(Part 2) Best foam rollers according to redditors

Yoga, yoga, yoga. It's awesome for you. Not only does it help prevent injuries, chicks dig it too (go take a class). Also, buy yourself a rumble roller or a trigger point. These things are amazing for post workouts. What they essentially do is allow you to give yourself a deep tissue massage. A lot of people use regular foam tubes to roll out their muscles, but the only problem with them is that it's hard to target a specific knotted muscle since it will roll away when you put pressure on it. The foam rollers I listed above allow you to catch the knotted muscle and apply pressure.

Just a warning, though; using the rumble roller (it's what I have) is extremely painful for the first several uses. As a person with an unusually high tolerance to pain the rumble roller made gasp for air it hurt so much. The pain is definitely worth it, because you'll recover faster, preform longer, and reduce your risk of injuries (when I use it before and after a 2 hour run I do not get sore the next day).

But seriously, Yoga.

Thanks to that thread about non-workout time investments for a fit lifestyle, I ordered a foam roller and lacrosse ball and have actually been rolling myself out on the reg for the last week and GUYS. GUYS THIS IS LIFE CHANGING.

One question though: how do you use a lacrosse ball on your back without just wiggling all over the floor like a two-year-old on an entire package of gummy worms?

OK. I have slight cracking in my knees. So this thread got me interested. Having read up and down the thread I see NO examples of what this foam roller is. After a Google search, found this /r/crossfit post. Wherein, the OP bought/used this product. Hope this helps everyone who is interested.

For those who already use lacrosse balls and are looking for some other options, or potentially more effective items, here is my list of most effective items for different areas.

I also highly recommend checking out the book "[Becoming a supple leopard] (https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-2nd-Performance/dp/1628600837)" By Kelly Starett. (as mentioned in another comment below)


IT Band / Quads/ Shins -[triggerpoint quadballer] (https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Self-Myofascial-Release-Massage-Quadballer/dp/B000LCC780/ref=pd_sim_200_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QV9B5KT15B1DGX2DW947) This is significantly more effective then a traditional foam roller..... but that also means it sucks 1000x more while using it.

Calves/ankles/ hamstrings - [Medi-Dyne ProStretch ] (https://www.amazon.com/FootSmart-SmartFlexx-Stretching-Fasciitis-Tendonitis/dp/B005BWG7JA) - Foam rolling has never worked well on my lower legs.. but this is incredible for stretching my calves.

**Chest, abs, Upper back, lower back, delts, triceps* - [rumbleroller foam roller] (http://www.rumbleroller.com/) {I just noticed they now have knobbed balls, so I imagine these would be ideal for neck, arms, shoulders, chest} - The knobs on this roller literally feel like they are tenderizing my larger muscles. It can loosen me up in a hurry.

Glutes, lower back** - [small hard medicine ball.] (http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_10051_1514727_-1?cm_mmc=pla-_-Sports+And+Leisure+Fitness+Accessories+Hand+Exercise+Equipment-_-Google-_-BCG+Medicine+Ball&sku=103368094&gclid=Cj0KEQiAk5zEBRD9lfno2dek0tsBEiQAWVKyuKCbg3HpbBH95wzqTRral6KvXGSc5I-6QBj35NTtRnkaAptr8P8HAQ&kwid=productads-adid%5E104478168558-device%5Ec-plaid%5E263066970473-sku%5E103368094-adType%5EPLA)
lacrosse balls work fine for your glutes, but I feel like it is better used in supplement to something that's able to loosen up a wider area first.

My girlfriend bought this foam roller a year or so ago. I only recently discovered how awesome it is and have kicked myself for not using it earlier.

They are a bit expensive... but the ones that cost a little more (like the one I linked above) are a hard, sturdier foam with less give. You really want some firmness to it for it to be effective. Some rollers are too foamy, like this. I would spend a little more for a denser foam.

I use a TriggerPoint Grid 13" foam roller.

https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Roller-Instructional-Original-13-inch/dp/B01LW755GP

I don't know if the grided sections actually make a difference but it has held up well for me and it is a nice size for traveling with. I can also put stuff in the middle which allows me to pack more into a bag.

I've been using one of these lately. Maybe not quite as good as a high school desk, but (a) you can roll back & forth over it until it works all the kinks out; and (b) no worries about getting my middle-aged gut stuck in a school desk.

I do a lot of circus training (including contortion, but also hand balancing and tumbling) and these things have really made a difference for me. I roll out while watching videos or listening to audio book last thing before bed and it always feels amazing. I start with rollers that have larger surface area (such as foam roller) and work my way to smaller surface area (such as rad roller or lacrosse ball). I don't have a routine, just roll out whatever parts of body feel tired or tight.

• rad roller
  
• gofit ball
  
• normal foam roller, half size
  
• yoga wheel - more useful for flexibility training, especially back and splits. I like just draping my upper back or hips over it and relaxing in the stretch.
  
  If I had to pick just one, it'd be gofit ball. That thing is very easy to use to target a muscle group, not too intense like lacross ball would be, not limited to one plane of motion like rad roller is. Hard to use gofit ball on the back though.
  
  Highly recommend gofit ball for hip/shoulder/back release if that's the only thing you're gonna get.

Sort of joining in the chorus here, but yep, that sounds like a muscle spasm. Chronic, gnarly, treatment-resistant muscle spasms are super common with EDS- they're usually associated with a particularly unstable joint, what your muscles freak out overcompensating for, but can be caused by other things as well.

The "zingy" nerve pain is probably caused by impingement- either by the unstable joint subluxing onto it, or the spasmed muscles squeezing the crap out of it. Given your description of the timing, it's probably a subluxation. My random IANAD guess would be AC joint, just because your description sounds a lot like what happens when mine slips.

Treating these things is a bitch and a half. Here are some of the things I do, which help somewhat.

• When it first starts, some self-administered trigger-point masage can sometimes stop it. Here are some tools I use: Neck knobby thing, spine knobby thing, foam roller. You can also use tennis balls or lacross balls, but I uh.. broke them \^\^;;;
  
• Aspercreme / Blue Emu - I find the classic Trolamine Salicylate works best for me, but if you have an aspirin allergy, or if Lidocaine works better for you, they make a version with that as the active instead. There's also a spray form for when an area is too tender to touch. They can be a little pricey, but Amazon has a Subscribe & Save discount on them, which helps.
  
• Combine the above with Tiger Balm or Icy Hot, if you can tolerate them, and I find it makes them more effective than either separately. I think they maybe help the ingredients in the above penetrate better?
  
• If you can get it, adding a final layer of CBD lotion or oil is extra effective. I use Ethos Muscle Melt.
  
• Slap a quality heating pad with a washable cover on the above and bake that shit in- (NOTE: I AM DEFINITELY NOT A DOCTOR, AND THE ASPERCREME LABEL SPECIFICALLY SAYS NOT TO DO THIS but damned if it isn't effective and at this point I'll do anything that works?)
  
• If that fails, grab some alcohol swabs to wipe all that shit I just recommended off from a few spots and then use a TENS unit.
  
• Medicate: this part is obviously dependent on your own rxs and state legislature, etc, but muscle relaxants and CBD are helpful things to have. For an OTC option, I've found that some antihistamines can be useful, but then again I've got MCAS as a complication so YMMV.
  
• Physical therapy- PTs often recommend certain stretches to help prevent spasms, but in my experience, every single time they have at best done nothing and at worst they've triggered/exacerbated them. I have had some good results with exercises designed to strengthen the unstable joint that caused the whole mess, though-
  very light, irritatingly soft and repetitive exercises that drive me crazy but actually are maybe kind of effective? BUT I AM NOT A DOCTOR.
  
  Hopefully this will be of some use. I swear some of the worst pain I've experienced in EDS has been from muscle spasms, geez.

I highly recommend Rumblerollers to anyone that's gotten too used to regular foam rollers.

Try the seated v stretch and see how that feels. Do NOT try to drop to the floor like the photo shows, but gradually ease yourself forward a little at a time each time you exhale, supporting your torso with your hands on the floor. Sometimes tight "hamstrings" are actually tight adductors, and this stretch will loosen those up.

You may want to invest in a foam roller, too. They're very helpful if you have chronically tight hamstrings. Or quads. Or IT bands...okay, they're just the greatest stretching tool ever!

This topic comes up a lot. The "high density" ones (what all foam rollers used to look like) are a piece of shit after you ever try something like the triggerpoint therapy ones. I've been using my 13" TP Grid for over 3 years and it seems like it will last forever. My brother also got the 5" one and that one is kinda lame, not really that great for my legs and upper back (my favorite things to use it on.) So I say go for the 13" one. If money is tight, go the PVC route and wrap an old yoga mat around it, but don't go for the cheaper/soft foam rollers just to save some money.

Ah, you can get one on amazon for like $22 - totally worth it! This is the one I have. But if that's not possible - before I finally caved and bought one I used to roll around on a tennis ball (for my glutes) and even a rolling pin (for hammies and calves).

get a foam roller and roll on your back a few times a day. It's been helping my back pain quite a bit. They're pretty cheap on amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/321-STRONG-Foam-Roller-Myofascial/dp/B01FOS1WJK/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=foam+roller&qid=1554913593&s=gateway&sr=8-5

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Helps with muscle pain and flexibility. It hurts so good. Definitely worth checking out.

Have you got a foam roller? If not, I would highly recommend getting one, and/or a massage ball for really getting in to the muscle.

I hate that they advocate that this "will only cost you $10". If you want a roller of any decency, it's going to cost at least 3x that.

I love my roller. The first one I got I went cheap on and it's warped all out of shape. My 2 year old gets great joy out of it now.

Here's the same product without the referral code link http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002M1NY8U

If you need some next level back cracking just get a foam roller

Anyone know of an alternative to the TriggerPoint QuadBaller?

https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Self-Myofascial-Release-Massage-Quadballer/dp/B000LCC780

My gym had these but they closed down and didn't sell their equipment off. Anyone know if there's an alternative to these things? $60 is a lot for this but they're excellent for rolling around the hip area.

Is this the one?

Yeah I have no idea why yoga and disc injuries don't mix, but they clearly don't. Pilates seems to work because the key goal of pilates is core strength which helps you relieve pressure on your back.

I also suggest getting a foam roller. http://www.amazon.com/Foam-Roller-6-x-36/dp/B000Y4W9VA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312500897&sr=8-2 <- something like this. The stretches done on that seemed to help a lot.

I use [this] (https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Roller-Online-Instructional-26-inch/dp/B006GUCAFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474336784&sr=8-1&keywords=foam+roller+trigger+point+grid).

This baby has served me well and it's cheap! Get the 18" option. No need to spend $50 on something that's easily achieved by $11.

Get a quality foam roller if you don't already have one -- this kind is great: https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Roller-Instructional-Original-13-inch/dp/B01LW755GP

It will help alleviate tightness and inflammation.

Everyone likes different foam rollers. My coaches have said "the more dense, the better"

I have one similar to this, have friends that have one like this one and have others that use something like this foam roller stick

For "how to"... search youtube. MayoClinic has a bunch, find others that are highly rated/viewed. You aren't going to hurt yourself (well, I'm sure that's debatable), but essentially you want to roll from one end of the muscle to the other. (so for Hamstring, start in your hip, and roll on it down to your knee, and back up.) If it hurts, you're doing it right. I almost always cringe/almost cry.

FWIW they make forearm specific foam roller contraptions like this. I've never used one myself but I have seen folks at the climbing gym use them from time to time. Not sure if they work well or if they're just trying to get their money's worth :)

This isn't really yoga-related (it's more of a physiotherapy thing), but honestly it's the best exercise that I've been given for patellofemoral syndrome. In my case, my lateral thigh muscles were tight, and were thus pulling on the patella so that my knee hurt.

Get yourself one of these and try this exercise. Start at whatever you're comfortable with timewise (maybe a minute on each thigh)... move that up to 2 minutes per day, and you've got a great way of maintaining your muscular (and joint) flexibility.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00KQC7RJE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I bought this one! The 18 inch version, its nice and small for my apartment but still very effective.

I have exactly one like you describe. I got it super cheap from amazon. It's black and made out of firm syrofoam.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00R3MZMOM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1452635645&sr=8-2&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=foam+roller&dpPl=1&dpID=51gC9N3DwaL&ref=plSrch

I got this one from Amazon. Works just fine for me. Never used one of those textured ones though.

Also, I love my lacrosse ball for working out some tightness. Highly recommend that too. $6 on Amazon.

This is the one I bought:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002M1NY8U/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This video will give you the general idea about how to foam roll when you're looking for knots.
http://www.ehow.com/video_4945439_knee-pain-foam-roll-hip.html

I started up in my hip area like in the video. It took a long while to get done with this area. I had/have lots of knots in the front where my leg bends as well as on the side where the IT band connects, as well as in my glutes where the soas muscle is. Once I found a knot I would put as much of my weight on it as I could handle until it released. You'll know when you find a knot and you'll know when it releases. It goes from WTF!! to ahh, butter melting. It can fight and spasm before it releases and it can take more than 2 minutes sometimes.

Here is an example on how to do the IT band. This guy is a bit long winded in the beginning but what he says about his technique it what I do on every muscle. Just roll and stop on the tender spots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oANQDEtHNQo

If your feeling froggy then find a tender spot then bend your knee to move your muscle under the facia while that pressure is being applied. New level of shoot me in the face kinda pain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exFX651fyls

Foam rolling feels super good on muscle that has no knots and no sticky spots.

I used one of those roller things. It helped me.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZXYE8A

I use a foam roller I got off Amazon for back pain
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FXHSLRE/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_6bdvtb1SHTHXJ

Trigger point kit. More expensive, but I never used my foam roller once after getting the kit.

http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Performance-Myofascial-Quadballer/dp/B000LCC780/ref=sr_1_7?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1372202639&sr=1-7&keywords=trigger+point+therapy

https://www.amazon.com/RumbleRoller-Textured-Manipulates-Massage-Therapist/dp/B01A622V9Y

I use a rumble roller for my back and it has saved me endless times

I used to get horrible shin splits but then a trainer told me about using a hard foam roller (like this: http://amzn.com/B00FXHSLRE)... I use it every day and haven't had the issue after the first week of using it.
For shin splits I use it 2 different ways... first I sit on the floor and put the roller under my calves, cross my ankles and just roll is back and forth slowly under my calf.... switch ankles and do the other leg. Next, I flip over and in a push up position I roll the roller back and forth slowly on my shins.
Also, before running find a curb or tree or anything to press up against, stretch your calf but keeping your heel on the ground and putting your toes on the curb or tree.
Your calf muscle is what strengthens your shin so it's important to stretch that.
Hope this makes sense! Shin splits are absolutely no fun.

Get a foam roller: http://www.amazon.com/Black-High-Density-Foam-Roller/dp/B00GZXYJ8A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426342438&sr=8-1&keywords=foam+roller

A good 5-10 minutes will crack my back the same as a chiropractor adjustment. I get pinched nerves from time to time in my upper back, I hit a week on the roller and it usually loosens up.

Tight calves can take a long time to stretch out. Here's a comment to another post I just wrote that can get your started.

While working the lower legs like I mention in my post is a good start, you'll want to work the whole body for maximum results. Here is a series of exercises I highly recommend. Don't judge them prematurely...at first they seem too tame, but damn they really work. You might not notice much difference at first. Do the exercises daily and report back after 30 days.

EDIT: Foam rolling the calves is difficult to do well. It's challenging to get enough pressure and directional friction on a basic roller. Either try the Chinese soup spoon thing I mention in my linked comment, or try something like the Rolflex

I've never heard of a foam roller that doesn't work. Many people start with a softer blue/white roller and gradually work their way towards the firmer black. If they're crazy, like the MIT XC team, they start using pvc pipes.
I use this one.

Its called a rumble roller.
It a kind of foam roll for self massage / myofascial release.

It digs deeper into the muscle tissue than a regular foam roll.

Therefore, it can be more effective for alleviating muscle tightness, but it also hurts way... way more good.

I don't know if these items will be on Black Friday sale, but I would get a Trigger Point Foam Roller,

Also maybe go to Home Depot, and get a long PVC pipe to help stretch the shoulders.

Which is what I'm discovering now. Bought one on Amazon for $12 figuring that's what they cost. Been using it 2-3 times a day for 3 weeks and it's almost ineffective now (6'4", 225lbs may have something to do with it, though).

EDIT: This is what I bought and it was $17.

Spri Foot Roller changed my life, broski. That and nightly foam rolling.

(ProTip: go for the 36-inch one...so much better than any short one I've ever used. I use it perpendicular to my body and sleep like a champ every night as a result. This one is the one I use)

edit: formatting

The one I have. I don't think I'd mind the 18 inch one since it would be easier to maneuver and store, but 36 is fine. FWIW I'm 6'2" 180lbs so I'm not crushing it or anything. The only time I use a majority (maybe more than 18") of the roller is when I use it on my back.

If you're a bigger person, I'd say 36". If you're smaller than I am I'd go with the 18".

I can't speak to the R8 but I have the TriggerPoint GRID roller and I really like it:

https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Roller-Instructional-Original-13-inch/dp/B01LW755GP

The only reason I mention it here is because it's a) $40 and b) hollow so you can pack it full of underwear, T-shirts, whatever and I'd wager it takes up less packing room than the R8

I was wrestling over the same purchase decision for months. I finally got the Theragun last week, and I can't put it down. The multiple ways to grip the handle is surprisingly useful. I have all of the massage devices listed below, and there's nothing quite like the Theragun. Previously, I hesitated in working on areas that were particular painful. The Theragun allows me to work trouble areas more often. My wife and I use it everyday.

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A2J9RBW

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N213PGX

https://www.amazon.com/TriggerPoint-Roller-Instructional-Original-13-inch/dp/B0040EGNIU

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DIX9SLC

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0ZB7Y3

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019317GNK

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O4EUH88

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P7RSL2

https://www.amazon.com/Brookstone-Shiatsu-Neck-Massager-Pound/dp/B00GHQNFIK

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-High-Density-Round-Roller-24-inches/dp/B071P2MQ5D

https://www.brookstone.com/homedics-cordless-3d-trutouch-neck-and-shoulder-massager-with-heat/330330p.html

Hi - I was suckered into buying the very same one and had the very same results! Honestly my posture has only improved significantly through a few months of physical therapy - this was after months/years of trying to do it on my own. If you can find a place/facility near you, it's definitely worth at least a few visits so you can learn about what exercises to do and whatnot.

But if I had to pick one piece of equipment to buy, I'd pick the foam roll, something like [this].(http://www.amazon.ca/Incline-36-Inch-Density-Extra-Roller/dp/B00KDZF552/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1449784370&sr=1-1&keywords=foam+roller+36+inch)

It really helps to give your spine the flexibility it needs to get out of its hunch, but it's an item you'll have to commit to using every day for many weeks. On the plus side, it starts to feel really good after the first or second week --- good luck to you.

I'm in Canada, this is the link for the one I purchased

http://www.amazon.ca/Incline-36-Inch-Density-Extra-Roller/dp/B00KDZF552/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421990835&sr=8-1&keywords=foam+roller

Amazon has free shipping over $25 so I bought some fish oil with it lol. You can probably get it for cheaper on ebay if you're in the states. If you're going to get a different one be sure you get the actual cylindrical one - there's a half foam roller that's flat on one edge that's a piece of useless shit.

I'm more of a substance / chemical guy, so we're definitely going past my knowledge level; but, from an anecdotal standpoint - whenever I stop adderall, I seem to retain the TMJ as well. I assume this is due to an imbalance in the aforementioned substances. The only things that have helped is fixing my sleep, choline and magnesium. Otherwise, it's normal things that seem to bring it back, such as a sore back from awkward or painful sitting, stress, etc. But one thing I can say is, every single time I dose choline; like clockwork, within 30-60mins I feel a MASSIVE release in jaw/neck tension.

From other basic research I've done, a big culprit is daily stress and potentially a bed that doesn't fit your body type, which obviously plays a part in the sleep factor. Memory foam has done wonders for my body type, ~205lbs, broad, fit.

If you look up what the sternocleidomastoid is, it's a muscle on the side of your neck that runs from the shoulder to behind your ears - when my TMJ and tinnitus (ear ringing and high frequency noise sensitivity) are acting up, it is VERY noticeably stiff and knotted. Another thing that has helped me is foam rolling and stretching. Don't get a basic-foam roller, they are complete shite. I use the grid 2.0, 13 inch - I got it for $20 on an amazon "lightning deal": http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-Performance-Revolutionary-Roller/dp/B006GUC9KC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421521198&sr=8-1&keywords=grid+2.0

Otherwise, some days are better/worse for no reason what-so-ever... I wish I knew more about this area as it seems to affect A LOT of people, including those who are close to me. But I hope I've been of, at least, some help. Cheers.