Lacrosse Ball Massage For Sore Muscles

What is Lacrosse Ball Massage and is it still good in 2024?

Well its probably the best and most effective massage you can do to yourself for quick relief.

Pole dancers have been receiving osteopathy and sports massage for years during their training.

But most of them think that there’s no need for this kind of massage.

The fact remains that, unlike other sports, pole dancing requires a lot of dynamic motion, flexibility, and strength.

Many people who does pole fitness know that it can be very tough for the pole dancer, so it’s important to learn different ways of mitigating the stress on the muscles.

As a pole dancer, you’ve probably seen all kinds of massage balls being sold around.

These massage tools have been a staple in many households.

But are they really beneficial?

This guide covers the Massage Ball Guide for back, shoulder, Neck, Glutes, thighs, and several safety and caution tips to have in mind.

What is the benefit of Sports massage, and osteopathy and how can it help pole dancers?

Osteopathy is a specific treatment that focuses on the whole body of the sportsperson.

The activity might include stretching, manipulation, and massage to encourage independence and agency.

It works on the belief that the body has its own mechanism of healing itself.

For that reason, osteopathy is mainly used to reduce chronic pain, to heal injuries and aches that pole dancers experience every day.

Unlike massage, osteopathy identifies the root cause for this issue and uses manuals to ensure that this will not negatively impact your performance.

Moving on, sports massage is a specific type of massage that aims at reducing muscle tension, increase flexibility and minimize the impact of aches from regular exercises.

The sports massage improves blood circulation to the muscles and aids the elimination of waste products in the body.

The massage tends to be a bit firm with the pressure and might not cover the whole body.

There are a couple of various types of massages that a pole dancer can be subjected to.

In this post, we’ll only cover Lacrosse Ball Massage for pole dance.

What is Lacrosse Balls?

Lacrosse balls have emerged as a very important tool in the gym and pole dance settings.

The lacrosse balls are hard and very dense, and they don’t soften under pressure.

They are mainly used as a massage device to help improve the muscles’ functionality and at the same time deal with pain.

Lacrosse Ball massage is a well-known self-myofascial release targeting the fascia, a thin sheath of connective tissue that connects muscles.

When the fascia is disrupted mainly from exercises, it can cause pain and poor movements.

When the fascia is tight, it can as well pull the body out of alignment.

This significantly alters the pressure in the joints and muscles, causing sharp pain.

Thus, lacrosse Ball Massage’s main goal is to stretch and loosen the fascia, which eventually solves the underlying issue.

What are the main benefits of Lacrosse Ball massage for pole dancers

Pole dancers can benefit from Lacrosse ball massage in a couple of ways.

According to a certain Publication in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, this type of massage can increase the joint range of motion, reduce pain, help in muscle performance, greatly reduce fatigue immediately after exercise, and reduce soreness after exercise.

According to the benefits listed above, it’s easy to notice that this type of exercise is best after an exercise.

However, pole dancers can do it even before a performance.

But remember that the best results are seen after persistent practice.

Lacrosse Ball Massage for the upper neck Muscles

The main aim of lacrosse ball massage on the upper neck is to ease tight muscles and eventually get rid of pesky knots that can keep the neck feeling stiff all day long.

As a pole dancer, neck massages are very important to improve your neck muscle performance.

There are several types of massage balls for a tight neck muscle, but Lacrosse is one of the most popular.

The muscle in the neck that is very affected by stress or overworking is the Trapezius muscle.

It’s a large muscle that connects the neck, shoulders, and upper back.

When this muscle is overworked, it can lead to neck and shoulder pains.

If you want to use lacrosse Balls to massage the neck and eliminate the pain and tension, then follow the below steps.

Get close to a wall and stand with the back against the wall and the upper back.
Get the Lacrosse ball and place it on one side of the spine.
Move in all directions until you find a tender spot in your back.
After that, you can relax the weight into the wall ad cross the hands over the chest.
You should now continue to move up and down, targeting the tender spot and massaging all the knots and tender areas you might encounter.
Repeat this on the other side

Lacrosse Ball Massage for Chest and shoulders

As a pole dancer, the shoulder and chest muscles are vital.

If these muscles are really tight, they can actually contribute to poor posture and cause back and neck pain.

For that reason, you can consider the Lacrosse Ball massage to rectify the issue.

Most pole dancers agree that the shoulders and the chest muscles are very likely to be injured during pole dancing.

The shoulder muscles are easily injured due to lack of engagement.

Despite being taught how to engage the shoulder muscles, most pole dancers, especially beginners, don’t think this is a big deal.

The human shoulder has two main types of muscles that usually work to control movements.

Four other small muscles hold the wall of the shoulder in the socket.

The shoulder equally has another three big muscles that connect it with the collarbone.

If any of these muscles are overworked or stretched beyond their capacity, there’s a chance that it can cause more pain and interfere with maximum performance.

In such cases, don’t try to do anything that can aggravate the pain.

Try Lacrosse Ball Massage to help loosen the tight muscles and at the same time relieve the pain.

Stand and face the wall or an edge of a doorway.
Position the lacrosse ball on the chest muscle and make sure it’s close to the armpit
Lean past the edge of the wall
Slowly roll the ball on the chest and the shoulder area.
Carefully try to find a tender spot, now relax into that position and slide the arms up and down the wall. You should continue moving slowly in small circles targeting the tender spot.
Repeat the entire process on the other side.

Lacrosse ball for Thighs

Most pole dancers report inner thigh pain when sitting on the pole and doing some stunts.

This is probably because pole dancing involves establishing a strong grip with the thighs and other muscles in the body.

In most instances, the skin in the inner thigh can be really hurting and can produce bruises.

It is also very common to have pole burn and bruising, especially when you are learning new moves.

The thigh muscles can as well strain and extend beyond their limits when you perform pole dancing for long.

There’s a simple analogy that could explain why thighs hurt so bad at first and when you are learning new moves.

The skin and the muscles of beginners are delicate and sensitive especially because it has not been introduced to the extremes of pole dancing.

As we practice further in pole dancing, the skin will gradually toughen, and the muscles will get used to it.

But you should be ready for an initial period of adjustment.

Practice can help in this case, but you still have to consider Lacrosse ball massage for your inner thigh pains and muscle stiffness.

Many pole dancers equally suffer from tight hamstrings, especially due to overworking, which can eventually cause back pain, knee pain, thigh pain, and hip pain.

Here are the steps to try Lacrosse Ball massage.

Choose a table or a chair and sit on it. Ensure that the chair or the table is high enough from the ground to leave your thighs hanging.
Now place the lacrosse ball under the thighs.
Move it around until you locate a tender spot.
You can now rest the arms and the bodyweight on the things as you lean forward.
Now extend and bend the knees. You can leave this up to half a minute.
Eventually, move the ball as needed and repeat the whole process severally.

Glute Release

The butt muscles can get injured as you spin on the pole.

These muscles actually work as the most important muscles for people when standing, spinning, and even running.

As a pole dancer, you might need to relieve any tightness in this area to help you move in all directions with ease.

he Glutes equally helps in increasing the range of motion.

This is very important in pole dancing.

Pole dancers need to lift their knees toward the body in many instances, requiring work from very many muscles.

All these muscles are collectively known as hip muscles.

When dancing, the muscles that connect the rectus femoris and iliacus can easily be strained when practicing.

The primary symptom of Hip flexor is a pain in the hip.

But there are several other symptoms, including increased pain in the thigh, pain that comes and leaves suddenly, pain in the hip muscles, tenderness to the touch, swelling, and bruising.

Gentle stretching exercises can help in this case.

They can significantly reduce the pain and try to prepare the muscles for future injuries.

If you apply moist heat and warm up the muscles, this can greatly help too.

However, the best and the most effective remedy is the use of Lacrosse Ball Massage.

To try this, then follow the steps below.

Lying on your back and the knees are bent, place the ball underneath the booty.
The ball should be placed where the lower back meets your butt.
Put the weight on the top of the ball and slowly roll side by side.
You can roll it all the way to the outer hip, close to the side of the body.
After this, allow the knee and the thigh to get close to the mat.
Finally, pull the knee back up and repeat the whole process. You can actually continue up to two minutes.

Quad Release

This method is one of the best to reduce the aches in your back and hips.

It’s actually very important for runners.

As you already know, a quad’s job is to extend the lower leg, which is very important in running.

Pole dancers equally involve the muscles in movement, and continuous motion can lead to serious aches and sores.

There are several other causes of this condition that you should try to learn.

The strains and pain in the quadriceps are very common in pole dance and other sports.

The issue can result in lost time from training and competition.

The quadriceps muscle has four other muscle bellies, including the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vestus lateralis and vastus intermedius.

All the muscles work together to make sure that you can move freely and without any issues.

There are several remedies for this type of issue, especially if you want to deal with the issue once and for all.

Some people consider applying a cloth full of an ice pack on the affected area and leave it for about 15 minutes.

Alternatively, you can try lacrosse ball massage using the lacrosse ball.

To try this, follow the steps below.

While sited in a 90-90 position and both knees at 90 degrees, place one leg in front of you and the other one aside.
After this, place the ball on vastus lateralis, which is the most outer muscle.
Now shift the weight over the front of the body while keeping the chest up.
Massage one spot and continue moving the ball up the thigh until you reach the hip
You should continue this for almost 30 seconds. You can even work past 30 seconds as long as you’re comfortable.

Lacrosse Ball massage for sciatica

Sciatica basically refers to the pain that radiates from the back through the sciatic nerve.

The nerve branches from the lower back and heads to the buttocks and each of the legs.

The major known symptom of this condition is pain.

This condition is very likely to occur from anything like the bone spur on the nerve, or the narrowing of the spine compresses this vital part of our bodies.

When the sciatic nerve is pressed, it can cause numbness, pain, and inflammation.

This condition may not face normal pole dancers, but I thought I should include this subtopic for sportsmen and women experiencing this issue.

Even though the pain normally associated with sciatica can be severe, this treatment can correct the issue within an extremely short period of time.

Most dancers or sportspeople experiencing this problem also suffer from bowel and bladder changes, leg weakness, and pain.

Although there are many treatment forms, including surgery, lacrosse ball massage has proven to work for this issue.

Sit down on the floor close to a wall.
Now place the lacrosse ball under the glute muscle. This should be on the same side you are experiencing sciatica.
Now raise the leg off the floor in a way that the opposite leg and the arms will support the weight.
Now roll the glute muscles over the lacrosse ball and firmly release the weight as you listen to the issue at hand.
If you notice a tender spot, then pause and target that specific area
You can spend at least two minutes per session and take two sessions per day for this.

Different ways to use a Lacrosse Ball for effective myofascial release

There are several ways you can use a Lacrosse ball for effective myofascial release.

You can actually perform each of the exercises I have shared above for 60 seconds to release muscle pain and tenderness.

Soothe Sore feet

This is simply one of the many ways you can use a Lacrosse ball.

When placed under the arch of a barefoot and rolled significantly, it can instantly relieve tight arches.

It can help people that are suffering from plantar fasciitis.

It’s actually important to keep a ziplock bag in the freezer for after dance foot massage.

Loosen tight hips

When used the right way, it can help loosen tight hips, which can cause pain and affect your performance on the pole.

To do this, you should lie on the side where the muscles are tight.

Make sure the knees are bent 90 degrees, and the hands are on the floor in front of the body.

Now raise the hip and place the ball under the muscles.

After this, gradually release the full body weight on the ball and start rolling.

You should now move the hips around the area.

If the pain is obviously too much to bear and you cannot release the whole weight on the ball, you can try otherwise and place it on the wall.

Now release the weight on the ball and move the hips around as you massage the pain.

Ease Forearm pain

Arms are very important in pole dancing.

For that reason, the muscles and the skin can be overworked, leading to a worse situation that can eventually compromise your performance.

To release the pain, hold the ball in one hand and roll it up the forearm.

Alternatively, you can place the ball on a desk or a flat surface and rest the hand there.

Now press the forearm onto the ball.

To deal with the pain completely, you can do this several times a day.

FAQs

What Muscles do you need for pole dancing?

The shoulder muscles, the triceps, and the muscles in your forearms are all needed in pole dancing.

In fact, pole dancing is a funny type of workout that targets almost all human body muscles.

As you practice, you will notice that this form of dance targets major muscles in the human body.

Is massage beneficial to pole dancers?

Yes, pole dancers require full muscle performance.

Ball massage targets the muscles’ flexibility and helps reduce the pain, and that is directly proportional to the muscle performance.

Another thing, ball massage can help recover muscle tightness and eventually help you perform better.

What is a Lacrosse ball called?

The lacrosse ball is also known as Pearl Lacrosse balls that is officially the ball for the US men’s national lacrosse team and the US lacrosse.

Conclusion

Pole dancing can be a strenuous activity that takes a toll on your body muscles.

You need an effective way to relieve pain and tension from your body and ensure a comfortable recovery after a pole dance performance.

Lacrosse ball can greatly and effectively help you deal with pain and soreness that results from pole dancing sessions.