Self-Massage: Keep your eye on the Ball
Body rolling is akin to giving yourself massage, whenever, wherever. All the rage with foam rollers in gyms and in PT clinics, our favorite style is rolling with massage balls. A three-dimensional object that is muscle and joint-specific, the ball, being a round sphere, can get into the crevices, nooks and crannies in and around joints, like the glutes, in a way a roller cannot. It is helpful in separating vertebrae, creating space, and rearranging your misplaced and/or misused muscles and joints throughout the day. Releasing fascia and self-massaging your body through rolling will improve your posture and alignment, increase range of motion, muscle tone, flexibility, and organ function. Best of all, you can do it at any time of day or night, and anywhere, even while traveling, thus eliminating the need to be dependent on an external practitioner. Now that’s what we call self-empowerment.
Case Study
Arturo C. is a resident of Coral Gables, Florida. He is 86 and a sight for sore eyes. He was following an erratic workout plan based on haphazard gym time and some pool exercising. He came to see us at DeNatura® Wellness 18 months ago about a recurring glute pain following a pinched sciatica nerve a few years back.
We started him out on a weekly massage session that would specifically address his discomfort areas, working to release his low back, glutes and piriformis. We then recommended he seek advice from his fitness trainer to strengthen the weaker muscles, while we continued to release the tighter ones.
We soon saw that this could be perfectly complemented with a daily routine of self-care body rolling. This targeted form of self-massage would be particularly helpful to him to keep up his improvement in between his massage sessions. After a full year of use, Arturo C. swears by it, “It’s been a god-send for me. I am 86 and the massages and these balls are the reason I feel so well.”
At DeNatura® Wellness, we recommended perseverance over workout intensity, and added a few bespoke tips for Arturo. “I use different-sized balls as recommended. I do a routine every night before bed and some movements against the wall just after waking up.”
Perseverance is Key
Again, keeping at it is paramount. “You need to be persistent. Benefits are not immediate. I started feeling them after a few days. From there, all the goodness just started building up, day after day, month after month, for over a year now. I feel superb!” asserts Arturo keenly.
Curious about what these balls and self-massage routines look like? Subscribe to our DeNatura® Wellness YOUTUBE CHANNEL and watch any of our 4 minute Self-care videos on our YouTube Channel! They are quick and easy to replicate at home, especially during lockdown until we can see you again in your office or our clinic.
