Effects of Foam Rolling and Static Stretching on Dorsiflexion of the Ankle Joint

Purpose: To determine whether foam rolling (FR) alone, static stretching (SS) alone, or FR + SS together has the greater acute and long-term effect on range of motion (ROM) in individuals that have limited ankle dorsiflexion (\u3c 20°). Ankle dorsiflexion was of interest because mobility at the ankle has strong implications for reduction of injury and performance enhancement. Background: As most individuals wish to decrease joint stiffness and enhance performance, the most effective method to do so is in question with a variety of mobility techniques available. There are several methods that are useful for improving ROM, with SS being one of the most widely used methods. A relatively new method, FR, is a form of self-myofascial release that has been increasing in popularity over the past few years. Research Design: The FR group foam rolled the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (calf); the SS group held a wall stretch for both legs; the FR + SS group combined the two. The main outcome of interest was the amount of dorsiflexion obtained from each intervention. Dorsiflexion was measured in two different methods (goniometry & dorsiflexion wall test). Subjects completed 12 sessions over six weeks (2/week for each group). Measurements were taken at baseline pre/post the first session, pre- session two of week 3, pre/post the final session at week 6, and follow-up at week 7. Conclusions: Although there were improvements within each intervention group, there were no significant differences between the intervention groups. These findings imply that each intervention (FR, SS, FR + SS) is just as effective for improving ankle mobility, reducing risk of injury, and enhancing performance