Oxygen Australia Issue 93 SeptemberOctober 2017

Sep/Oct 2017 oxygenmag.com.au

Photos by

Cory Sorensen /

Hair & Makeup:

Nancy J /

Model:

Cristina Dennis /

Pants:

Calia /

Top:

Model’s Own /

Shoes:

New Balance

22

Sometimes I hit a painful

spot when I’m foam

rolling. What is that?

Though they’re not fully

understood, trigger points

are commonly believed to be

mini muscle spasms caused by

repetitive trauma to the tissue,

either because of poor posture

or repetitive movement patterns

that, over time, cause a compensation to occur. That

compensating muscle soon becomes overworked and

consequently develops a trigger point to express its

outrage.

And not only are trigger points painful, but they’re also

sinister. “Trigger points prevent you from getting a full

range of motion, either from pain or tightness or both,

which increases your chance of injury during exercise,”

says Dr Kyle Stull, a licensed manual therapist and an

educator for the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

Some areas are more prone to trigger points than

others and depend on things such as lifestyle, faulty

movement patterns or even footwear (stilettos,

anyone?). The most common culprits are the calves,

upper back/shoulders, chest, glutes and hip flexors.

On the Ball

Your best bet for optimal results is to release those trigger

points before and after your workout, increasing range

of motion and decreasing risk of injury. “Since trigger

points are deep in the musculature, you need something

more dense than a foam roller to address them,” says Dr

Stull, who suggests using a massage ball.

To use, place it between your muscle and

lid surface, and roll over an area

s owly. When you find a tender

spot, hold pressure for 30 to 90

seconds. “That decreases the

blood flow to the area, hopefully

inhibiting it and releasing it,” Dr

Stull says. Afterward, do some

static stretching to increase the

muscle’s length and help the

tissue heal.

It could take several weeks of

c tent rolling to release a trigger

point, but it will most certainly come back if

your form or posture is still out of whack. “You can rub a

sore neck and it might feel better, but it’s not really going

to change anything,” Dr Stull says. “Figure out the reason

and correct it; don’t simply release stuff that feels tight.”

His suggestion: have a professional assess your posture,

and be conscious of repetitive movement patterns and

lifestyle factors that might cause trigger points.

Untie the knots that

Trigger points (^) are holding you back.
CALVES (soleus/gastrocnemius)
If you wear heels or are an avid
runner or jump-rope aficionado,
trigger points can plague your
calves.
Position the ball under the
middle to lower calf and roll
slowly up and down until you find
a tender area. Note: if your feet
turn outward, position the ball
higher on the calf and perform.
Roll over each muscle carefully, and once you find
a trigger point, hold and apply pressure for 30 to 90
seconds. Do both before and after a workout.
GLUTES (maximus/medius)
Overtraining and a weak core can
cause a trigger point in your glutes.
Sit with the ball underneath the
upper glutes of one leg and cross
that ankle over your opposite
knee. Focus your work on the top
part of the gluteus medius near
the hipbone.
HIPS (rectus femoris, psoas,
tensor fasciae latae)
Sitting and quad-dominant
activities like cycling or running can
cause tight hips.
Lie face-down on your elbows
with one knee bent, and position the
ball under your extended leg (top
photo). Roll slowly up your quad
toward the hip, stopping to hold
wherever it feels tender.
To hit the tensor fasciae latae,
position the ball at your hip, roll onto
your side, cross the top leg over the
bottom and tip your whole body
forward slightly until you find the
sore spot (bottom photo).
UPPER BACK AND
SHOULDERS (levator scapulae/
upper trapezius)
Technology and continual sitting can
put a major knot in your neck.
Place the ball between your upper
back and a wall, starting at the upper
inner corner of your shoulder blade
and rolling in until you find a tender
spot. (Don’t roll over your vertebrae.)
CHEST (pectoralis major/minor)
Slouched posture can cause a trigger
point in your pecs.
Place the ball between a wall and
your chest near your shoulder. Lean
forward and roll inward toward the
sternum until you find a trigger point.
a solid
slo
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I
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By Erin Calderone, MS, CSCS
Move MOBILITY