SMR Trigger Point Release With 3 Examples
“Not Just Rolling Around on the Floor”
Over the last decade foam rolling has become a staple in most gyms. Being a NASM certified personal trainer, SMR (Self-Myofascial Release) or trigger point release was a large part of the curriculum. The action itself seems relatively simple, apply pressure to an area of soft tissue (muscle and fascia) in which there is an adhesion (knot) and the knot will release. What many gym goers do not realize is that the pressure applied must be sustained (rolling up and down will not elicit the proper response) and one must be relaxed during the process.
The Process and Mindset to Achieve the Greatest Results
Investigate
Rolling up and down should only take place during the investigative process. When you start rolling you want to go slow and make sure you’re not rolling on joints. This is about tissue not joints. So if you’re rolling your IT Band/vastus lateralis (outer upper thigh) you would only roll from the bottom of the pelvic girdle to the top of the knee joint. You will roll slowly in one direction looking for pain or ‘lumps’ and then in the opposite direction. I always tell my clients look for the mothership of the pain - if you can tolerate it.
Stop and Hold
Once you’ve found the adhesion or knot of the most painful spot and have determined that you are not directly on a joint or bone this is where you stop and hold for 30 to 60 seconds. If there is shooting pain do not hold and move away from the area immediately. Now you must relax.
Breathe and Melt
“Frankie says Relax” - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
This is by far the hardest part of foam rolling - relaxing. If you are trying to get the tissues to relax then you must also relax. “What are you kidding me, this is so painful how am I supposed to do that??!!” Start breathing in and out through the nose (the nose is for breathing and the mouth is for eating), nasal breathing puts us into a relaxed state, mouth breathing automatically signals stress to the brain. Deepen your inhales and exhales - expand your belly on the inhales and concave on the exhales. Close your eyes, start connecting to your body, unclench your fists and unfurrow your brows. Move your awareness to where you are applying the pressure, signal to that area to relax. The pain that you are allowing yourself to register will immediately tell the body to tense up to decrease it, but that is the opposite of what you need to do. The pain will get worse (temporarily) but should start to subside right around 30 seconds. Hopefully it will almost feel like a balloon that had been untied and is slowly releasing all the pressure built up within it. If the roller is too hard, use a softer roller, this is not about sucking up the pain it’s about letting go of the pain.
My Big Three
Here are my big three areas to apply SMR .
IT Band/Vastus Lateralis
Come to the floor, lay down on your side with the foam roller placed just below your pelvic joint. Have your top leg come up and over with the knee bent and the foot placed firmly on the ground. You will be on your bottom forearm with your top arm up and over, the bottom leg is completely relaxed. Begin to roll and crawl forward using the top leg’s foot as your driving force, allowing the roller to move slowly down your leg. Stop just above the knee and roll back - just as slow. Once you’ve determined the area of most pain or pressure go back there, stop, breathe, melt and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.
2. Piriformis
The piriformis is a small muscle under the gluteus maximus. The piriformis is a constant overachiever, always trying to help out everyone else while the gluteus maximus can be pretty lazy. This is tricky to get to and I’ve shown it using a hard medicine ball but a foam roller can be used. Sit down on the medicine ball with only one bum cheek on it. Place the associated hand behind you. Bend the opposite knee with foot firmly planted on the floor, bend the other leg (the one whose bum you are sitting on) and place the ankle on top of the bent legs thigh, the other hand is holding the shin of the top leg. (Just look at the picture :) ) Now you want to lean to the side that you are sitting on, and roll around on the soft tissue only, looking for a point of pain or pressure. Remember no joints, no shooting pain just good old pressure pain. Once there stop, breathe, melt and hold for 30-60 seconds.
3. Upper Trapezius
Our upper trapezius is almost always overactive due to the forward lean associated with computer work, driving and use of electronics. This is also an area that tends to hold a significant amount of tension. For this I recommend using a tennis ball or lacrosse ball. Stand with your back against a wall and place the ball between the wall and your upper trapezius. Begin to roll around on the fleshy area - again no bones and stay away from the spine. Once you’ve found the spot make sure that the rest of your body is comfortable readjust as needed, let your head relax against the wall (if you are able to) and let the arm associated with the trapezius become heavy. Once there stop, breathe, melt and hold for 30-60 seconds.
SMR can be done on it’s own as part of a recovery day or at the beginning or the end of a workout. If there are improper length-tension relationships around the joints then it should be followed by static stretching.
If you are interested in the physiology behind SMR please click on the link below. https://blog.nasm.org/training-benefits/foam-rolling-applying-the-technique-of-self-myofascial-release/
NOTE: Foam rolling is not appropriate for all populations, including those with osteoporosis congestive heart failure, kidney failure, or any organ failure, bleeding disorders, or contagious skin conditions.
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