Have you been wondering if foot rolling is worth the effort? Or if a tennis ball foot massage does anything more than simply feeling good? Well, here's the story. All of our feet might use a little more tender care and affection. They provide a connection to the earth and the steadiness and balance we need to function daily. We frequently neglect to take care of our feet until we start to feel pain and discomfort because of this neglect.
Besides bearing the body's pressure, feet continually distribute force across the entire body, allowing other joints and muscles to work more efficiently. Your movement might be impacted when you have rigidity, sensitivity, or discomfort in your feet.
Foot rolling for a short period can help you relax and avoid tension, headaches, and other aches and pains. Furthermore, taking care of your feet will have advantages for other body parts you may not know! However, before we dive into the benefits of rolling a tennis ball under your foot, a word of warning: there are times when foot rolling might be a bad idea. You see, women's bodies change with their cycles. And, when you're ovulating (that typically occurs on the 14th day of a 28 day cycle) there's more laxity in your ligaments. Of course, that includes the ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot, your plantar fascia.
So, what happens if you foot roll mid way through your cycle? Or, for that matter, if you run too far or too fast when you're ovulating? Then, you may leave yourself with irritation or a plantar fascia injury. And that would accomplish the exact opposite of why we want you to try foot rolling. Because during the right moments, these are some of the benefits you can hope to incur from rolling a tennis ball under your foot.
Foot Rolling Relieves Stress
We frequently consider giving our necks and shoulders massages to reduce tension. However, foot massages are just as beneficial. Ten minutes of rubdown executed up to three times a week, long-term health - care workers who cared for older people living with dementia—an emotionally and physically burdening profession—experienced elevated mood, less anxiety, and reduced blood pressure.
Decreases Anxiety
Medical experts have demonstrated that foot massages are a beneficial therapeutic for anxiety. Moreover, non-specific and Reflexology foot massage, or just a typical foot massage, have all been shown to help reduce symptoms of anxiety and despair in research on menopausal women.
Not sure how to roll your feet? Check out our post here on the benefits of foam rolling, for both your feet and the rest of your body.
Relieves Pain
For anybody who spends a lot of time on their feet or wears heels, tight muscles and tissue in the foot can be a constant source of discomfort and irritation.
Rolling out your feet will help reduce pain not only in those places but also in your hamstrings, glutes, calves, and lower spine since problems in the feet can aggravate pain in those locations, according to Decker.
Prevents Injury
Your feet' flexibility will increase with regular foot rolling, affecting how your hips, knees, and spine are aligned. Additionally, it will aid in loosening tension throughout your entire body's back line.
Before a run, rolling your feet can assist in softening the muscles in the feet, improving blood flow, and improving range of motion. This will reduce the chances of getting injuries.
Improves Circulation
If you've had a day that's been more inactive than you'd like, rolling out your feet for ten minutes can assist them to awaken them and boost blood circulation in the lower limbs.
Rolling your feet out releases tension and enhances blood circulation without worsening your symptoms. Although you can expect some discomfort early in the massage, treat your feet gently and go slowly.
Supports Sleep
Most of us would enjoy better sleep, especially after a stressful day. Unfortunately, sometimes we experience hardship when trying to fall asleep and end up wasting most of the night. Suppose this happens to you; just before bed, try rolling your feet. This will help you relax and prepare for a better night's sleep.
Foot Rolling Lowers Blood Pressure
A foot massage can significantly lower blood pressure. In 2004, a Korean study discovered that receiving a soothing foot massage will significantly reduce your levels of systolic blood pressure and triglycerides.
Improved Fitness Performance
Rolling your feet out before exercising is important because the rest of the body will follow when the feet are prepared for activity. You'll be able to sprint, leap, change directions, and more to a greater extent.
According to experts, rolling also boosts blood flow to the region, aiding in a faster rate of muscle fiber contraction, enabling you to exert greater force during any movements.
Plantar Fasciitis Prevention and Relief
Plantar fasciitis, an illness where the thick band of fascia that extends from the heels to the toes of the foot gets inflamed, may be pretty painful, especially in the arches or heels.
Rolling out the feet, particularly your arches can help reduce the pain and suffering related to plantar fasciitis and prevent further problems, especially when combined with other healing measures like exercising.
Conclusion
The lower extremities' peripheral nerves end on the bottom of the foot. Before terminating in the foot, these neurons serve muscles further up the leg. The standard nerve supply to the muscles higher up in the leg may become a little more sensitive if the nerves in the sole are compressed due to tension in the foot muscles. In these cases, foot rolling may provide temporary relief. But in other situations, you made need further medical intervention.
You see, if you already experience regular heel pain, rolling your feet on a tennis ball may help relieve some of your plantar fasciitis pain. But, on its own, that won't be enough to provide lasting relief. Instead, we suggest making an immediate appointment with Dr. Andrew Schneider. When we see you in our Houston podiatry practice for heel pain, we'll provide a comprehensive treatment plan that may also include rolling your foot on a frozen water bottle, stretching, and custom orthotics. The plan we suggest will be dependent on your unique situation. So come in to the office as soon as possible to start your journey to recovery!
