Hello friends! Many of us have a tennis ball in our home, even if we don’t play tennis. Our dogs love to have a tennis ball as a toy, we put them on walkers to protect our floor, and they can even be used in the dryer to help with laundry! There are so many uses for tennis balls, but did you know that they can help your muscles?
Tennis balls can be used at home for a technique call soft tissue mobilization. This is simply the fancy phrase for manipulating/massaging muscles and the surrounding tissue. Soft tissue mobilization can improve circulation, lessen pain, and improve mobility.
Note: Tennis balls are easy to find and are inexpensive, but you can use any small, firm ball.
Tension in the pelvic floor and surrounding muscles can lead to several problems like urinary leakage, pelvic pain, and constipation. Addressing these areas of tension can help to improve symptoms. If you are experiencing pelvic floor dysfunction, find a therapist near you at www.mypfm.com/find-a-pt.
When using the ball, you want to start with light pressure and increase to deep pressure as you can tolerated. Focus on areas of tenderness, as these are often the areas that are restricted, and hold as tolerated. When using a ball, 3-5 minutes is a good goal for total treatment time.
Watch the video below to learn how to use your ball.
Ready to learn more about your pelvic health? Here are some helpful resources:
Watch Netflix for Your Pelvic Floor at Pelvic Flicks
Watch our YouTube playlist on Pelvic Physical Therapy
Learn more about the pelvic floor muscles with our book: My Pelvic Floor Muscles The Basics
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Visit our Instagram page for more on pelvic health.
For providers, join our Ambassador Program and most of our courses are included with your membership!
Written by Emily Reul, PT, DPT