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I'm getting serious about soft tissue work, and ran into the obvious question of how to hit rear delts, back, etc.

I ended up asking the wife to use a caster (If you don't know what that is: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R ... reId=10051), but she won't always be around.

I've heard people talk about using a tennis ball or lacrosse ball, and apparently the idea is to stick it between your shoulder and the wall and roll around a bit.

Question 1: Have I got the tennis ball idea right?

Question 2: Not to sound sarcastic, but isn't that kind of a pain? Are there devices available that give you fine control in places you can't reach? I'm thinking of mounting a caster on a stick like a back scratcher...

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Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.~Hippocrates
Strength is the adaptation that leads to all other adaptations that you really care about - Charles Staley
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Thanks TimD

Wow that's cool.

Hacked this together and have been digging around on my back.

I think that's making it too hard. Put the ball on the floor. Lay down on it. Roll around until it's in the right place. Make little rolling motions on it. Roll it on to the next place, etc. It's easy. Lacrosse balls are firmer, and work better for a lot of spots. Once in a while you want a bigger ball, and a softball or even a medicine ball work well. Places like the medial thighs are too high off the floor for the tennis or lacrosse balls.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

for your shoulder Ken, I find a hockey ball works wonders.

Lie on your side, put it right up into your armpit and waggle it around til you find the sweet spot. When it happens, you'll know (because you'll squeal like a pig and cry like a girl, in that order)

So I've tried:

1) Ken's homemade thera-cane knock-off
2) the lacrosse ball

Results:

1) Thera-cane is good for mild stuff, great for using absent-mindedly while watching tv, but:

2) lacrosse ball is much better for tough situations because your hands are free and you can stretch your arms out if required because they aren't holding anything.

I will not post a video, but basically I've got Pandora playing, wiggling up and down against the wall, screaming in pain, with my arm stretched out up over my head. Thank goodness my wife or kids have not seen it, they'd record it and put it up on youtube.

Sorry to break this to you, but I've been working with your kids for the past several weeks, helping with the selection and purchase of dozens and dozens of tiny, easily concealable video cameras. Your entire life is now on Youtube. Nothing is secret. Heh heh heh heh.

You are really funny when doing your soft tissue work, by the way. We've all really been enjoying it.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

So does a lacrosse ball really work a lot better than a tennis ball? I can see how it might... Maybe i should get one -- what do they cost, about two bucks apiece?

Oh and Ken, the look on your face when you roll your IT Band is priceless.

Where's the research on what this exactly does?

Great (and important!) question. While there's not a whole lot specifically on self-release techniques, there are some small studies and case reports on release techniques like ART and myofascial release for helping with pain management and return to activity with strains, tendonopathies, overuse conditions, etc.

A lot of research still needs to be done.

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don't you know there ain't no devil
that's just god when he's drunk

I tried searching for the Youtube videos but my IP # is blocked. Probably another trick by the wife and kids.

There is a lot of mythology about it. One commonly held idea is that myofascial release "breaks up scar tissue". That's just silly.

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Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.--Francis Chan

Well i don't know how it works but i'm not half as sore the next day if i roll my legs and hips real good after a run! There's your research.

ya, I find the lack of research on it puzzling too. Definitely works though.