Got Knee Problems? Roll Your Pain Out

Many people who are interested in exercise have seen those white, cylindrical foam rollers in fitness centers. But most people have no clue what they are used for. Foam rollers, or Pilates rollers as they are sometimes known, are used for three primary purposes.

Foam rollers are used in Pilates or other fitness classes to improve core strength and balance. Another major benefit is for releasing muscle tension.

Some people who enjoy running or jogging as a main form of cardiovascular exercise experience knee pain from the excessive pounding the joints take from the pavement.

I personally advocate only running on natural surfaces, such as grass and sand; however, even those surfaces may contribute to knee pain.

The main culprit of knee pain amongst runners is usually what's called Ilio-Tibial-Band (ITB) syndrome. While ITB syndrome sounds like some horrendous infectious disease picked up from some backwater Southeast Asian lagoon, it's actually something a lot less serious.

But runners take their running seriously and want to be in tip-top shape. The solution is to use the foam-roller and roll out the side of the leg from the hip bone to the knee, the area called the IT Band.

The ITB is fascia, or connective tissue. If it gets too taught, the ligaments that are responsible for keeping the knee tracking could get misaligned, causing knee pain. Many runners often feel pain on the outside of their knee, an indication that the IT bands are too tight.

A caveat, though, about using a foam roller: it hurts! Rolling out the IT bands is painful. But if you feel pain when rolling on the sides of your thighs, then that's an indication you need to be rolling in the first place.

Gradually, the pain will mitigate and your knees will hurt less when you run.

To complement your foam rolling, you should do stretches that release the IT bands.

Call me at 858.442.6861 to receive a private session on using a foam roller and stretches to relieve IT band tightness.