What's the difference between a foam roller and 4" PVC?

Or, something that I always

Or, something that I always seem to have plenty of around the house: empty growlers and wine bottles...
 
Do you put something inside

Do you put something inside the pvc so it will roll? Thinking that you probably do, but I don't know what it is, my question actually should be "what" do you put inside the pvc so it will roll? Or do you put it on the floor and roll in on it there?
 
Or have someone roll it over

Or have someone roll it over you.
 
Yeah I assume you use it on

Yeah I assume you use it on the floor like those other foam rollers I have seen at the gym.

Agony, sounds good. I have a piece in the garage so I'll try it out tonight.
 
I recently bought this

I recently bought this Cryosphere Hot/Cold Foot Massager for PF from FootSmart at http://www.footsmart.com/P-Cryosphere-Hot-Cold-Foot-Massager-Each-10477.aspx, and I don't want to jinx myself, but it seems like this little bugger is really doing its job. (I also stretch my calves and fascia several times a day using the Step Stretch--from FootSmart as well, put my feet in an ice bucket twice a day, use my new arnica jel (Thank you, Abide!), and sleep with night splints, as well as use this thing three times a day.) It's shaped like a football, and it has these nubs on it. It has a liquid in it. You can freeze it or pour hot water over it to make it warm. I've been keeping mine in the freezer between uses, as is recommended for ice, so it's always ready for me. The little nubs work the fiberous and sometimes scarred tissues apart, which allows the blood to flow there providing oxygen and nutrients to the affected area and speeds healing. (Right, Jimmy? Hee.)

If this was created in "stick-form," it would be da bomb. Just like the stick, you are supposed to concentrate on using it in those areas that experience the most pain.

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Yikes!  Doesn't anyone just

Yikes! Doesn't anyone just run...and then sit down and watch TV? That's what I do after a run. Maybe a couple seconds of stretching.
 
I come back from a run, make

I come back from a run, make an entry in my training log, take a shower and then sit down in front of the computer and start spewing nonsense.
 
 

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 the difference is just in

the difference is just in the stiffness. some rollers use pvc as the center to make them stiffer. i've seen a lot of makeshift rollers in my time and the pvc tube is always part of the set up. best homemade one i've seen was pvc with a towel wrapped around it. used duct tape to hold it all together! now that's thinking.

my advice for foam rolling is to always do it yourself. never have someone roll for you. the whole process is about pressure and pressure sensitivity and the person applying the roller has no clue how much is enough or too much. sure you can tell them but with foam rolling you can have different pressure needs from one inch to another and the person pressing on the roller can't tell when a change is necessary.
 
TJ, couldn't you just use a

TJ, couldn't you just use a gold ball? I guess the football shape is nice so it doesn't run away, but you can usually just find golf balls lying around in random places, so they're free. And putting a gold ball in the freezer would probably work at least somewhat. Also, your cartoon made me actually laugh out loud.
 
Thanks, Danjo.  The blue one

Thanks, Danjo. The blue one in the picture has these nubs protruding from all over it, and they work like a massage. It also has a liquid in it that you can freeze, so it will stay colder longer.
 
Okay, that thing you posted

Okay, that thing you posted looks SO cool, TJ.

I like Jimmy's idea to put a towel or something around the PVC. My Grid foam roller (posted a pic in my foam roller thread a couple of weeks ago) has a hard, hollow core, similar to PVC. (It may even BE PVC, not sure.) But if it was JUST PVC, I'm afraid it would be so painful on the really tight spots that I'd have a hard time using it. Having some sort of softer layer means I can put a LOT of weight on it, and even when it's painful on a really tight spot, it's usable.

I love the nubs on my Grid roller. Reminds me of the nubs on that ball thing that TJ has. Mine is supposed to mimic various ways that hands are used to massage, with the pressure of fingers and such. But freezable? That is awesome. My roller isn't freezable.

I know you all saw that my roller was $40 and balked. I will tell you my roller is my most important piece of running equipment because my muscles just get really tight. Hopefully that will be less of an issue as I become a more experienced runner. But right now I've been running a little over 11 months, and I started without a lot of muscle tone. I'm one of those people that is naturally skinny--but also naturally very un-muscular. I think my small muscles just get really tight when I use them so much by running so often. Just this last week I had ANOTHER IT band issue because there were some areas that I wasn't rolling that I didn't realize were getting super-tight. I found them and have been rolling them a ton, and once again I'm getting past this issue with only a little training time lost.

So for me, I have NO problem spending $40 on a roller that I love that is going to hopefully give me years of use because it's designed with foam that doesn't break down. And the foam won't come off the PVC like a homemade one might do. But if I was only using my roller occasionally, heck yeah, I'd want to do an inexpensive homemade version. (For instance, I'm not going to pay for the cool ball TJ uses, because a golf ball works fine for my feet. But my foot issues aren't severe; if they were, I'd spring for the more expensive equipment that offers extra benefit.)

saypay45 said:
Yikes! Doesn't anyone just run...and then sit down and watch TV? That's what I do after a run. Maybe a couple seconds of stretching.
Oh, I totally wish this was me, saypay. I just get so tight--this is my biggest weakness as a runner. If I stay on top of it with lots and lots of foam rolling, it helps me tremendously. Hopefully my muscles will eventually have that balance of strength and relaxation that will allow me to only occasionally use my roller!
 
Some people use PVC pipe to

Some people use PVC pipe to save a buck or because it's more aggressive than a standard foam roller, but this creates two problems. The first is that the hard surface can cause localized injury and additional inflammation in the muscle, especially if you roll close to bony areas -- e.g. knee, pelvis, spine. That problem can be partially overcome by padding the roller, putting less pressure against it, and/or only rolling the muscle belly. However, each of these modifications decreases its effectiveness.

The second problem is even more limiting to your success. The surface of PVC pipe isn't flexible enough to conform to many areas, such as around spinal processes and muscle attachments (where adhesions tend to accumulate). In simple terms, the roller surface gets high-centered and doesn't put enough pressure on the low spots.

So rolling with PVC pipe looks kind of manly, but it's not very productive.

If you're looking for a deeper massage, try a RumbleRoller (rumbleroller.com). It's the most effective roller I've ever used. Also the most expensive, but you've probably saved enough on shoes to afford it.
 
I just started rolling, and

I just started rolling, and am using a real wooden rolling pin.

My muscles can handle the intensity, and I'm really pushing hard.

Am I missing the more important spots?
 
Welcome, rje!Board, my hubby

Welcome, rje!

Board, my hubby has been using a plastic rolling pin on me. Whenever he rolls over a place that's quite painful, I have him concentrate on those areas the most. I tried rolling myself, and I just can't apply the same amount of pressure as he can leaning over my legs.
 
I'd like to try one of those

I'd like to try one of those old school bathing suit wringers with a crank.

I'd probably heal better and stronger within a few weeks.
 
Yea, me too!

Yea, me too!