Trigger Point

You’ve probably done this week’s warm up by now. If you have, you’ve already experienced the discomfort of rolling your shoulder muscles with the lacrosse ball. Rolling, or sometimes annoyingly called myofacial release, is a method of applying pressure to cranky spots on your muscles. 

These cranky spots, sometimes known as trigger points can limit range of motion, create discomfort and even lead to postural imbalances. Nothing takes the place of a skilled massage therapist, but with a ball we can take a pretty good crack at sore or tight or stiff muscles. Rolling will restore motion and give you access to ranges you didn’t think you had.

The posterior shoulder, which we’re focusing on this week is particularly tender. That’s because it’s a high traffic zone. Lots of muscles, tendons and ligaments and fascia all merge together and connect on the shoulder or shoulder blade. These muscles all want to move with one another. Rolling can help restore these sliding surfaces, essentially making everything under your skin cooperate better. 

It’s uncomfortable. But don’t cut it short. If you’re skeptical, try a test and retest to see the difference it makes. Try a push up before and after your 2 minutes of shoulder rolling and you’ll notice the difference right away. 

Justin Miner 

@justinminergain