Is there a way to use a foam roller on your neck and upper traps, or is that a bad idea?

I do it when I'm in pain there. It helps a good deal.

How do you do it? just like on your back but higher or is that too much weight?

I try to get creative with it. Anyway I can get the part that hurts onto the foam with the greatest amount of my body weight on it.

It's pretty simple man, you just need someone else to do it for you. Sit down in a chain and have the other person start at the bottom of your neck/top of trap area and just get them to press and roll it down your trap.

Foam rolling=self myofascial release

having someone foam roll you=not that thing stated above.

If you have someone that is willing to roll you, you might as well tell them to give you a massage.

Try turing the foam in different ways and rolling on it there. I find that the upper traps are easier to hit when the foam is parallel with my spine and I am bridging hard against the foam so that it is making contact with my upper traps.

What are you talking about...A massage doesn't compare to a foam roller and trying to roll yourself is nowhere near as effective. You need to be relaxed the roller needs to be pressed and rolled firmly over the traps. I imagine you'd have great difficulty trying to press the roller and remained relaxed at the same time. 10X each side should do it - 5 minutes of another person's spare time will not kill them.

I just wondered if that was too much weight on your neck, but it sounds like maybe it isn't I'll try it

I've used a tennis ball successfully.

I might try the tennis ball too, it's hard to get the roller rolling on an area as small as the neck.

I' might try someone else rolling it, but my wife is away on business more than half the time right now and my oldest kid turns 4 in August. I work out at home, so no gym partner. I live a sad existence

You dirty bugger, I'd never give myself a facial, that's disgusting

With regards to the traps/neck thing, you should be able to do that yourself shouldn't you? I can't see why someone else would be needed to do that. Unless you're really lacking flexability

As for if it's a bad idea; I can't see why, it sounds like a very good idea to me. If only I owned a foam roller

I bought one at Target for $20. Well worth the expense. Usually can find them in the sporting goods section of a store along with the Yoga mats and related equipment.

I thought I had read somewhere that your bodyweight could be too much strain on your neck, but it seems several people here do it with no ill effects.

No, I have no problem doing it, I tried today

I do my neck a lot. I am teh retardeds

Stream, that's what foam rolling is supposed to simulate...a massage. I mean, if I could get a massage after every hard training session, I wouldn't need the foam.

BTW newbs, I got all my foam rollers for free.

Well if that's the case, have you ever tried to massage yourself? It doesn't work...You're saying that foam rolling is the same thing, so trying to do that yourself won't be anywhere near as effective as having someone else do it.