Good day and greetings to all who have ventured to this site to keep your self informed and intrigued about what CSI has to offer. Here is the latest answer to a common question that I have had in the office.
Many patients are looking for an easy way to help ease some of the pain and tightness that accompanies a very busy lifestyle. Some get massages, many get Chiropractic care, others choose to work out and or sit on there butts and watch TV. These are all ways to get some relaxation in, however they do not help ease the mechanical muscle tension. This is where a tennis ball or tennis balls come into play.
I tell many of my patients to first buy a can of three balls. Take two of them and put them into an old sock and or panty hose. I prefer the panty hose since this material can breath and prevent mildew build up. You now want to tie off the end so that two tennis balls can move apart about an inch.
Those of you who are familiar with foam rolling and the wonderful benefits that it can provide will also see great relief from the use of a tennis ball since they can get into the smaller muscle groups compared to a foam roller.
Ok enough talk this is what to do. For those who have upper back and neck tension you can take the two tennis balls that are in the sock and lay on them so the tennis balls are between the shoulder blades and around the spine. Here you can roll up and down on the balls and hit all those smaller tension spots that a foam roller cannot get at. Then after that you can use the single ball to get the rest.
Once you master that you can then use the tennis balls on any tense muscle area. Try and stay away from rolling over a bony area since that will possibly create a bruise. You may have to start out on the floor or on the most cushioned area of the house if it is too painful.
The purpose of the tennis balls is to help break up the muscle adhesions that we all get during the day. Using the tennis balls at home will help with the current treatment that many of you are utilizing here at CSI. I tell many of my patients on the first visit about the tennis balls to help them with there current issues. Many use massage however this is a home care method that you can utilize daily.
I recommend that you use the tennis balls over the areas that you feel are the most tense and allow the tennis balls to push in the area for 3-4 minutes then move them. You can do this on all large and small muscle groups to pain tolerance.
Tennis balls I have found are the easiest way to allow some home massage and tension relief. If any of you have questions on how to use the tennis balls and or questions about the previous blogs, please contact me at bfg59@aol.com. Thank you all for your time and may this holiday season bring you all happiness.
Thank you,
Dr. Ed