Massage Balls
Massage balls are very handy tools that are universally useful, the uses for massage balls include massage therapy, pain relief, self-massage, trigger-point therapy and physical therapy (physiotherapy). Massage balls are effective for tight muscles, sore muscles, muscle tension, increasing blood circulation and pain relief.
If you are looking for other pain relief products, please visit Pain Relief creams and gels or take a look at our Massage mediums.
How often should I use massage balls?
Try not to use a massage ball too frequently, you can use it 2-3 times a day if you find this is helping to release tension or improve blood circulation but remember to not overdo it or you might suffer from muscle fatigue.
What are massage balls made of?
Massage balls are made from a range of materials, usually, rubber and foam materials are used and this can include neoprene but sometimes plastic is used as well depending on the massage ball or the manufacturer.
Rubber balls are harder than foam balls with a similar density to a tennis ball so are more appropriate for extreme muscle tightness, knots and demanding physical therapy rehabilitation.
Which Massage ball should I get?
This depends on why you are looking for a massage ball, some massage balls like spiky balls are more suited for myofascial release because although smooth balls are good for trigger-point therapy as well, the spikes act like fingers, massaging stiff and tight muscles, targeting specific trigger points for pain relief and they are more effective for increasing blood circulation.
As mentioned above, different materials are more useful for different purposes, the Yoga Tune-Up Therapy Balls are smooth foam balls that can be used for knots, stiff muscles and sciatica pain and the Acuball Massage Ball can be used for similar reasons except for sciatica pain and it can be heated so it is especially good for heat therapy and pain relief.
What are massage balls good for?
Conditions that can be treated with massage ball techniques:
- Muscle stiffness
- Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
- Sciatica
- Arthritis, particularly Arthritic hands
- Fibromyalgia
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
What are the different types of massage balls?
Our Range of Massage Balls
1. Physique Spiky Massage Balls
These spiky massage balls are rolled around to relieve muscle stiffness and discomfort.
The different colours of this spiky ball represent different sizes so you can target the right muscles properly.
These spiky massage balls are good for back and feet pain, mobility and pain relief
2. BlackRoll Massage Ball
The Blackroll Massage Ball is better suited for pinpoint massages and deep tissue massages that sort out really stiff and tight muscles.
They are made specifically for use on the neck, feet, shoulders and arms but they can also be sued for Sciatica Pain.
If you have Sciatica Pain, please take a look at our buyer's guide on How to treat Sciatica Pain for tips on how you can relieve pain caused by Sciatica.
3. BlackRoll DuoBall Massage Ball
These massage balls are pretty much identical to the last one except for the design which allows them to be used on different muscles, it is also more effective at targeting muscle groups than a single massage ball.
The DuoBall can be used for neck pain, back pain, the pectorals and the upper arms which makes sense when you think of the shape of these areas of the body and the shape of the massage ball.
The Duoball, therefore, does not pose risk to your spine if you are using it correctly.
4. Trigger Point Massage Balls
These massage balls are similar to the BlackRoll Massage Ball. As the name suggests, they can be used for trigger point massage, they can also be used for acupressure and general muscle stiffness. The consistency is comparable to a tennis ball.
Like other smooth foam massage balls, they are very versatile and can be used for the whole body, from the neck to calves which makes them a handy tool to have for self-massage, physiotherapy, sports therapy and massage therapy.
5. Yoga Tune-Up Therapy Balls
The Yoga Tune-Up Therapy Balls are another great option of foam massage balls for trigger point therapy.
They are especially good for frozen shoulder or Sciatica Pain but like the other foam massage balls, they are quite universal and can be used for almost every part of the body imaginable, you just need to find the right Massage Balls exercise for what you're looking for.
6. Acuball Heatable Massage Ball
The Acuball Heatable Massage Ball makes use of one of the simplest but most effective forms of pain relief - heat therapy.
These massage balls can be heated in the microwave for 90 seconds before use which will help provide targeted and effective pain relief for up to an hour after heating.
Due to the dimples, it is a combination of spikey balls and foam balls and can therefore be used for neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, fibromyalgia, back pain, sciatica, leg and hip pain, foot pain, and more.
For more heat therapy products, please visit Hot and Cold Therapy and Heat Therapy
7. Plantar Massage Balls
Plantar Massage Balls, as the name suggests are designed specifically for use on the plantar fascia.
This is a thin band of fascial tissue that runs along the base of your foot. Plantar Massage balls are therefore specifically for conditions such as Plantar Fasciitis, for more information please visit Plantar Fasciitis Insoles and treatment and our buyer's guide titled Plantar Fasciitis Insoles and Treatment.
Plantar massage balls can also be used for general foot pain, if you have back pain and discomfort in your calves, massaging your feet could be a solution to providing some pain relief
8. RockBalls
Hopefully, you have a good understanding of massage balls and their uses but if at this point, you're still unsure about which Massage ball you should get or if both types of massage balls appealed to you then Rock balls are sold as a set of 2 massage balls.
Both are rubber but one is a smooth massage ball and the other one is a larger spiky massage ball.
some products are not included in this list, please visit our Massage balls section for the rest of our range of massage balls.
Massage Balls Exercises
Please visit our Massage Balls Exercise Guide for an in-depth explanation and demonstration of how you can use massage balls for a range of different body parts and uses, it even has videos that show you how exactly you can do certain exercises so there isn't any confusion about how you do any of the exercises.
References
Kalichman L, Chen Ben David (2017) Effect of self-myofascial release on myofascial pain, muscle flexibility, and strength: A narrative review - Journal of Bodywork and movement therapies.
Lavelle et al. (2007) - Myofascial Trigger Points
Deep Recovery - Choosing Massage Balls, A complete guide
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