Foam Roller?

[Aerial]

If you used a foam roller on your incision area (or any tight area) after surgery, when did you begin using it?  I am 5 weeks post-op tomorrow and tried the roller tonight on my operated side butt cheek and incision.  I just don't know if it is to early.  Sure felt good! 

[OtterDriver]

Hello Aerial!

We have one of those in the household and I was wondering about using it as well.  I'm further into post op than you, but was going to ask my physical therapist Wednesday and see if she thought it was a problem or not.  You'll probably have plenty of answers before then, but I'll let you know what she says.

Keep up the good work!

Bruce

[Luanna]

I was so excited to tell my new PT that I bought a foam roller on Amazon and was anxious to learn how to use it. She looked at me and shook her head and said "too intense"! I must have looked very dejected because she said "I want use to use an old fashion wood rolling pin instead!"

I was shocked as that's what I was doing early on and thought maybe it was too much.....got advice here on this site to get a foam roller instead. The irony ..... 

So, she has my hubby rolling from the top of my hip through the scar and down to the upper knee on the side - the IT Band - once per day for 1 minute only. He starts out with very little pressure and we build up to what I can tolerate for about the last 30 seconds. Seems to be making a big difference. The difference is that I have to ice more often.... lol

Luanna

[hernanu]

I started using it about six weeks post op. Not just on the incision, but also on my IT band and the illeopsas (groin area and lower back).

[23109VC]

Is it ever"too late" to use one of these?

I'm 11 months post op and have recovered great, but the only limitation I have is if I run for about a half mile or more my incision area starts to hurt.  I don't really care as. I Have no plans to continue running regularly...I just used running as a way to assess my improvement.  Someone suggestd the discomfort I sensed could be scar tissue?  And a roller might help break it up?  Or do I need some other way to deal with scar tissue at my stage of recovery?

Otherwise I feel perfect.  I can walk, ride bikes, ride elliptical, etc all day long without problems...l it's only running that seems to agitate my hip...wonder if a roller would help?

[hernanu]

Never too late in my view, Sean. It really works on the affected areas and does help. It will be a pain at first, since you are releasing muscles and tissue that accrued over time, but even more, it loosens the muscles overall.

I also have lately used a masseuse to give me deep tissue massage in the area (again not fun at first), and that also seemed to loosen things up. Get that roller, Sean and start rollin' 

[ScubaDuck]

I used rollers long before my surgery because I have had very tight IT bands practically my whole life.  This will help with the muscles that are being used differently than when we were compensating for the OA.

My guess is that you will probably also want to do some aggressive cross fiber massage in the area to break up scar tissue.

Best wishes.

Dan

[23109VC]

I finally got around to buying a foam roller....  to see if it helps at all... I really don't have pain..but if I run I get some discomfort after about 1/2 mile of running... and if I squat down too far... or if i bend over at the waist and reach to touch my toes....on the operative side I get a pulling sensation along the side of my hip... kind of down where the incision is... someone suggested that might be my IT band?  I used the roller last night.. rolling up and down alo over it.. from my hip down to my knee... it didn't hurt too bad.. it was somewhat uncomfortable.... but nothign unbearable.  today I felt sore where I rolled...  not pain.. but soreness.. kind of like the way my muscles feel after I work out...  i'm assuming that was muscle/scar tissue that broke down???

i'm hoping to loosen things up... i know somethig is tight because I cant' bend over / stretch as far on my operative side..like I can't touch my nose to my knee on that side..but I can on my non-operated side....  i can bend down to tie my shoe with ease..but i can't bend all the way to touch my nose to my knee..  if I do i feel a tightness / pinching sensation.. not a bad feeling..but a feeling like it doesn't want to go that far.

i could actually deal with the lessened range of motion.. i'm not a gymnast or anythign..   haha...  but the fact that my hip starts to hurt after 1/2 mile of running kind of bugged me... not that I Planned to do major running..but I was hoping that I would be "fixed" and able to go for short jogs as a way to exercise.. the way things are now.. i can jog/run if I have to.. i can run at full speed for a short distance with zero pain.. so if a car was going to run me over, I can sprint fast no problem.. but if I go for a jog... after about 1/2 mile it starts to kind of hurt... and the sensation is like a pinch or like inflammation.. along where the incision is....  i'm hoping the roller helps.

i'll keep using it every other day or so.. or as my hip allows and will update you all.

can i use the reoller every day or should I use it every few days.. like if I use it and feel that "soreness".. should I let hte soreness die down before I do it again or can you/shoudl you roll as much as you can???

[Dannywayoflife]

Sean I'm no expert but I wouldn't use the roller while your sore from the previous session

[hernanu]

Sean, I use it pretty much every other day or so. Like Danny says, let things simmer down before using it again, but for me, it has been great.

I had IT band issues on both sides (right was the worst), and rolling definitely toned those down. What you describe may be partly IT band, partly scar tissue - I think this helps both. Take a look at some instructional descriptions on the web, it shows you how to do it not just for the IT band, but for the back and other areas as well.

Here's a pretty good one:

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/flexibilityandstretching/ss/FoamRoller.htm

Take it easy and slow, this is something I plan to do for the rest of my life, so easing into it works just fine.

[David]

Research "fascia tissue".  So many docs do not realize this may be the issue with post-op pain.  Look outside of the box...
Best...
D.

[hernanu]

Very cool. I always stretch in some way in the morning, this shows why that's crucial.  Thanks, David.