Massage Balls
Myofascial release has become an extremely popular method of preventing injuries and treating tight painful muscles. Similar to foam rollers Massage balls can be used for more intricate and specific areas, or muscles, to perform release of adhesions that may be causing tension within the body.
Massage balls come in different sizes for different parts of the body, smaller balls are ideal for the smaller muscles, whereas larger robust muscles may require the use of a larger sized massage ball. Ideal for injuries such as Plantar fasciitis, Piriformis Syndrome and calf or Achilles pain massage balls are more suited to roll these small areas rather than use a larger foam roller. Using a massage ball to roll across the fibres and release tension within a muscle can be an effective way of treating an injury. If you get tight muscles after work or sport, massage balls offer an ideal warm down routine to reduce stiffness and enhance recovery.
Physioroom provide a vast array of different products from the Pinpoint Trigger massage ball to Massage sticks, Peanut shaped rollers and packs of three Spiky Massage balls to cater for all your needs.
Using massage balls is an ideal method of applying pressure to the Gluteal muscles, behind the hip, including the Piriformis which can often be tight due to excessive sitting or postural imbalances. For more accessible muscles such as the calves, using a massage stick can be very effective in angling to the different contours of the muscle to break down adhesions. Peanut massage balls are also highly efficient to massage the calves as the dual ball design can roll both the medial and lateral components of the Gastrocnemius, whilst avoiding pressure on the Achilles tendon.
To use, roll the ball lightly at first over the tight area to “warm up” the tissues and gradually increase the pressure, make sure you roll in different directions to break down adhesions effectively. As you roll the length of the muscle to warm the fibres up, feel any particularly tight areas and go back to these with more sustained pressure to release the trigger points or adhesions underneath. To further progress, integrating movement whilst rolling is a great way to actively release tension in muscles. As you dwell on the painful points try flexing your foot or knee, or rotating your hip so that a stretch is initiated whilst keeping the pressure on the trigger point.
As well as myofascial relief, Physioroom’s range of Massage balls can also be used to promote strengthening of the wrist, hand and fingers following injury. Following injury or surgery to the upper limb there is often associated weakness in the hand; products such as Gymnic Therapeutic Freeballs can be used to help regain strength and flexibility in the hand and fingers after injury.
If a profession requires a lot of hand and wrist use, using massage balls to strengthen grip can be a highly effective part of your daily routine to protect against injuries. Physiotherapy is, ironically, a prime example of such a profession as fingers, thumbs and wrists can be overloaded therefore maintaining strength in these areas can help ward off overuse injuries.
