How to Conduct a Back Massage for Pain Relief
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The back massage is perhaps one of the most used massages. It has been practiced for many years and utilized to relieve stress, tension, tightness, and pain in the back region. Even now, back pain is still considered one of the most common ailments in nearly all countries and populations around the world. It is also one of the most disruptive forces since it can interfere with our daily life activities including work and leisure. Likewise, the back massage is a recommended treatment and possible remedy for back pain. Here are the steps you can follow to perform one.
Determine Treatment to Administer
Before you begin a back massage, you need to determine which one to use. If a person is looking to just relax and for light pressure, then you can give a Swedish massage. It consists of various strokes that can warm up the muscles to reduce tension and break up adhesions. If an individual wants more pressure on deeper tissue and muscle, then you can give a deep tissue massage. A deep tissue massage has similar movements and techniques as the Swedish massage and can be used to eliminate knots or chronic muscle tension. If several adhesions or knots exist, you can apply a trigger point massage with the goal of breaking several of them up. Of course, how deep you go and the amount of pressure you apply will depend on the pain threshold of the person receiving the massage.
The Process
You should ask the person you are about to massage, to lie face down on a massage table. The person can remove his or her clothing (if feasible). Once you enter the room, you should place a pillow under the person’s feet or perhaps stomach, depending on what makes this individual more comfortable. Then you should encourage this person to completely relax.
Next, you should grab some lubricating lotion, gel, or even oil and apply it to this individual’s back. Ideally, you should use massage lubricants, since these are ideal for the full body or back massage. Also, play soothing music and continue to apply the lubricant on this individual’s back to warm up the muscles and identify problem areas.
Objects to Use
Determining if you are going to use your hands, feet, elbows, and/or another object during the massage will depend on a few factors. These include the type of massage and the amount of pressure to apply. For trigger point and/or deep tissue massage, it is common practice to use your fingers, palms, elbows, and/or feet to apply pressure to adhesions. The key is to start at each trigger point and work your way around and over it in soothing, circular motions that deepen over time. Pay attention to the person’s reactions as you do this to determine the problem areas and ideal amount of pressure. For Swedish massage, you will more than likely use your hands for this massage since you do not have to apply too much pressure. You will use your hands to provide different strokes called vibration, friction, tapotement, effleurage, and petrissage. Feel free to watch this video for more details.
A back massage is a useful treatment and preventive measure for reducing back pain and other related ailments. The recommended massage type will depend on a person’s condition and situation. Nonetheless, a back massage can reduce muscle tightness and knots and increase performance and flexibility.