Massage Ball How-To

Let’s talk about massage balls!

Rolling with a massage ball has a number of benefits. Most notably, relieving muscle tightness and soreness in your joints and ligaments throughout your body. What I love about using massage balls is that I can specifically target the “knot” or “trigger points”, and control how much pressure is comfortable for me. Whether you’re an athlete or an office worker, these self treating tools can help you reach optimal performance and enhance your day to day life.

Reasons to pick up a pair

• It soothes tight muscles and can help with mobility

• It helps maintain your progress in between treatments

• You get to specifically target your tight muscles and control the pressure

• It’s safe and affordable

What you need to know

• It doesn’t need to be painful to work- sometimes less is more

• If you start to notice any numbness or tingling- remove the ball. Move the ball in a slightly different position that is more comfortable

How to use them

• Place the ball in the area of tightness

• Gently roll until you find a tender spot or muscle “knot”

• Slowly roll or use sustained pressure over the knot for 30-60 seconds- or as tolerated

• Repeat as needed throughout your body

• Use as frequent as you desire, the more consistent the better- great for your coffee breaks at work or after activities

Here are some of my favorite spots to use them!

Between your shoulder blades

1. Lay on your back or lean against a wall

2. Place the massage ball in between your shoulder blade and your spine

3. Gently roll your upper back over the ball along the spine or maintain a comfortable sustained pressure in one spot

   *pro-tip: place a second ball under the other side of the upper back for a balanced release!

Happy Feet

1. Find a comfortable standing or seated position

2. Gently roll your foot over the massage ball with your desired amount of pressure

3. Roll the length of your foot, and then roll across the width of your foot to hit more fibers

   *don’t forget the other foot!

Glute’s and Piriformis

1. Lay on your back or lean against a wall

2. Place the massage ball in the area of most tension

3. Gently roll or maintain sustained comfortable pressure in the targeted area

   *pro-tip: try placing the ball towards the outer hip to target the muscle attachments

Chest and Pec’s

1. Lay on your stomach

2. Place the massage ball just below your collar bone and toward the front of the shoulder

3. Gently roll or maintain sustained comfortable pressure in the targeted area. Try moving your arm through different positions to target different muscle fibers

   *pro-tip: this one is great for those trying to improve their posture and open up their chest!

Low back Relief

1. Lay on your back or lean against a wall

1. Place the massage ball under your low back in the area of most tension

2. Gently roll along the spine or maintain sustained comfortable pressure

   *pro-tip: place a second ball under the other side of the low back for a balanced release!

I hope you find these tips helpful!

Yours in Health,

Kristen Dudeck (Student DC)

Disclaimer: the content of this blog post is for educational purposes and is not intended as specific medical advice. Ask your Chiropractor for more information about massage balls.