Consistency in Your Assessment Tools

The degree markers on a protractor never changes and neither do the inch markers on the tape measure. If you use a weight scale you want to make sure that it's calibrated and a Bod Pod has to be as well. So if you are one that uses the Foam Roller as one of your tools to gain feedback on muscular trigger points and tender areas, why shouldn't you have consistency in that tool too?

Last week I assessed a couple athletes and they presented movement patterns that led me to believe that there was over activity in the Gastoc/Soleus complex, TFL, Adductor complex, IT Band to list some of the possibilities in the lower body. After educating them on the assessment results it was time to review the corrective strategies to address the possibly tight muscles with the initial implementation of the foam roller for tension relief. To my surprise their responses weren't what I had expected for high level athletes applying body weight on their calves on a foam roller. Their level of tenderness was negligible at best. This was curious.

After some thought and evaluating the firmness of the foam roller, I saw that the foam roller had some miles on it. It was the equivalent of performing the technique on a roll of paper towels. You may think that I'm exaggerating and I wish I was, but I'm not.

Fast forward, after some manual release of the lower leg, adductors, ITB and TFL I was able to elicit the results I wanted to achieve with the foam roller. After a re-evaluation there was improvement in movement quality.

The inconsistency in the equipment made me doubt for a second the initial assessment results. Without the use of a dependable piece of equipment I had conflicting information. Not only did this affect my initial instruction of Self Myofascial Release (SMFR) but also the "buy-in" I was trying to create in the corrective exercise process with these athletes. The solution here is to make the investment in reliable tools, check your equipment for consistent performance and keep tabs on what needs to be updated to account for added value for your service.