How do you treat a sore latissimus dorsi?

This is how to release the Latissimus Dorsi by using a tennis ball. This is a release for both the muscles and the fascia, and is a slow technique where we put the pressure of the tennis ball into a point on the muscle.

Your Latissimus Dorsi, or otherwise know as your lat, extends from the back of your torso and wraps around and attaches in the front of your torso. There is a spot right that’s almost in your armpit but not quite where you can get the muscle to nicely release. One thing you want to make sure of is to stay out of the actual armpit itself. There are lots of vessels and nerves there that you wouldn’t want to have the ball on top of.

How do you release the latissimus dorsi?

So feel carefully and make sure that you find the right spot which is going to be right in the back side of the armpit area and that’s where the tennis ball is going to go. There are two ways to do this.

The first option is to be laying down. If you choose to lay down for this, you will want to do this on the floor. As you lay down, place the tennis ball and then you will want to explore a little bit by slightly rolling up and down. Keep gently rolling around until you find a sore spot and that will be the right spot that you’re going to want to hang out with a tennis ball on. You can either support your head by using your arm to prop it up, or you can extend your arm and lay your head down. Another option would be to have a soft medicine ball to rest your head on. The important part is not really your head placement so much as making sure that the tennis ball is in the right spot.

The second option is to be standing up. This is done exactly the same as what we did lying down, but now you are going to place the side you are performing this release on against the wall. With your arm extended straight up, use the tennis ball and slightly roll it around until you find the sore spot. Place the ball in that spot then align with the wall so that the wall is holding the tennis ball in place. This one can be a little challenging because you have to get your body in the right position and the ball may fall. Hold the ball in this spot for two to five minutes, then repeat on the other side. In total you will do this exercise for about 4-10 minutes.

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