The Skinny on Using Balls for Pain Relief

By 

Ashley Osier

MA, HHE, CPS, CSMT, CAMT, CAYT, CWHP

 ~ Holistic Wellness for Mind, Body, and Spirit ~

As I continue to work with clients and students on reducing pain symptoms, correcting postural discrepancies and conditioning the body, I am seeing more and more people, who have never worked with me, using a ball on their body for pain relief. Some are using a lacrosse ball, a racquetball ball, a baseball, a golf ball, balls with nubs and balls with spikes. I am also seeing more classes using one or two balls to "tune up" the body or the roll out the body. In researching the use of various tools for the Point Release™ Technique, I found that hard balls are not as effective as the slight give of the tennis ball. People who are not skilled with using a harder object on the muscles, tendons or ligaments can end up bruising the tissue or the skeletal structure, depending upon the thinness of one's body.

Using a ball on the body is a great way to relieve muscular tension and it is awesome that so many people are being exposed to the benefits. But what I am finding is that people's core problems are not going away. Take caution and make sure you don't mix up or replace the Point Release™ Technique with muscle rolling. PRT focuses on acupuncture points found at key areas on the body to produce cumulative and lasting health benefits to decrease pain symptoms, increase body awareness, improve function and resiliency, strengthen organ function, and provide deep relaxation. The cumulative benefits you will receive by accessing the acupuncture points will outweigh the short term benefits you get from rolling the muscles. For balance, figure out your key points needed to be stimulated and spend 5-10 minutes on those points in addition to rolling out your muscles. You can also integrate PRT into a stretch routine so your stretching can be more therapeutic. 

I offer a class on selected Fridays that integrates PRT with the StretchFit™ Method as well as private instruction by appointment in office and through Skype. You can find out more about the classes here. Contact information can be located here. Classes remain small so that I have time to work with students more closely to increase long term benefits of what is taught. So make sure to call or email in advance to reserve a spot for yourself. Private instruction is optimal and works great if you are not able to attend classes or would like progress more quickly toward your goals. Many private instruction clients are able to take a class now and then and many regular students schedule private instruction sessions on an as needed basis.

So the take away is: be cautious when using a ball that has no give, like a baseball. If you are in a class where the teacher is using a ball to roll out the muscles, make sure the teacher is using a ball with give or bring your own. The one exception would be the hands and feet. They both seem to respond well to a harder tool, such as a golf ball.

Be well and get on the ball!!!

Ashley Osier created StretchFit™ Method and Point Release™ Technique over 17 years ago to assist individuals who are experiencing varied limitations in their daily function due to injury, illness, chronic pain, and/or the effects of the natural aging process. She is a holistic health educator and therapist, posture specialist, stress management therapist, an acupressure and massage therapist, stretching, massage, acupressure, and self-acupressure instructor and creator of the Point Release™ Technique and StretchFit™ Method. She specializes in working with stress management, injury prevention and pain relief, corrective exercise, therapeutic stretching for individuals and couples, and posture awareness. She also offers coaching in nutrition and support for women going through divorce. She can be reached at ewsomatherapy@gmail.com.

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