Foam Rolling = Dark Magic

I know I should have been doing it all along, but for one reason or another it just never quite sunk in. Well, I was blind and naive but now I can see.

I swore that I had to have something seriously wrong with my knee. I assumed it was a meniscus tear or something like that. I’ve had pain for over a year and I’ve been sidelined from the gym for almost 2 months due to the pain in my right knee. Sitting for long periods of time, stairs, anything I did caused pain.

I finally saw an orthopedic doc who examined me for about 90 seconds it seemed and immediately said I have tendonitis kthnxbye. He said I should get PT and sent me on my way.

At that point I started researching how to get over tendonitis and found out about PFTD (Patellofemoral tracking disorder) which is what I think I actually have.

HOLY SHIT! After only 3 sessions of foam rolling my pain is GONE. My knee feels better than I can remember in YEARS. I do have some questions though…

The pain is my muscles is excrutiating especially along my IT band when foam rolling. I know it will eventually get better but does it hurt so bad just because i’m new at it or would it hurt more if I have a problem like tendonitis or PFTD (tight IT band causing patella to get out of track)

Could I possibly have such quick and dramatic results if I DO have tendonitis?

Either way I’m so glad I finally started using a foam roller and I will ALWAYS use it before squats and deads from now on

I’ve experienced basically the same thing, I have tendonitis in both of my knees and since I started foam rolling they’ve never felt better.

I would say that its painful mainly because your new to it, rolling along the IT band is definitely going to be the most tender spot for the first couple times, but the more you roll it the less painful it becomes.

@ the OP -
I work in physical therapy - my patients usually take a 2 week every day “blitz” of rolling on the IT band before the rolling starts to feel less painful - it takes a little time. But really, it all depends on how tight you were in the first place. Just hang in there, keep rollin, and things will get better.

I work in physical therapy - my patients usually take a 2 week blitz of rolling every day before it starts to get less painful. It does depend on how tight you were in the first place of course. Just hang in there and keep rollin - it’ll get better.

my back pain gone too, after bugged me for years…i am using a 4 inch pvc pipe tough. The day after first time, my body was hot, gladly on the second time it just hot on several body part, third time no problem happened. The fisrt day is monday on last week, since then i am feeling great.

I always have really tight IT band, especailly hits me in my left leg. When I foam roll it for a few sessions defianetly feels better and everythin loosens up.

I foam roll after every workout, stopped the tightness I used to get in my quads if I just stretched. If you think foam rolling the IT band with foam hurts, wait til you try PVC pipe.

I hear ya OP. I’ve been foam rolling now for over a month and have zero pain any more. Pain was intense for 2 weeks doing it for 2 20 minute sessions per day. I barely stretch really, yet I magically more limber.

If you think it hurts with a PVC pipe, wait till you try it with a lacrosse ball . . . .

has anybody used one of the hand-held roller devices? it’s called ‘the stick’, or something similar? i saw Joe DeFranco use one in one of his videos… anybody had a good/bad experience with them?

Do you guys get a foam rolling instructional video or some kinda demo video, or do you just roll what ails ya and hope it works? I’ve been considering getting a foam roller or pvc pipe but wouldn’t really know where to start with it.

[quote]tdubs wrote:
has anybody used one of the hand-held roller devices? it’s called ‘the stick’, or something similar? i saw Joe DeFranco use one in one of his videos… anybody had a good/bad experience with them?[/quote]

I have one…use it primarily for calves. Works very well after 10min of jumping rope.

[quote]Big_Boss wrote:

[quote]tdubs wrote:
has anybody used one of the hand-held roller devices? it’s called ‘the stick’, or something similar? i saw Joe DeFranco use one in one of his videos… anybody had a good/bad experience with them?[/quote]

I have one…use it primarily for calves. Works very well after 10min of jumping rope. [/quote]

In my experience it doesn’t get as deep as the foam rollers (and I got the stiffest stick). Another nice feature of the stick, though, is that you can put one end in the corner of a room, hold the other end of your shoulder and work your traps quite well.

[quote]JCS19Y wrote:
Do you guys get a foam rolling instructional video or some kinda demo video, or do you just roll what ails ya and hope it works? I’ve been considering getting a foam roller or pvc pipe but wouldn’t really know where to start with it.[/quote]

This is a pretty good place to start. But there’s a ton of info on youtube.

I’m definitely going to have a go tomorrow straight after my PL session, that video has cleared a lot up thanks.

[quote]Big_Boss wrote:

[quote]tdubs wrote:
has anybody used one of the hand-held roller devices? it’s called ‘the stick’, or something similar? i saw Joe DeFranco use one in one of his videos… anybody had a good/bad experience with them?[/quote]

I have one…use it primarily for calves. Works very well after 10min of jumping rope. [/quote]

I’m impressed you can jump rope for 10 minutes straight. That shit’s exhausting… Anyway, I had surgery on my meniscus almost a year ago to the day and have severe tendonitis in my other knee and when I foam roll consistently the difference in pain and stiffness is night and day. Reading this thread has made me make a vow to foam roll daily. Thanks.

Foam/ball/pvc is a necessity.

It takes 5 mins a day and probably has a great benefit that you can get out of your training.

Thanks al, for the video

I was actually at the sporting goods store yesterday and saw foam rolls. Come with an instructional DVD for $30 total.

does anyone else feel extreme pain when rolling out the lats (1:10 in the video)?

that shit changed my life. I got hit by a car riding my bike when i was 14 and had all sorts of problems for over a decade. Now the pain is gone, and if I just roll my right IT band every so often it doesnt come back. The mechanics of my entire body have greatly corrected themselves and i cant believe how long I lived with back and leg pain and poor form.