The Powerful Evidence Behind Massage Roller Mechanisms and Outcomes $0.00

The Powerful Evidence Behind Massage Roller Mechanisms and Outcomes

By: Rebecca Moore |
Roller Massager

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a massage therapist with you whenever and wherever you or your patients felt muscle pain? While getting this kind service from another human being might be highly unlikely (and expensive), the creation of tools like the TheraBand Massage Roller have made on-demand myofascial manipulation possible for everyone at a reasonable price point

Clinicians like you have encouraged their patients to use massage rollers for years for a number of reasons. Not only are they portable, convenient and inexpensive, but they really work! The real question is, how do they work, why do they work and what’s the best way to use them?

David Behm PhD has spent years exploring these inquisitions and has uncovered some powerful data behind the use and outcomes behind roller massaging. In the latest version of The Journal of Performance Health, he published the article “Recommendations and Mechanisms Pertaining to Roller Massaging” summarizing his findings. Here’s everything you need to know about massage rolling, straight from the master himself.


Why Should You Use Roller Massager?



Hand Splinting

The research-proven outcomes that most clinicians and patients expect from massage rolling are increased flexibility and reduced pain/muscle soreness. The idea of increased neuromuscular efficiency is a fairly new clinical find. A few years back, Dr. Behm and his fellow researchers concluded that the mechanisms behind the effects of roller massage were just as neurological as they were muscular.


How Does Rolling Massage Work?



Hand Splinting

Again, think of it as “neuromuscular rolling” instead of “myofascial rolling.” When it comes to increasing range of motion, roller massagers initiate neural mechanisms and warmth. Next, an increase in afferent input inhibits spinal excitability, which regulates muscle activation. As for pain relief, Dr. Behm has concluded that this outcome could be due to delayin C-fiber and A-delta thresholds. Finally, Dr. Behm recognizes an increase in microvascular blood flow as a noteworthy mechanism of roller massagers.


How Do You Correctly Use a Roller Massager?



Hand Splinting

One of the greatest findings of Dr. Behm’s research turns out to be awesome news for patients; using a roller massager DOES NOT have to be painful, and you don’t need to do it for as long as you think! His data shows that rolling at 4/10 pain is sufficient for range of motion increases, and these increases can be seen with as little as five seconds of rolling. Additionally, he noted that rolling for more than 60 seconds doesn’t add benefit for increasing range of motion or pain reduction, and rolling at 10 minute intervals after a stretching warm up prolongs flexibility gains. However, Dr. Behm warns that using the tool for chronic, long-term effects isn’t as strongly supported as acute response.


Add Roller Massaging into Your Clinical Tool Box Today


No. Roller massage is nothing new, flashy or innovative. It’s not high tech, and it won't win you the Pain Reliever of the Year award (probably). But it works, and it’s a simple product that you and your patients can rely on to deliver dynamic results. We recommend keeping a few of these easy-to-clean tools in your clinic for your patients to use before or after their treatment. Even better, you can stock the TheraBand Massage Rollers in your lobby as a part of your clinical retailing program. This means that your patients can experience pain relief and increased flexibility inside and outside of the clinic; which just might be the greatest service you can provide them.


Resources:

Behm D. Recommendations and mechanisms pertaining to neuromuscular rolling (Abstract). J Perform Health Res.2017; 1(2):14-15

Craighead DH, Alexander DM. The effects of the Theraband® Roller Massager on Muscle Soreness and Cutaneous blood flow (Abstract). J Perform Health Res.2017;1(2):15

OR