The first thing to know about foam rolling is that there are a lot of nonsensical and made up claims for it with a lot of pseudoscience. The warning is be careful what you read about the use of foam rolling by the gurus and pseudo experts. The claims that get made for the use of foam rolling are not backed up by the scientific research on it. Having said that, it is useful. Athletes use it as part of a warm-up and recovery routines. It can help for some specific conditions such as self-massage for plantar fasciitis.
It does not loosen fascia, that is impossible. Its does not release toxins – that is a claim often made by the scientifically illiterate…. and so on. Do not believe the hype.
Given the muscle pain and trigger points in fibromyalgia, can it actually help beyond the hype and personal anecdotes that surrounds its use? While the research does show some benefits in athletes and muscle aches, there is an extraordinary lack of research on its use in fibromyalgia. There is this study (in Italian) that showed that in people with fibromyalgia that the group that used the foam roller did better than the control group on measures of depression, pain, anxiety and sleep quality. So that is a good finding and does support the use of foam rolling in fibromyalgia.
By all means, please try the foam roller. It does appear that it can help. Just do not fall for the hype, marketing and pseudoscience that gets claimed for it.
All you need to do is buy a foam roller (online or at the local sports shop) and find a program (online, in books, or get a personal trainer).
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