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Massage Therapy: General Principles
By: Jason Weeks (independent health columnist) September 26, 2009 Massages can be used for many purposes, and I'll discuss some of the details involved. They can be used to heal injuries, detoxify the system (when done correctly), relax muscles, and generally to relieve pain or induce pleasure. Many studies have been done on the benefits of massage therapy, and they could be listed endlessly. There are many areas of the body that can be massaged. The one most attended to is the back, since it is injured the most. I'll cover important details involved in back massage. To start, the person receiving the massage should be preferably laying down on their stomach to relax them as much as possible, making the massage actually beneficial instead of a battle between your hand muscles and their back muscles. If sitting, the person should be relaxed and somewhat supported, to what extent is allowed. The body should be as symmetrical and natural as possible to facilitate relaxation and ensure the massaged is balanced to both sides of the body. To neglect this fact could result in worse problems, like being off balance, which could, in itself, cause more injuries. The neck must also be relaxed as possible. In a cyclic fashion, apply pressure with the thumbs and move in a generally circular motion. Different people require more pressure than others, and different pressures serve different purposes. Some knots really need to be mashed a lot before they really respond. Some people have no injuries, or low muscle mass (as in someone who lives a completely sedentary lifestyle) and require little pressure. It is important to move around, attempting to stay symmetrical throughout the massage session, so as to cover all muscle groups. Stay in one place for no longer than 5-10 seconds before moving to another spot. A common misconception is that the muscles in the back simply run up and down adjacent to the spine. That is incorrect. The entire back has muscles from the top to the bottom, and all the way across. Exploration and feedback from the person being massaged helps to guide the process. I'll recap important points to remember during the massage to improve the quality. Thumbs are the easiest body parts to give a massage with. With a little more hand strength involved, a more complex massage may be given with more fingers. I use all 10. Remember to continuously move. The pressure on the tissue is cyclic to help facilitate a reviving action and stimulate blood flow. Staying in one spot is boring and can become painful. Also, it will also cause you to waste your time. 5-10 seconds max. Pay attention to injuries. Be careful with the tender areas, and all changes in pressure and speed should always be made moderately gradually. Focus on tense areas, and briefly touch on unaffected areas. Anything that adds relaxation improves the quality of the massage from a health standpoint. Be careful with your hands. To become overzealous may cause you overusage injuries, like tendonitis and even swelling, redness, and inflammation. Ramp up your level of intensity and duration with the possibility of injury guiding your judgment. Sit in a comfy position yourself. I've noticed that feelings of discomfort or nervousness may actually transfer to the recipient of the massage. If massaging the back of the neck, placing one hand in front of the forehead in full weight support while massaging with the other hand allows the neck to drop it's support of the head and receive the full benefit of the massage. If you're massaging a bone, stop it. You're wasting time and likely being annoying. Massage Therapy is a gut-feeling art. It is something better learned through intuition and experience, but the science wraps it all together. Without the procedure and SOME understanding, massage is very difficult to learn.
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