24/10/2020
What is foam rolling?
Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release (SMR) that is quickly becoming a popular method to use in situations with acute pain or injuries. It is often said that by using a foam roller, one can reduce the tension and pain in several areas of the body. While this may be beneficial, there are several mechanisms that may relate to a change in the sensation of pain.
Why foam rolling the low back is not advised?
Based on the previous informatiI, foam rolling the low back is not advised for a variety of reasons. First, most low back pain is caused by a mechanical deformation, such as an arch in the low back.
The diameter of the average foam roller is about 5” and most individuals cannot control the position of their low back while on this roller. In order to induce a muscle “release” the individual must identify a tender spot and then stop and hold pressure on this point. If one is tensing all of their trunk muscles and rolling quickly (as most people do) then a release cannot occur.
If an individual does as is taught and does try to relax then they essentially just lay across the roll and force even more of an arch in their low back along with applying excessive pressure on the lumbar spine and the discs that separate them. Therefore, this ultimately aggravates the mechanical position that caused the low back pain in the first place.
Second, if the low back pain is caused by non-mechanical factors (such as spondyloarthritis) then having the pressure of the foam roller directly on the spine could exacerbate the condition.
Third, areas the foam roll is used should have bony protection for organs. For example, when rolling the chest, there is no danger to the heart because the rib cage provides adequate protection. . In the low back, there are the kidneys and the liver, which have little to no bony protection (Newton, 1998). While they may be protected by large muscles, it is still considered an endangerment site, especially when using body weight compression across such a large object.