Do physical therapists believe in SMR?

Hello Meghan,

As you know, since you are an NASM certified professional Dr. Micheal Clark who is a physical therapist encourages SMR.

I can’t, however, speak for physical/physio therapists at large.

I can understand the position that some take..

Professionally, I believe it is important for fitness professionals to have a very good knowledge and understanding of connective tissue, if he/she is going to encourage their client to use that approach.

A lot of it depends entirely on the physical therapist. But I would say that the large majority of them do. Just not in the way we might think of it with a foam roller. SMR is really just a massage which many of them use extensively.

Joanne and Meghan,

As both an experienced physical therapist and personal trainer, myofascial release is a technique that I learned in school, as well as through additional course work training.

The modern day personal trainer I believe thinks that using foam rollers to release fascia.
When really per the resarch what says, you are not releasing fascia, you are increasing elastic properties of the tissue, connective tissue, thus making it longer.

NASM is a fitness organization. Mike Clark is also a physical therapist not a doctor.

We(both physical therapists and personal trainers) need to look at the research, read it, and talk about it.

At the end of the day, I use myofascial release with my patients using my hands because I have been trained in it. Do I use foam rollers to stretch a tight muscle-occasionally.

Let’s continue to discuss, debate calmly and learn from one another. Because it is the client who is the one will either benefit or suffer.