Dr. Andy Galpin

When I'm doing a foam roll, when I'm doing a massage, what is actually happening right there? Am I breaking up scar tissue? Are my fibers misaligned and I'm rolling them back together? What is actually happening at the tissue level that explains any of those other benefits that we're going to get to way, way later? What's the mechanism here?

Got it.

Got it.

I didn't realize the nervous system connection or the actual nerve connection into fascia.

I didn't realize the nervous system connection or the actual nerve connection into fascia.

But wait, there's more. Oh, I'm sure. But you have your skin. Yeah. Your skin and you have your muscle. When we think of these areas, again, stretching and massage and I'm in pain, my muscles are sore. Before your work and before paying attention to all this stuff in fascia, my assumption was that these were muscle problems. My muscle is sore.

But wait, there's more. Oh, I'm sure. But you have your skin. Yeah. Your skin and you have your muscle. When we think of these areas, again, stretching and massage and I'm in pain, my muscles are sore. Before your work and before paying attention to all this stuff in fascia, my assumption was that these were muscle problems. My muscle is sore.

People think that they've got micro damage in their muscles after workouts. What is this fascia stuff?

People think that they've got micro damage in their muscles after workouts. What is this fascia stuff?

That's the seams. That's the connection, right? That's the way through. So if I'm looking at like your jean jacket right now, like the jacket is my skin potentially. Your body is underneath that and the seams literally are the things connecting the muscle to the skin and well, from toe to toe to chin.

That's the seams. That's the connection, right? That's the way through. So if I'm looking at like your jean jacket right now, like the jacket is my skin potentially. Your body is underneath that and the seams literally are the things connecting the muscle to the skin and well, from toe to toe to chin.

This is actually amazing. What you're saying is if you were to do that prior to your workouts and this had some sort of a pain dampening effect, you could then train closer to that pain ceiling but below it. Is this deadening the nerves? Is this getting them – that the pain receptors calm down more? Like is this exactly what you were talking about as a way for your pain management strategy? Yes.

This is actually amazing. What you're saying is if you were to do that prior to your workouts and this had some sort of a pain dampening effect, you could then train closer to that pain ceiling but below it. Is this deadening the nerves? Is this getting them – that the pain receptors calm down more? Like is this exactly what you were talking about as a way for your pain management strategy? Yes.

If I, and I've seen people do this a thousand times, if I were to take a tennis ball and put it underneath the bottom of my foot right now, maybe a baseball, a harder one. And I would roll on that for two minutes. I would probably stand up and if I were to bend over and touch my toes, my range of motion would be greater, right? This is the fascial connection, right?

If I, and I've seen people do this a thousand times, if I were to take a tennis ball and put it underneath the bottom of my foot right now, maybe a baseball, a harder one. And I would roll on that for two minutes. I would probably stand up and if I were to bend over and touch my toes, my range of motion would be greater, right? This is the fascial connection, right?

So I've undone some of the fascia, however you want to think about this, and the bottom of my foot. And since they transferred all the way up to the back of my spine and then all the back of my head, hopefully that has created some change in range of motion. How long does that last? A few minutes? A few hours? What do we know about the length of a single acute session for that range of motion?

So I've undone some of the fascia, however you want to think about this, and the bottom of my foot. And since they transferred all the way up to the back of my spine and then all the back of my head, hopefully that has created some change in range of motion. How long does that last? A few minutes? A few hours? What do we know about the length of a single acute session for that range of motion?

And is that range of motion, if that's all I did, is that going to have any chronic effect?

And is that range of motion, if that's all I did, is that going to have any chronic effect?

And that makes a ton of sense. It would be pretty silly to think if I were to roll on a foam roller for two minutes and then all of a sudden I get up and I have a structural change in the anatomy of my quad.