I think 'trigger point' is the new word for knot. Check out the Clair Davies book Mike recommended if you want to learn more. Basically, just find a spot on your muscles that is hard or painful and try to massage it out with a massage tool of your choice. It may take weeks to really work it out, but you should feel immediate relief in the areas of referred pain/ache. Besides the roller (I've been using a extra firm foam roller and I just got the extra firm RumbleRoller), I've been using 'the stick' as mentioned above (I think I prefer the more flexible marathon stick over the firmer sprinter stick), and a stick with three spiky balls, my hands and fingers, and I just got a 'trigger wheel' which seems to work pretty well too. There are also several stretches--both static and dynamic--that help. Finally, I've begun stopping for brief massaging and stretching on runs over three miles. It's my version of Jeff Galloway's 'walking break'. Seems to really help once I'm up around 6-8 miles, and may prevent knots or trigger points from forming in the first place. These breaks may become unnecessary or less frequent later on when most of my leg/foot tightness has been worked out.Well the roller seems to help things along for me, so thanks for the suggestions. I keep hearing about trigger points, are they something i should be concerned about? I'm not carrying any real injuries but it can't hurt to be informed, any good reference, vids or pics on the subject that i can study? Thanks
Yes, that's it. I may be wrong about them being the same thing, just my folk impression. But you're right about the essentials. Massaging a trigger point can release a 'referred' pain/ache in an area away from the point in question, particular in eccentric muscles like those in the lower leg which are linked to the ankle and parts of the feet through tendons or other muscles. My understanding of all this is very rudimentary. I just know I'm getting results. If I massage the shin muscles, particularly about 2/3 of the way up, I feel immediate relief on the tops of my feet. Another book I just picked up but haven't read yet is Self-Massage for Athletes.Thanks Nick, Lee
I was kind of under the impression that trigger points were something other than knots, a point on one part of the leg that can cause pain in another, like something in the groin causing pain in the knee for example.
Sane??? Really??? Oh, and Mike, after using your pvc pipe you use as your roller last week before the race I decided I had to go and buy one. Man, I am walking around with not a pain in either heel after using it today. I love that I can get the niggle (Lee's word) that is deep in my right hamstring. It hurts oh so good to use it because it gets down so deep.actually, you have to thank Jen. i've just been more vocal about it. or at least am recognized as more sane and therefore more reliable.
Sane??? Really??? Oh, and Mike, after using your pvc pipe you use as your roller last week before the race I decided I had to go and buy one. Man, I am walking around with not a pain in either heel after using it today. I love that I can get the niggle (Lee's word) that is deep in my right hamstring. It hurts oh so good to use it because it gets down so deep.