You are forgiven for asking the question! After all, you would want to know if it’s going to work before investing in a good roller and putting the time in. According to the most recent studies, foam rolling DOES work! Here are some quotes and a link to the research:

Self‐myofascial release (SMR) is a popular intervention used by both rehabilitation and fitness professionals to enhance myofascial mobility.

For both athletes and active individuals, SMR is often used to enhance recovery and performance.

The authors found a significant increase (p<0.001, r=1.13) of 108 at 2 minutes post‐test and a significant increase (p<0.001, r=0.92) of 88 at 10 minutes post‐test of knee flexion ROM following foam rolling when compared to the control group.

Foam rolling in the mediolateral axis had a significantly greater effect (p≤0.05, r=0.16) on increasing sit and reach scores

The authors found that foam rolling combined with static stretching produced statistically significant increases (p=0.001, r=7.06) in hip flexion ROM. Also greater change in ROM was demonstrated when compared to static stretching

The results of this analysis suggests that foam rolling and roller massage may be effective interventions for enhancing joint ROM and pre and post exercise muscle performance.

To read the full study, click here.