Introduction
SMR for your hamstrings is a simple effective way to release tight bands and sore spots in the those muscles with no massage therapist visit.
SMR, or to give it it's full name, Self Myofascial Release, is nothing new. Instead, it's a very effective and much used technique for solving minor tightness and pain in a range of skeletal muscles. This isn't the first article I've written or video I've filmed about SMR. Here is one about calf muscles and another about patellofemoral pain. The simple way to think of it is self-maintenance of your body.
Because of our modern lifestyle, which involve a lot of time spent in a triple flexion, sitting position, it's not unusual for our hamstrings to become tight and sore.
For elite and professional athletes, having a massage therapist, physio or similar professional on hand means they can resolve this soreness quickly and avoid the injury potential it presents. If you're anything like me, getting a timely physio appointment is nearly impossible.
Fortunately, this simple SMR treatment for your hamstrings, using simple tools (foam roller, modified rolling pin or lacrosse ball) does the job almost as well.
The principle relies on finding sore spots in the muscle and applying pressure to those spots until the over-active muscle fibres in the area relax. You can enhance the technique, pinning the muscle in place by applying pressure to the sore spot and then applying a gentle stretch to the muscle, effectively pulling it past the pinned spot.
As noted at the end of the video, if you feel a burning or tingling sensation, that's an indication you're probably applying pressure to a nerve and should move off that spot. As long as the discomfort you feel is muscular pain (a dull ache, not a sharp stabbing pain), you're in the right place.
