Is Foam Rolling Actually Good For You?
WRITTEN BY DR RUSSELL JENSEN Principal Chiropractor
Southside Spine and Sport, Bicton WA
Practicing Chiropractor since 2015.
Trained in Integrative Diagnosis (USA).
Special interest in nerve entrapment conditions including cluneal nerve pain, sciatica, and piriformis syndrome.
Full profile: southsidespinesport.com.au/meet-our-chiro
You've probably rolled out your legs after a run, or watched someone grimace their way across a foam roller at the gym and wondered if it was doing anything at all. Foam rolling has been sold to us for over a decade as a way to break up scar tissue, release stuck fascia, and flush out toxins. Almost none of that is true. And yet foam rolling still works, just not for the reasons most people think.
This is what I tell patients when they ask me about it in clinic: foam rolling is a useful tool, with evidence-backed benefits. It just isn't doing what you think it is, and it isn't a substitute for actually fixing the thing that's making you feel tight in the first place.
What We Used to Think Foam Rolling Did
The old explanation, sometimes called the mechanical model, goes like this: your fascia gets "stuck" or develops adhesions, and applying pressure with a roller physically breaks these up.
It's a compelling story. It's also not how your tissue behaves. Fascia and scar tissue are extremely dense, load-bearing structures. The amount of force needed to meaningfully deform them through rolling compression is far beyond what your bodyweight on a foam cylinder can generate. If a twenty dollar roller could reshape that tissue, there would be no need for the work we do.
What the Evidence Shows
The real mechanism is neurological, not mechanical. Sustained pressure on the skin and underlying muscle changes how your nervous system processes pain signals from that area, which is why things feel looser and less tender afterwards. Alongside this, foam rolling does increase local blood flow, which supports tissue recovery even without any structural "release" taking place.
When I looked into the research for this article, this is what I found is actually affected:
Range of motion: Real, but modest and short-lived. Foam rolling can meaningfully improve range of motion at muscle groups like the hamstrings and quads, though gains generally need several weeks of consistent use to hold, and the effect varies by region.
Muscle soreness (DOMS): A small to moderate effect, mostly on how sore you feel rather than measurable markers of muscle damage. It won't stop soreness happening, but it can take the edge off.
Pain sensitivity: Mixed. Some studies show a change before and after rolling, but less advantage when compared directly to doing nothing at all, which is a useful reminder not to overstate the effect.
Strength and power: Neutral. Unlike static stretching, foam rolling doesn't appear to reduce strength or power output, so it's a safe inclusion in a warm-up.
Did you know? Foam rolling used to be called "self-myofascial release." Some researchers now prefer the term "roller massage" instead, because it's a more honest description of what's actually happening in the tissue.
Which Foam Roller Should You Use?
There's less hard research on this than you'd think, most information online is coming from the companies selling the rollers.
What we do know: one study in 2024 found that when people rolled the surface pattern barely mattered, consistency of rolling did. In this study they rolled for 2 minutes per muscle group.
In my experience, a medium-density, fully foamed roller, or a plastic hollow-core roller with a soft foam layer, works well for most people. It gives enough resistance to be effective without being so firm or spiky that you tense up and rush through it, which defeats the purpose. Heavily spiked "deep tissue" rollers can genuinely be too aggressive, especially over sensitive or bony areas. If you're bracing against the pain instead of relaxing into it, your consistency drops, and that's the part that actually matters.
When Is The Best Time To Foam Roll?
Before training, a short session of thirty to sixty seconds per muscle group increases blood flow and primes the tissue for movement, and importantly, it doesn't reduce your strength or power output the way static stretching can.
After training, longer sessions of one to two minutes per muscle group are more useful for easing soreness and helping your nervous system wind down, which is where most of the DOMS-reduction benefit actually comes from.
Both have a place, so if I had to only choose one, I’d do it before a work out, to replace stretching.
Tissue is also naturally stiffer in the morning and looser by evening, so if you're picking one time of day to be consistent with, evening tends to be the easier, more effective option for most people.
Where You Should (and Shouldn't) Foam Roll
Foam rolling isn't equally effective everywhere on the body. Some areas respond well. Others carry real risk for very little benefit.
The Spine
Cervical Spine (Neck)
I don't recommend foam rolling the neck. There are plenty of good ways to ease neck tension, but this isn't one I'd recommend. There's a real risk of hurting yourself when foam rolling the cervical spine, and most of the equipment people have access to at home isn't suited to it. Standard foam rollers are usually too large or too firm to use safely this close to the cervical spine.
A better way to ease tension through the neck and upper back: lay a foam roller lengthways along your spine, so it supports your head, and lie back on it with your knees bent. Tuck your chin slightly, let your palms face forward, and allow your shoulders to roll back and down towards the floor. Breathe slowly and let gravity do the work. This is a gentle way to open up the chest and the muscles at the front of the shoulder, without putting any direct pressure through the cervical spine itself.
Thoracic Spine (Mid-Back)
The thoracic spine is a good target. Rolling this area can ease tension between the shoulder blades and improve thoracic mobility, particularly if you spend a lot of your day sitting.
The best way to do it: lie on your back with the roller placed across your upper back, perpendicular to your spine. Roll slowly up and down, breathing out as you move and letting yourself relax into it rather than forcing anything. A bit of popping or cracking through this area is normal and usually feels good. Pain paired with a pop is not normal, if that happens, stop straight away. Keep your rolling contained to the thoracic spine, careful not to drift up into the neck or down into the lower back.
Lumbar Spine (Lower Back)
I don't recommend rolling the lumbar spine. Your lower back naturally sits in a curve called a lordosis, and rolling directly over it can push into that curve further, which can aggravate the lower back rather than help it, especially if you have any pre-existing injuries.
If you find yourself needing to foam roll your upper back just to feel normal, that's worth paying attention to. In my clinical experience, ongoing thoracic tightness that keeps returning is often a sign of restriction involving the thoracolumbar tissues, the supraspinous ligament, or the thoracic joints themselves, not something a roller can resolve on its own. As part of an assessment, where we determine it's safe to do so, this is usually addressed with manual work on the surrounding tissue combined with thoracic spine adjustments.
Lower Limbs
Broadly speaking, these are great targets. The large muscle bellies of the quads, hamstrings, adductors, and glutes for example, all respond well to foam rolling.
Quads
Roll slowly up and down the front of the thigh, taking care not to roll directly over the kneecap. Move slightly side to side as you go too, in towards the inner thigh and out towards the outer thigh. (The quads wrap further around the leg than most people think!)
Hamstrings
Sit on the ground with the roller under your thighs and use your hands to help move yourself back and forward. Shift slightly side to side as you go so you cover the full width of the muscle, not just the centre.
Adductors
This one's a little more awkward, but it can be done. Lie face down with the leg you're targeting out to the side, bent at roughly a right angle, and position the roller along your inner thigh. It's not the most elegant position, but when you move over the right tender spots with the correct amount of pressure it can be surprisingly relieving.
Calves
Rolled the same way as the hamstrings, though many people find it hard to generate enough pressure through the calf muscle belly to feel much. All of these lower limb areas are generally safe to roll. One exception: if you have a clotting disorder, are at risk of DVT, or have any other vascular or bleeding conditions, skip the calves and check with your doctor first.
If your quads, hamstrings, or adductors always feel tight no matter how much you stretch or roll, the muscle itself often isn't the actual problem. In my clinical experience this pattern can point to nerve involvement, hip or pelvic mechanics, or a compensation pattern further up the chain. It's worth having this properly assessed rather than rolling the same spot indefinitely.
IT Band (Iliotibial Band)
This is the one I get asked about most. Unlike a muscle, the IT band is dense, non-contractile fascia. Research using ultrasound elastography has found that a single session of foam rolling doesn't change the stiffness of the band at all.
I advise patients that yes, it always hurts, and it feels like it's doing something, but in reality it isn’t. You're not necessarily hurting yourself by rolling it, but you're not really helping either.
What the evidence does show is more useful: foam rolling the IT band directly produces no significant change in hip movement, but foam rolling the glutes does, which makes the glutes the better target.
Often, in my experience with patients, what feels like IT band tightness is actually tightness in the lateral quads. I suggest to my patients that it's usually more productive to spend extra time rolling the quads, paying particular attention to the outer, lateral portion, rather than working directly over the band.
Glutes
The glutes are also a great area to target. Sit on the roller with one leg crossed over the other and work through the fleshy part of the glute in small sections. It should feel like a good, releasing kind of discomfort, the sort that helps the area loosen rather than anything sharp.
Stay off the bony parts of the pelvis, and if you notice any burning, tingling, or numbness while rolling, that's a sign you're putting too much pressure directly on a nerve. Ease off straight away if that happens.
For most people, 60 to 90 seconds per muscle group, 3 to 5 times a week, is enough to see the benefits the research supports. Daily rolling is fine at a moderate pressure on large muscle groups like the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and thoracic spine. Aim for a "good hurt", roughly a three or four out of ten, not sharp pain. If an area feels worse afterwards rather than better, ease off the pressure and give it a day.
Foam rolling is a great recovery or warm-up tool. It helps with short-term flexibility, perceived soreness, and getting your nervous system to settle. What it isn't, is a treatment. It won't fix a joint that isn't moving properly, a nerve that's symptomatic, or a movement pattern that's putting repeated strain on the same tissue. If you find you're reaching for the roller constantly just to feel normal, that's a sign it might be worth getting checked out by a professional.
What About Spiky Balls?
Small, firm balls, lacrosse balls, trigger point balls, or a "peanut" double-ball, are a good complement to a roller. Their size makes them better suited to smaller areas a roller can't easily reach or isolate: the lower back, chest, feet, and around the shoulder blade.
The approach is similar to foam rolling. Apply body weight gradually, aim for that same "good hurt" rather than sharp pain, and stop if you feel any burning, tingling, or numbness, a sign you're pressing on a nerve rather than muscle. Thirty to sixty seconds per spot is usually enough.
Aside from the feet, a wall is generally the easiest way to roll out the target areas.
Frequently asked questions
Does foam rolling actually break up scar tissue?
No. Scar tissue and fascia are dense, strong structures. The force required to physically deform them is far greater than what a foam roller can generate. The benefits of foam rolling come from changes in the nervous system and local blood flow, not from breaking anything up.
How long should you foam roll for?
Sixty to ninety seconds per muscle group is generally enough. Three to five sessions a week is a good target for most people, and daily rolling at moderate pressure is fine for larger muscle groups.
Should foam rolling hurt?
It should feel like a "good hurt", roughly a three or four out of ten on a discomfort scale. Sharp pain, or pain that lingers well beyond the session, is a sign to ease off and get the area properly assessed.
Is it safe to foam roll your lower back or neck?
It's not recommended. The lumbar spine is built for stability rather than mobility, and the neck has a dense network of nerves close to the surface. Both carry real risk for very little benefit compared with safer areas like the thoracic spine and large leg muscles.
Does foam rolling the IT band actually help?
Research suggests a single session of foam rolling doesn't meaningfully change IT band stiffness in either direction. Rolling the surrounding muscles, particularly the glutes, tends to be more effective than working directly over the band itself.
What type of foam roller should I use?
A medium-density, fully foamed roller, or a plastic hollow-core roller with a soft foam layer, works well for most people. Heavily spiked "deep tissue" rollers can be too aggressive, especially over sensitive or bony areas, and the research suggests consistency matters more than roller texture.
Are trigger point or spiky balls better than a foam roller?
Not better, just different. Small, firm balls are useful for smaller areas a roller can't easily reach or isolate, like the lower back, chest, feet, and around the shoulder blade. Most people benefit from having both.
Still Reaching for the Roller?
If you find yourself needing to foam roll the same spot over and over just to feel normal, that's worth a proper look. An assessment can get to what's actually driving the tightness, not just the temporary relief.
Bring your health fund card (physical or digital) to your first appointment and we will process your rebate on the spot through HICAPS.
Or call us on 08 6317 9897 if you would prefer to talk first.
Written by Dr Russell Jensen, Principal Chiropractor (AHPRA: CHI0001927257), Southside Spine and Sport. Published June 2026.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional for diagnosis and treatment.
