Foam Rolling incorrectly? Hips and hamstring - help!!

Bellchick91
Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey!

Hope you're all doing well. So I've a seriously annoying issue that I really need help with. I have very tight hips (especially the right hip) and what I THINK is a hamstring problem (too tight..?) on ONLY the right leg. The hip tightness interferes with my range of motion including squats, bringing the knees to my chest (knee tucks, etc) and it extends to the outer of my hip too. With respect to the hamstring - I stretch it, foam roll it but its still so tight - it feels like it just doesnt want to lengthen at all. I can put my head on my knee on my left leg, no problem - but the right leg just wont have it!

The pain (when I stretch it) runs from just below the gluteal fold to the thigh in one line, and its a sharp pain. I went to a physio about it and she said it was my IT band - which makes sense. But all the exercises/stretches she's given me havent helped.

And with that - foam rolling hasnt helped either. Am I doing it wrong?! Is there a special way to foam roll your hips/hamstrings? I go slow, but not too slow, and foam roll for about 30 seconds per area. I feel no relief when foam rolling the hamstrings OR hips - so, maybe I am doing it wrong?

I've included a picture of a leg, and circled the areas that Im talking about (to make things a bit clearer). Does anybody have any idea what else it could be? Would lower back mobility/flexibilty help at all? Or any advice on what to do? I've tried probably a million different stretches for these particular ailments - and still no relief.

Please, any advice greatly appreciated!
Best wishes
Emma

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I just had a similar problem and found it stemmed from my piriformis muscle. I was having a nerve issue though because it was pinching my sciatic nerve. Otherwise it sounds the same. Have you tried foam rolling with the roller parallel to your body instead of perpendicular? Also..tennis, lacrosse, or hand ball. I spent about 40 minutes yesterday working on mine and while I almost fixed it, I did need to go in and get a massage today.

    I'll look through and see what videos I found helpful.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
    how long have you been working on this area? sometimes it can take months or even years to work out a rough spot. We can spend years cramping our body up at a desk or car or where ever, and expect to reverse the cramping in a few days or weeks, but thats not the case. And everybody has tight areas and we spend time focusing on them, its an ongoing forever process. Give it some time of being worked with.
  • Ironmaiden4life
    Ironmaiden4life Posts: 422 Member
    When you use a foam roller you should roll it slowly over the muscle and stop on the point where it feels very tender. Then you hold on that stop for at least 30 seconds or until the sensation lessens.You may need to go over the area more than once.

    Foam rolling works by a mechanism called autogenic inhibition. Throughout the body there are a number of receptors that receive and send out information to and from the central nervous system. In your muscles there are muscle spindles which lie parallel to the fibers. They sense length change and rate of change in the muscle. When you exercise you cause the muscle spindles to contract the muscle fibers, via myotatic stretch reflex. In the musculotendinous regions (where the muscle and tendon merge) you have receptors called Golgi Tendon Organs. These sense tension change and rate of change and when stimulated cause the muscle fibers to relax.

    When you foam roll and hit a 'sore spot' you're hitting a muscle fiber knot and by keeping pressure on the spot you will stimulate the GTO's to send a signal to override the contraction caused by the spindles. The fibers will then relax and re-align in a straighter position. Foam rolling should be done prior to static stretching enabling a deeper more effective stretch.

    A lot of people don't hold on these trigger points and simply roll about on the roller which negates the technique. Try it and see if it improves the tightness.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Thanks for all of the replies - and thanks arditarose for looking for those videos!

    Ive had the problem a couple of months - but Im not a sitter AT all. I walk a hell of a lot - that's why the physio thinks its the IT band. I'll keep foam rolling longer, and use a ball and just hang out for a while and see what happens. How long would you recommend staying on a sore spot?
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    how long have you been working on this area? sometimes it can take months or even years to work out a rough spot. We can spend years cramping our body up at a desk or car or where ever, and expect to reverse the cramping in a few days or weeks, but thats not the case. And everybody has tight areas and we spend time focusing on them, its an ongoing forever process. Give it some time of being worked with.

    Patience!!
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    XavierNusum wrote: »
    SonyaCele wrote: »
    how long have you been working on this area? sometimes it can take months or even years to work out a rough spot. We can spend years cramping our body up at a desk or car or where ever, and expect to reverse the cramping in a few days or weeks, but thats not the case. And everybody has tight areas and we spend time focusing on them, its an ongoing forever process. Give it some time of being worked with.

    Patience!!

    About 6 months - and yes, I will keep going with it! Thank you!! :)
  • TnTWalter
    TnTWalter Posts: 345 Member
    i started foam rolling in May following a program by Natalie Jill. It feels so good...I looked around youtube and found this gal. Good instructions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAuh5Pg8uYU Oh and I found a natalie jill video on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAHSWJbNF7I
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    When you use a foam roller you should roll it slowly over the muscle and stop on the point where it feels very tender. Then you hold on that stop for at least 30 seconds or until the sensation lessens.You may need to go over the area more than once.

    Foam rolling works by a mechanism called autogenic inhibition. Throughout the body there are a number of receptors that receive and send out information to and from the central nervous system. In your muscles there are muscle spindles which lie parallel to the fibers. They sense length change and rate of change in the muscle. When you exercise you cause the muscle spindles to contract the muscle fibers, via myotatic stretch reflex. In the musculotendinous regions (where the muscle and tendon merge) you have receptors called Golgi Tendon Organs. These sense tension change and rate of change and when stimulated cause the muscle fibers to relax.

    When you foam roll and hit a 'sore spot' you're hitting a muscle fiber knot and by keeping pressure on the spot you will stimulate the GTO's to send a signal to override the contraction caused by the spindles. The fibers will then relax and re-align in a straighter position. Foam rolling should be done prior to static stretching enabling a deeper more effective stretch.

    A lot of people don't hold on these trigger points and simply roll about on the roller which negates the technique. Try it and see if it improves the tightness.

    Here you go, best answer.

    The one thing I'll add is "why is this happening?" It could be as simple as your job or it could be some other deficiency in your movement. Try what IM said above with the foam rolling and or go get a good deep-tissue massage. Have a NASM or NSCA certified trainer / specialist do a movement screening (KCA) on your to see if you have any movement dysfunction.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    When you use a foam roller you should roll it slowly over the muscle and stop on the point where it feels very tender. Then you hold on that stop for at least 30 seconds or until the sensation lessens.You may need to go over the area more than once.

    Foam rolling works by a mechanism called autogenic inhibition. Throughout the body there are a number of receptors that receive and send out information to and from the central nervous system. In your muscles there are muscle spindles which lie parallel to the fibers. They sense length change and rate of change in the muscle. When you exercise you cause the muscle spindles to contract the muscle fibers, via myotatic stretch reflex. In the musculotendinous regions (where the muscle and tendon merge) you have receptors called Golgi Tendon Organs. These sense tension change and rate of change and when stimulated cause the muscle fibers to relax.

    When you foam roll and hit a 'sore spot' you're hitting a muscle fiber knot and by keeping pressure on the spot you will stimulate the GTO's to send a signal to override the contraction caused by the spindles. The fibers will then relax and re-align in a straighter position. Foam rolling should be done prior to static stretching enabling a deeper more effective stretch.

    A lot of people don't hold on these trigger points and simply roll about on the roller which negates the technique. Try it and see if it improves the tightness.

    Here you go, best answer.

    The one thing I'll add is "why is this happening?" It could be as simple as your job or it could be some other deficiency in your movement. Try what IM said above with the foam rolling and or go get a good deep-tissue massage. Have a NASM or NSCA certified trainer / specialist do a movement screening (KCA) on your to see if you have any movement dysfunction.

    Where would you get this done? PT at the gym don't do this but I have a physiotherapist that I could ask about this? Also - does anybody think that maybe I have WEAK hip flexors and that the pain is due to compensation of some of the major hip flexors over the weaker ones? I read that this can be the cause of tight hips, too. Should I try some strengthening exercises? As well as foam rolling and stretching. (I think foam rolling is possibly the best thing I ever discovered in my entire life. Oh it hurts but so good!)

    Thanks for all the help!
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    Ironmaiden4life wrote: »
    When you use a foam roller you should roll it slowly over the muscle and stop on the point where it feels very tender. Then you hold on that stop for at least 30 seconds or until the sensation lessens.You may need to go over the area more than once.

    Foam rolling works by a mechanism called autogenic inhibition. Throughout the body there are a number of receptors that receive and send out information to and from the central nervous system. In your muscles there are muscle spindles which lie parallel to the fibers. They sense length change and rate of change in the muscle. When you exercise you cause the muscle spindles to contract the muscle fibers, via myotatic stretch reflex. In the musculotendinous regions (where the muscle and tendon merge) you have receptors called Golgi Tendon Organs. These sense tension change and rate of change and when stimulated cause the muscle fibers to relax.

    When you foam roll and hit a 'sore spot' you're hitting a muscle fiber knot and by keeping pressure on the spot you will stimulate the GTO's to send a signal to override the contraction caused by the spindles. The fibers will then relax and re-align in a straighter position. Foam rolling should be done prior to static stretching enabling a deeper more effective stretch.

    A lot of people don't hold on these trigger points and simply roll about on the roller which negates the technique. Try it and see if it improves the tightness.

    Here you go, best answer.

    The one thing I'll add is "why is this happening?" It could be as simple as your job or it could be some other deficiency in your movement. Try what IM said above with the foam rolling and or go get a good deep-tissue massage. Have a NASM or NSCA certified trainer / specialist do a movement screening (KCA) on your to see if you have any movement dysfunction.

    Where would you get this done? PT at the gym don't do this but I have a physiotherapist that I could ask about this? Also - does anybody think that maybe I have WEAK hip flexors and that the pain is due to compensation of some of the major hip flexors over the weaker ones? I read that this can be the cause of tight hips, too. Should I try some strengthening exercises? As well as foam rolling and stretching. (I think foam rolling is possibly the best thing I ever discovered in my entire life. Oh it hurts but so good!)

    Thanks for all the help!

    Calling those trainers "PT's" is a stretch if they can't do a KCA or some kind of movement assessment. I'm not sure, check Craig's list to see if there are any independent trainers that can help you.

    It's hard to say what the exact issue is without seeing you move through an overhead squat assessment, dead-bug assessment, etc. At best I can only make an assumption that you need to improve mobility, if you sit a lot get up and move frequently and do some kind of stretch for your hip and piriformis mid-day if you can. Also, work on your unilateral strength as well as bilateral strength. The big thing on MFP is to Squat, Deadlift, Squat, Deadlift which is truly great but those alone are not ideal for good function.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Try this. It has helped me with my mobility.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    dave4d wrote: »
    Try this. It has helped me with my mobility.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSSDLDhbacc

    This is great!! I do a lot of these already - but some of these are new and he does them quite well. Explains it really well. Im gonna try this tomorrow! Thanks!

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