How to Use a Foam Roller for Your Back Pain
Laura Williams Bustos, MS, ACSM EP-C
Foam roller for your back
Chances are by now you've seen (and possibly used) the cylinders of foam that have popped up at gyms, physical therapists', and chiropractors' offices.
In exercise communities, words like "trigger point therapy" and "myofascial release" are used in reference to foam rolling as though this form of self-massage is the cure-all, end-all therapy for muscle pain problems. One of its many popular uses is as a pre- and post-workout tool to boost circulation and flexibility.
But, as with most things that are physical in nature, "it's complicated" is a better way to describe the benefits of foam rolling for back pain.