Inflexibility, Tightness, Pain and Foam Rolling
There are 4 ways that inflexibility occurs in the human body
1. Structural tightness occurs as a result of inactivity and maintaining the body in a constantly shortened position, like extended sitting at work, lack of daily exercise that would length the muscles, or when injury occurs that leads to scar tissue and inactivity.
2. Neurotension deficits that blocks muscles from lengthening because the embedded neural tissue is the limiting factor.
3. Lack of core stability or balance. Balance is defined as maintaining our center of gravity over our base of support. So if a person lacks core (primarily trunk and hip) or center of gravity stability their body will inhibit them from going outside their center of gravity which subsequently leads to structural tightness due to lack of active lengthening.
4. Tightness of the muscle lining or the Myofasical component of the muscle is the limiting factor.
This cause of inflexibility is the one that does not initially respond well to band stretching and this is why.
Do to the structural make-up of fascia, we know that it does not respond to repetitive or sustained stretching. Instead it lengthens out better using compression with a mild lengthening stimulus as seen with foam rolling.
What I have found is that adults or athletes that do not positively respond to band stretching within 2 weeks or approximately 8 stretching sessions and demonstrated pain with foam rolling, are probably better candidates for a 3-4 week program of exclusive foam rolling to first eliminate Myofasical restrictions and pain before resuming a band stretching routine.
Recent Case study
To elaborate on this point, I am presently working with a new bootcamp member who is a long time distance runner that has a long history of inflexibility. She has attempted yoga and aggressive static stretching with poor results. She demonstrates relatively good trunk stability with definite gluteus medius weakness. Her foam roll test demonstrated severe pain and I promise you this is a tough lady.
She now has been foam rolling with a white roll for 3 weeks. She has moved up to the firmer black roll and is noting 80% improvement in her foam roll pain through ITB, TFL, and Quadricep regions.
She also reports better pre, during and post running leg stiffness and even feels faster during her running workouts.
We recently rechecked her band stretching tolerance and noted a 40% improvement in hamstring mobility in the sagital plan.
Summary
Foam rolling should always be considered as a frequently used recover and pre-habilitation tool. It also should be looked upon as a pre-band stretching tool, especially when are not responding favorably to band stretching and demonstrate significant Myofasical like symptoms.
