How Foam Rolling Can Help With Headaches

Many headache sufferers we see in the physio clinic have a very stiff Thoracic spines.

This is the part of the back that runs from your upper shoulder blades down to the upper waist line. 

**The thoracic spine is designed to move and be mobile**

Unfortunately for many of us - through excessive sitting, driving and generally poor posture, this part of the spine has lost its flexibility. 

In particular the upper back starts to round over time.

This stiffness then leads to compensations - commonly tightness felt in the neck, shoulders leading to chronic headaches. 

These foam roller exercises are designed to improve your posture, increase mobility through the thoracic spine and decrease the pressure on the head and neck.

If you are a headache sufferer, please give these exercises a try and let me know in the comments how you get on.

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FOAM ROLLER EXERCISES FOR HEADACHES

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The 5 Best Books To Read For Runners

1.  Running with the Mind of Meditation

Sakyong Mipham brings meditation and running together in this book.  He relates his experiences as a meditation teacher with the stages he went through as a beginner runner, right through to his marathons.  He also talks about balancing the sympathetic (running) nervous system with the para-sympathetic nervous system (meditation).  Once you get the balance right, great things can happen. 

2.  Chi Running

Danny Dreyer melds the world of tai chi and running and shows us the way to running efficiently and safely.  He does a great job of explaining the importance of posture, core strength and proper alignment.   The principle focus of Chi Running is to work smarter, not harder.  Understanding the body's elasticity and spring system, you can improve your efficiency by 30%.

3.  Running and being

Written in the 1970's by cardiologist George Sheehan, we get an appreciation for the internal thinking of an elite runner.  The ups and downs, depression, elation and everything in between.   This book will open your mind to the intricacies of pushing your body to reach its highest potential.

4.  The Story of The Human Body

In this book, Daniel Lieberman goes into depth to explain how our lifestyles are mismatched to what our DNA has programmed us to do.  The consequences are drastic.  This book will give you a new appreciation for movement as a powerful medicine.  He also explains that are human frames are designed to run.  Sitting and inactivity have lead to weakness in our gluteus maximus - a key muscle for efficient walking and running.

5.  Yoga for Runners

A great collection of exercises to balance the body and keep muscle imbalances from getting out of hand.  Also the author spends a good deal of time explaining the importance of rest and recovery.  Following a restorative yoga practice will be invaluable in helping your body to heal and recover from your running training.

Now it's your turn!  Please let us know your favourite running books in the comments!

Research Update - Benefits of Foam Rolling

What is the Evidence for using a Foam Roller?

Foam rolling is a method of self-myofascial release that can be used all over the body to improve flexibility. Research (Junker and Stogg 2015) suggests 4 weeks of foam rolling the hamstring three times per week was enough to produce a significant improvement in hamstring flexibility.

Foam rolling has also been shown to decrease muscle soreness after intense exercise (Pearchey et all 2015). The participants in this study foam rolled for 20 minutes immediately after a bout of intense exercise and then again 24 and 48 hours after. They experienced significantly less muscle soreness compared with a control group. Researchers believe foam rolling may trigger a release of the pain relieving hormone oxytocin.

Chan (2014) found that self-myofascial treatment, in addition to home exercises, was found to reduce cortisol levels and increase heart rate variability. This indicates an activation of the para-sympathetic nervous system, crucial to healing, optimal recovery and decreasing stress.

Conclusion

Using a foam roller regularly will keep your musculoskeletal system healthy.

Aim to use your foam roller on a daily basis, spending 1-2 minutes before a workout and 10-20 minutes after an intense bout of exercise to improve your flexibility, reduce soreness and improve recovery times. Rolling the upper back every day can help maintain spinal flexibility.

The roller helps in 3 ways:
1. improves flexibility
2. improves core strength
3. activates the para-sympathetic nervous system (reduces stress and enhances the body's healing ability).  

Powerful stuff, if you know how to do it right!

Research links:

The foam roll as a tool to improve hamstring flexibility - Junker and Stogg

J Strength Cond Res. 2015 May

Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures. Pearchey et al (2015) Journal of Athletic Training 

Short-term effects of self-massage combined withhome exercise on pain, daily activity, and autonomicfunction in patients with myofascial paindysfunction syndrome Chan et al 2014

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When to Use Ice and Heat

Every day I get asked by patients about when to ice and when to use heat on their body. 

Today I wanted to help clarify this to help you recover quicker from your injuries and get back to doing what you love.

When To Ice:  When inflammation and pain dominate, use ice.  

For any new injury, such as a sprain or strain, it is recommended you ice for the first 48 hours. 

This will help minimise inflammation. 

How do you know inflammation is present? 

- you will feel a constant dull ache

- pain may wake you in the night and early hours of the morning

- there will be redness and swelling

- anti-inflammatory medication is helpful

A certain amount of inflammation is useful, as this activates the body's healing mechanism. 

However, a simple injury can turn chronic if inflammation and swelling overwhelm the body.
This is more common in lower limb injuries to the ankle and knee, as the effects of gravity make it difficult for the body to eliminate all of the swelling.

In Summary, When to ice:

- in the first 48 hours after an injury such as a strain/sprain

- after exercise apply ice to any 'hot spots' that feel sore e.g. knee or ankle

- after an ankle or knee sprain, until the swelling has gone down 100% (this may take several weeks or months)

- daily for patello-femoral knee pain when there is low level constant ache

- for arthritis in joints when swelling and inflammation are present

- 10-15 minutes is ideal (any longer and the body will start to increase blood flow to the area). 

- Apply ice with compression such as a velcro strap. 

When To Heat:  When muscle tightness and stiffness dominate, use heat. 

Heat increases blood flow to the area, helping to flush out the area, bringing oxygen to the tissues and improves flexibility. 

Generally, after the first 48 hours of an injury you are OK to start using heat on an injured area, along with massage and gentle stretching.  If pain is still quite severe after 48 hours, that is sign of a serious injury that should be checked by your physiotherapist and doctor. 

In Summary, When to Heat:

- after the first 48 hours of an injury

- when a muscle feels tight and stiff

- before exercise to increase blood flow to the muscles

- for arthritis in the joints when stiffness predominates

- Use a wheat bag, which retains heat for 10-15 minutes. 

When To Alternate Between Ice And Heat: 

After the first 48 hours, your injury may be feeling improved.  To help increase blood flow you can alternate between ice and heat.  From 48-72 hours after the injury you can finish with ice, and after 72 hours as the pain subsides you can focus more on heat. 

What about post exercise: ice or heat?

Danny dreyer

vs tim ferriss

Forget the postworkout ice bath – study suggests hot water, instead

Final Answer: If you are still unsure, please Consult Your Physiotherapist!

The information presented is a general guide.  Unfortunately there is no black or white answer to which is "better".  It all depends on the context and time frame of your injury.  Everyone is unique and I would encourage you to call up your local Physio, book an appointment and find us the best treatment for you, as an individual.

Please contact us with your enquires 1300 657 813 or dan@kinfolkwellness.com.au

Research Links - please click to see the research paper

Thermotherapy for treatment of osteoarthritis

5 Ways You Could Be Using Your Foam Roller All Wrong

Using a foam roller can be a valuable way to improve your flexibility, athletic recovery and relaxation. (Want to know how to use a foam roller? Start here.) Take care to avoid these common mistakes:

1. Holding your breath

Holding your breath activates the sympathetic nervous system. This sends a message to your brain that there is a perceived threat in your body. Your body reacts by increasing heart rate and blood pressure as well as causing muscles to tighten and constrict — the exact opposite of what we want to happen.

While rolling, keep breathing regularly (breathe in for five seconds and out for five seconds approximately). By focusing on your exhalation, you activate the parasympathetic nervous that activates the body’s healing mechanism.

2. Rolling the IT band too intensely

The iliotibial band (ITB) is a fibrous tendon that runs up the outside of your thigh. Often it becomes inflamed after too much walking, running or hiking downhill. It contains many sensitive nerve structures and does not respond well to heavy, prolonged rolling.

The ITB reacts better to a few quick rolls, with body weight partially supported by your arms and other leg. The fleshy, muscular part of the ITB called the tensor fasciae latae (TFL, which runs up to the front of the hip) can often give you better results, along with rolling the quads, hamstrings and calf muscles.

3. Rolling your lower back

The body contains many joints, each of which has a specific job to do. The lower back is generally designed to be a strong stable core, from which other body movements can take place. There is no need to roll the lower back, as true stiffness is rarely the problem. More commonly the hips and upper back are tight, which then leads to compression through the lumbar spine.

4. Using bad posture

Foam rolling involves lots of different positions. Good body awareness and core stability are important to ensure you don’t injure yourself. In general, try and maintain a neutral spinal zone.

5. Rolling too quickly over major muscle groups

Slow, focused rolling is better for big muscles like the quads, hamstring and calves. Pay attention to your body and if you come across any particularly tight areas you can hold the pressure there for up to 30 seconds, as the muscle slowly releases. If the muscle doesn’t release or you feel any unusual symptoms like pins and needles, it may mean you are compressing a nerve. Please consult with your physiotherapist for further advice.

Click HERE for more information about our next Introductory Foam Roller Workshop