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]]>Tight and achey muscles but can't get in to have a massage or treatment?
Massage and hands-on work is a great way to relieve muscle tension, but sometimes it can be hard to find the time.
Thankfully there's an array of self-care tools including massage balls out there to help you. But you may not be so sure how to use them.
Laura Randall our Osteopath will take you through the benefits of each type of massage ball.
These myofascial balls are great to get into more sensitive areas, or if you're just starting out with massage balls.
The spikey ball is a bit harder with little nobbles to get into all the nooks and crannies. If you need some deeper work a spikey ball can be great to get deeper into your muscles.
There are times when it's not appropriate to use massage balls. If you're unsure seek professional advice.
What do Massage/Spiky Balls do?
The key concept behind the use of spiky and other massage balls is that the application of pressure to an area of the body can be useful in order to obtain various health benefits. This parallels the effects of deep tissue massage techniques when you see a manual therapist such as an osteopath, chiropractor or massage therapist. Therefore, any object, being spherical in nature or otherwise, can be used to apply pressure and achieve the desired result. Just as the bear scratches its back using the bark of a tree, so too can we use a golf/tennis/lacrosse ball, or even a foam roller for that matter, to massage our muscles and improve tissue tensions.
As I said, the object need not be a ball at all. There have been several occasions when I’ve been crippled by pain while travelling abroad and I’ve resorted to digging into the pantry to pick out two cans of tinned beans just to roll out my lower back – repeatedly falling on your neck when trampolining isn’t recommended! As long as those cans don’t open while you’re on top of them you’re good to go! With that said, it is probably less often when you find yourself in a position where you don’t have access to at least a tennis ball at the bare minimum.
What to Look for in a Massage/Spiky Ball?
The benefit of using a spherical object like a ball is that you can roll along or across the length of your muscles, simulating the action of having a massage. If we’re talking specifically of massage balls, there are four main differentiating factors: size, density, friction component (how grippy the ball is), and whether or not the ball is spiky. The first three factors are by far the most important. A golf ball is small, extremely firm and generally has a low friction component. A similar-sized ball is a squash ball which is small, less firm but very grippy. Size and density are fairly self-explanatory, a small ball is easier to work into tight spaces like between the ribs or into the small muscles of the foot, and the density determines how much pressure you can exert. Similarly, a large ball covers more surface area and can be better suited to penetrating deeper into the larger muscle groups – much the same as a foam roller is generally better suited to releasing the larger muscle groups. The friction component can be important so that the ball doesn’t slide out from under you if you’re lying on it or leaning against it on a wall which can be quite important too. There are various ‘points’ of view in relation to how important the spikes on spiky balls are. It is theorised that they elicit a greater stimulation of local blood flow in the capillaries, but there appears to be little if any evidence to back this up.
Personally my favourite all-round self release tool is a lacrosse ball. For the enticingly low cost of $5-10 this ball has all of the qualities I like in a massage ball. It’s very firm but not unyielding, is small enough to be useful to get into smaller knots and muscle groups but still large enough to release deep tensions in the quads and glutes, it also has a high friction component, meaning you can use a lacrosse ball on a slippery wooden door or flooring and it’s unlikely to slide out from under you. A tennis ball is a close runner-up because of its ubiquitous nature and having similar size to a lacrosse ball, but rubber cricket balls and baseballs work too. I also really like golf or squash balls for releasing the small muscles of the foot.
Some Tips for Application
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]]>Sometimes we get so caught up doing things for others we forget how to look after ourselves. Here's a few things you may or may not be doing already.
It may seem indulgent and selfish but it's probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. When we invest in our health we allow our body to function at it's optimum to feel pain free, energised and alive. When our mind and body is in flow this is often reflected in other areas of our lives- work, relationships, money etc… If life seems to be putting up roadblocks have a look at how much you invest in yourself. See something on the list you've thought about and not let yourself do? Don't scrimp and save wishing for a better life later. Invest in yourself and reap the benefits now. Give it a go and see what changes for you.
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