myofascial roller comes to the rescue. Its use with constant back loads allows you to achieve the following results:

• reduce tension, increase muscle flexibility and mobility, accelerate blood flow, saturate muscles with oxygen;
• correct posture, improve balance;
• reduce muscle pain when playing sports or after an injury;
• protect the bone skeleton from damage, keep joints in “working” condition;
• accelerate muscle growth through high-quality drainage massage;
• remove toxins from the body by cleansing cells;
• reduce weight, reduce body volume due to mechanical effects on subcutaneous fat, stimulating its burning;
• remove cellulite, improve skin condition;
• normalize emotions, improve sleep, relieve stress.

Using a roller to massage your back and other parts of the body, you can get a good effect, but not comparable to visiting an experienced massage therapist. But the difference between self-massage is the cost. For a course of classic or specialized massage, which usually consists of 10–12 procedures, you will have to pay a hefty sum.

A studded foam roller will help you save money. The price for the Foam Roller is no higher than the cost of one session, about 1000-1500 rubles, and you can use the myofascial roller at any time.

Ease of use allows you to massage the whole body yourself; no additional training is required, only desire and free time.

Back roller: pitfalls and limitations

In general, experts have a positive attitude towards any self-massage techniques (and a roller is one of these tools). “Self-massage is a useful, necessary, and, most importantly, very accessible procedure,” explains Alexander Gunko, teacher of hatha yoga, yoga therapy, yoga researcher, blogger. — It can use various aids, including a roller. With self-massage, the person himself regulates the strength of the impact and duration. The roller has a stretching effect when working with the spine and an acupressure effect when working with soft tissues. As with massage, it’s best to do it at least two hours after eating.”

There are also contraindications for using a roller - a lot depends on your health condition. “If a healthy person lies on a cushion, then most likely the effect will be positive,” explains Natalya Novikova, osteopathic doctor, author of the Instagram blog @osteopaticheskiy_kruzhok . — The roller is placed under the lower back or shoulder blades, this improves the opening of the thoracic region. But if a person with serious pathologies of the musculoskeletal system lies on the cushion, this can only worsen the situation. For example, a person with strong curves of the spine, with a pronounced stoop. If he mechanically tries to remove the stoop with this roller, then in fact he “doesn’t straighten” it, but “bends” the spine even more, worsening the condition.”

Thus, if you have spinal diseases and confirmed diagnoses, you should lie on the cushion with caution or not do it at all. It’s easy to check: lie down on a roller of small diameter (we’ll tell you how to do this correctly later), listen to your sensations. Do you feel severe discomfort or severe pain? Unfortunately, this technique is not suitable for you.

Also, you should not lie on a cushion if your back hurts and there are neurological symptoms - “shooting” in the limbs, they go numb, etc. “If there is inflammation of the nerve root, and we influence it with massage (and the roller is a type of massage technique), then the swelling will be even stronger, the situation may worsen,” warns Natalya Novikova.

In case of such symptoms, you should consult a doctor. In other cases, the roller can be a good prevention of degenerative joint diseases.

Proper massage with a massage roller

Using a foam roller you can stretch your back muscles, speeding up the recovery process. It is enough to roll the fitness roll over the part of the body that needs massaging, but without applying additional physical pressure. The ideal pressing force for a person is his weight (with the exception of being overweight).

1. To “flex” your back muscles, you need to lie on a massage cylinder. Perform smooth forward-return swaying of the body along a horizontal guide. You need to “roll” not along the spine itself, but slightly moving to the left, then to the right of it.
2. A few sweeping rolls are enough to loosen muscle stiffness and work the deep areas of the back.

Watch the video below the article, which clearly shows the mistakes, as well as the correct technique for exercising on a fitness roller.

For high-quality muscle relief, you should get a relief roller for massage. The spiked roller can be used for the back, hips, to warm up the arms, abs, and feet. To achieve maximum efficiency and benefits of training, it is enough to use the roller 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes, combining exercises to work the muscles.

It is worth considering that for women, as well as beginners, a cylindrical massage roller with spikes of low or medium hardness is suitable. For men, it is preferable to use an elongated massage cylinder with increased rigidity. The size of the roller depends on the type of areas that need myofascial stretching:

• 30 cm – for arms, legs, neck;
• 45, 50 cm or more to work the back muscles.

FAQ

How often and for how long should you use a massage roller?

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There is no strictly established time frame, but it is advisable to perform a massage daily for 5-10 minutes. In total, you get about 70 minutes a week - a full-fledged wellness session. If you can’t find that much time, then even 2 minutes a day is better than nothing.

When should you use massage rollers?

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Unlike certain types of stretching, foam rolling can be used at any time of the day. The most common periods of time when athletes do massage: before training - this improves blood flow and increases mobility; immediately after training - relaxes tense muscles. Some people like to use rollers while relaxing, such as in front of the TV.

Who can use rollers?

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If there are no strict contraindications from a doctor, then anyone can massage with rollers, regardless of age and physical fitness. Rollers are most useful for people over 50 and those who sit at a desk most of the day. Massage helps relax muscles and improves mobility. In addition, rollers are recommended for those who are actively involved in sports. This relieves stiffness, tension and reduces muscle soreness the day after training.

Contraindications to the use of a myofascial roller

Due to its ease of use, the foam roller is harmless to use and does not cause side effects. Like classic massage, roller massage requires a competent assessment of the possibility of its implementation, taking into account physiological characteristics and health status. There are a number of restrictions under which the use of roller massage is unacceptable:

• skin lesions;
• dermatitis, focal superficial rashes of various origins;
• allergic reactions;
• phlebeurysm;
• damage to ligaments and muscles;
• joints that have not become stronger after a fracture;
• internal organ damage;
• junior preschool age.

When buying a foam roller for self-training and back massage, buy quality products that have a certificate of conformity and safety of use.

Any activity must be started gradually, assessing your capabilities and monitoring the result.

Back bolster: what's the point?

This is a small, fairly rigid roller with a diameter of 7-9 cm and a length of about 30-40 cm. The design (and exercises with it) was invented by the Japanese doctor Toshiki Fukutsuji after long studies of the spine.
Toshiki Fukutsuji was looking for an answer to the question of why people “lose” height with age and came to the conclusion that this is due to abrasion of the intervertebral discs. Over the years, cartilage loses moisture, decreases in size, and the vertebrae “get closer” to each other. Protrusions and hernias occur (which is often associated with pain), the spine seems to “shrink,” and the person becomes a little shorter in stature. To slow down this process, Fukutsuji invented a roller and simple gymnastics.

Lying on a cushion, you gently stretch the spine, improving nutrition of the intervertebral discs. Regular use of the roller helps restore deformed intervertebral discs, stretch the spine, and start the process of activation in cartilage tissue. The result that the creator of the method promises is beautiful posture (decreases stooping), a healthy spine.

But is this really so?

How to choose a roller

You can buy a ready-made roller (sold in health departments). If you have not done Fukutsuji gymnastics before, choose models with a small diameter and not too hard. Have you tried therapeutic lying down yet? You can afford a thicker and harder roller.

However, you can “prepare” the roller yourself: roll a wide bath towel into a tight roll and secure it with tape at the edges. You should end up with a roller approximately 40 cm long. Adjust the diameter yourself: it is advisable for beginners to take rollers 7-8 cm wide, for more experienced “loungers” - 9-12 cm. Over time, it makes sense to “change” to a purchased roller with a denser structure, to gradually increase the degree of spinal traction.

Varieties

Rollers differ in the degree of impact, materials of manufacture, and effect on the body. You should choose a device carefully, taking into account your state of health, age, and level of physical fitness. There are several types of products designed for different purposes.

By configuration

The rollers can be absolutely hard and withstand a load of more than 100 kg, or have a lower density - depending on what they are intended for. Models have different lengths and diameters. Orthopedic options are usually smaller in diameter than gymnastic ones (from 5 to 13–15 cm), their length is up to 85 cm. Conventionally, all products can be divided into several groups:

1. Orthopedic roller of cylindrical shape. Allows you to take an anatomically correct position during rest, gently stretches the spine, relieving the load from compressed areas. With its systematic use, pain and inflammation of the problem area decreases.
2. A fitness roller or roller with a corrugated surface has an additional massage effect. Designed to perform various sets of exercises. Gymnastics with a roller allows you to improve your posture and flexibility, and lose extra pounds. Systematic exercise can ensure rapid weight loss.
3. Pillow-shaped. Such models allow you to sit comfortably during a night's rest or a trip in the car. They help reduce the load on the cervical spine.
4. A homemade device twisted from a large terry towel. It is most often placed under the legs or lower back to relieve pain in problem areas of the back, reduce swelling of the legs and improve blood flow. You can perform weight loss exercises with it, but if possible, it is better to purchase an industrial roller.

A terry towel roller can be made according to individual parameters. It must be pulled tightly so that rigidity is maintained during operation. If the consumer's height exceeds 160 cm, you will need 2 towels measuring 140 x 70 cm.

Simple cylindrical

With massage surface

Pillow shaped

Homemade from a towel

By filler type

Orthopedic rollers are softer than gymnastic ones. Many consumers with problems with the cervical spine use them as a pillow. Various fillers (for example, juniper) have a calming effect and help improve sleep quality. In addition to juniper, buckwheat husks and aspen shavings are often used, and hops or lavender can be added to them. There are rollers with grass filling.

The main disadvantage of products with a natural composition is that over time they lose density and begin to fall out of the case. Such rollers do not tolerate dampness and absorb sweat and dust. They are more difficult to care for than their synthetic counterparts.

Synthetic fillers used include polyurethane foam or polyester. Polyurethane foam products are denser, hold their shape better, and are easy to care for. Polyester options are easy to wash, but they are softer, wrinkle quickly, and need to be shaken periodically.

Synthetic products are hypoallergenic and do not harbor mites.

Gymnastic rollers are made of plastic or ethylene vinyl acetate. These are lightweight, durable materials that can withstand high loads. The massage effect is provided by the corrugated surface. The sports exercise machine can be of different lengths (from 33 to 60 cm) and diameters (13–15 cm), and can withstand weight up to 130 kg.

Juniper

Pine shavings

Buckwheat husk

Polyurethane foam

Polyester

Ethylene vinyl acetate

Popular manufacturers

Many people have neither the time nor the desire to do handicrafts. They prefer to purchase a finished product with the required characteristics. Trusted manufacturers provide consumers with the following opportunity:

Orthopedic and sports back bolsters are easy to choose according to your own taste. The cost of the products is low and quite affordable for the consumer. It is better to purchase models in specialized stores, since this product is not subject to mandatory certification.

Crimean natural collection

Bradex

Atemi

Qmed

Starfit

How to make it yourself

There are several simple ways to make a roller. You can sew a rectangular bag with the required parameters, fill it with filling and decorate the ends with braid or bright ribbon. When figuring out how to make a roller, you should remember that for the cover you should prefer dense fabric (calico, poplin). The filler is chosen as desired: polyester balls, polyurethane foam, buckwheat husks, sawdust. The degree of density in this case is determined independently.

It is permissible to wrap the rolling pin in a thick terry towel, or simply roll it tightly, forming a roller of the required length and diameter. Then it will have to be additionally tied with tape or rope. You can tighten the product with threads by simply stitching the resulting gymnastics apparatus. A roller made in this way can last a long time.

How to make a gymnastic apparatus from a towel?

You can do gymnastics using the Fukutsuji method using available tools. All you need is a large cotton towel and strong thread or ribbon. The towel is rolled tightly; if necessary, you can use 2. The diameter of the roller should be 10 - 15 cm, and the length should be at least 90 cm. The resulting projectile is fixed with tape or thread.

The results of the exercises directly depend on which towel is chosen for production. It is recommended to use the hardest and thickest terry towels in order to achieve high results from passive massage in addition to the effect of the exercises.

As your level of training increases, the diameter of the roller can be increased up to 40 cm. It is not recommended to do this right away. The reason is that with static loads a person is not able to assess the degree of load and there is a high risk of injury. Sometimes, during self-medication, serious injuries to the anterior thoracic ligaments were observed.

The benefits of exercising with a sports roller

The roll for massage and training is convenient and compact. Positive effect of its use:

• due to the effect of drainage self-massage, lymph and blood flow accelerates;
• all muscle nodes are worked out, fascial spasms are relieved;
• lactic acid accelerates;
• the motor amplitude of the joint increases, the effectiveness of training increases;
• the functionality of muscle tissue is restored, the top layer of skin is drained;
• Body flexibility develops and coordination of movements improves.