Hi everyone,
Before we get into this week's email, a reminder that as of Thursday I'm on leave for 3 weeks and am then doing a Craniosacral Therapy course so return to work on Tues 16th March.
This week I've been reminded of how useful a foam roller is for knee and hip pain or discomfort. A slightly dodgy right knee can get painful with a lot of walking particularly downhill. I'm currently working on strengthening it up by doing a little more hill walking each week. Usually there is some discomfort by the end of the walk. For the past week I've been using the foam roller every day to release the iliotibial band (ITB) at the side the thigh and today there was no discomfort at all by the end of the walk!
The iliotibial band runs from the side of the pelvis to just below the knee so when it gets tight it can put tension on both hip and knee joints. It's a tricky area to stretch so the roller is a great way to release it...yes it can be painful but the more often you do it the less painful it gets, I promise! (Hubby still doesn't believe me but he refuses to do it consistently!) And consistency is the key with the roller. Use it daily until the area is no longer sore and then maintain with 2-3 times/week.
Here is a short video of some roller releases - the ITB is the second move.
If you don't have a foam roller they are available from most sports stores. If you struggle to get down and up off the floor you can use a handheld massager to release the ITB or ask your massage therapist to work on it.
Happy rolling!
Carla :)
