A lacrosse ball is a great tool to use in both static self-massage as well as with mobility with massage. Mobility with massage involves placing a tool, a lacrosse ball, for example, underneath a muscle and use your body weight and its own movement to slide the muscle over the pressure point to create a massage with the motion. This massage can help reduce trigger points which can cause achy background pain as well as pain with everyday movement. Below are three muscles you can target with a lacrosse ball to reduce trigger points that could be impacting your daily life.
- Pectoralis muscle group release at a Wall: This location is important for those who sit at a desk or work at a computer during the day. It is especially a good muscle group to target if you feel that your shoulders roll forward and chest feels very tight when laying down flat on your back. Begin placing a lacrosse ball just below and to the inside of your armpit, this is right at the edge of your chest. From here lean into a wall so that you are pressing the lacrosse ball into the wall using your bodyweight to apply pressure. Now you can begin to raise your arm out to the side to up overhead like a snow angel. As you move your arm you’ll hit different spots of your pectoralis muscle group and get a nice massage. This may begin feeling very tender but as you continue to perform the arm raises it should reduce.
- Hamstring Release at Stool: Sitting on a stool or any elevated hard surface lift one leg and place a lacrosse ball underneath your thigh. Find a point that has a little bit of tenderness when you relax your leg on top of that. From there straighten and bend the knee of the leg resting on the lacrosse ball. Perform the movement 5-10 times then find a new tender spot on the back of your leg. Hamstrings span the whole back of your thigh so there may be multiple spots! Repeat the movement for each spot you find.
- Calf Trigger on Ground: begin sitting the ground with your legs straight out in front of you. Place a lacrosse ball underneath one calf looking for tender spots as you let your leg relax over top of it. If you need more pressure, you can cross your free leg over top of the leg on the lacrosse ball. Once you’ve found a spot slowly point your foot and bring it back toward your shin, moving your calf muscles over top of the lacrosse ball. Once you’ve performed this 5-10 times look for a new spot to move the ball to.
There are a variety of muscle groups you can target with a lacrosse ball to improve mobility and reduce muscular pain. If you are having persistent pain anywhere in your body it may be time to contact Rose Physical Therapy Group through the website or by calling our offices. We can work with you to get back to pain free work and daily living. We have locations at Dupont Circle/Farragut Square and Navy Yard/Capitol Hill.