Massage at home. Massage lessons for beginners at home. The benefits of general massage

Helped us:

Elena Mikheeva
Clarins Skin Spa Therapist

Elena Gorshkova
Body shaping and massage specialist Real Clinic

According to the masters, home massage is no less effective than professional massage, and it’s much easier to do. Typically, the procedure includes stroking, rubbing, patting and pinching of varying degrees of intensity. The main thing is to understand what and, in fact, why you are doing this, and follow the recommendations of doctors.

Please note that such manipulations are strictly contraindicated for people with skin and acute cardiovascular diseases. Feverish states are also not for experiments. "Also You can’t massage places with birthmarks and pronounced varicose veins, enlarged lymph nodes. Belly - during pregnancy, hernias, kidney stones, during menstruation,” warns Elena Gorshkova.

Before any self-massage, take a shower and remove foreign objects from yourself: rings, watches, bracelets. Let it go olive oil, you can mix it with ethereal. Work with both hands, if, of course, you want to properly work out all the problem areas. Attention, always move from bottom to top - in the direction of lymph flow (unless the instructions indicate otherwise). This way you will intensify its flow, which will lead to the removal of old cells, metabolic products, and excess fluid.

Typically, during home procedures blood supply increases, relieves muscle tension, brain function improves. With the help of a home massage you can both invigorate and relax yourself. It's all about what moves you use. “Short, strong ones excite the body, and long, slow and more or less light ones, on the contrary, calm them down. Repeat the latter 5-6 times,” teaches Elena Gorshkova.

1. How to do anti-cellulite massage at home

First of all, warm up your muscles in a hot shower and cleanse your skin with a scrub.
Then rub it problem areas with a brush or mitten until it turns red.
Ready? Apply an anti-cellulite product to them.
Now start moving with stroking movements from bottom to top (start from your feet). Add pressure in the calf area to improve lymph and blood flow.
Gradually increase the pace and pressure. Keep in mind, even if cellulite affects only top part thighs, you should still work the entire surface of the leg.
Leave the areas of the lymph nodes, groin, popliteal and armpits untouched.
To make everything work, practice massage 2-3 times a week (30-60 minutes each). A course of 8-10 procedures is more than enough.

Result: Blood circulation improves, a lymphatic drainage effect appears, the appearance of stretch marks is prevented and “ orange peel", volumes are decreasing.

2. How to do a relaxing massage at home

Take a bath or shower to relax your muscles.
Now take the oil - cosmetic oil marked “Relax” will do just fine. And start applying the product with soft, non-pressing movements.
Move strictly from bottom to top.

Result: General improvement emotional condition, the muscles will relax, the flow of lymph will accelerate, and therefore the removal of all harmful substances from the body.

3. How to massage your feet at home

Pre-steam your feet in a bath (you can add it to the water herbal infusion) and make yourself comfortable.
Ready? Dry your skin and apply any rich cream so that your hands glide well.
Start rubbing and stroking your feet, try to stretch each toe. Work in the direction of blood flow (read - towards the heart).

Result: A good relaxing effect is guaranteed. The thing is that there are energy channels on the feet: for example, thumb is responsible for the head, and the middle index finger is responsible for the eyes. In addition, such self-massage improves blood circulation, prevents arthritis, and relieves fatigue, tension, and stress. And it strengthens the entire body as a whole.

4. How to do lymphatic drainage massage at home

Any techniques for kneading muscles are prohibited. Otherwise, the massage will interfere with the effective functioning of the lymph vessels, and the operation will fail.
Apply oil (warm if possible) to your skin.
Rub and stroke it with slow, smooth, soft movements - from top to bottom or in a circle. The procedure takes only 15 minutes, and it would be good to do it every other day.

Result:“This technique is a salvation for all those who have a sedentary job,” hints Elena Mikheeva. As a result, work returns to normal lymphatic system, immunity increases, skin elasticity improves, swelling disappears. Cellulite prevention included. “Lymphatic drainage massage cleanses the body from the inside and normalizes water-salt balance, thanks to it, blood and lymph circulation improves,” adds Elena Gorshkova.

5. How to do lymphatic drainage massage at home

Cover the epidermis with tonic oil (look for the “Tonic” stamp on the product packaging).
Ready? Now, with both hands, begin to warm up the muscles with counter movements. Gradually move up from below.

Result: Immunity will improve greatly. This massage is also often used to prevent psycho-emotional disorders.

In order to perform a full body massage, you do not have to be a professional massage therapist. Of course, this requires preparation and some basic knowledge, but, nevertheless, it’s not that complicated. In this article we will try to answer the question of how to perform a massage and give some recommendations for a relaxing procedure.

Who is contraindicated for massage?

Massage - good way relax the body after a hard day working day or get away from your worries for a while. And it would not be an exaggeration to say that it is also beneficial for the skin and muscles.

But at the same time, there are cases when its benefits are questionable. And sometimes it can even cause harm. For this reason, the massage procedure should not be carried out if:

spinal disorders,
presence of problems associated with blood clotting,
thrombosis, or varicose veins veins,
presence of damage blood vessels,
recent fractures or presence of cancer,
temperature,
the presence of wounds or any other damage to the body,
pregnancy,
severe heart failure.

Weak and thin skin can also be a good reason for refusing massage treatments - there is a high probability of damaging the skin.

Do not massage legs with bad or protruding veins;
It is also better not to touch wounds, open or healing;
when massaging the lower back you need to be as careful as possible - muscles alone are not enough to full protection internal organs, and, as you know, there are no ribs there;
the back of the knee is also considered a very delicate and dangerous area, not suitable for massage - it is very easy to damage;
there is no need to massage a person’s bones and spine - this is unpleasant and can injure;
It is necessary to massage areas of muscle “accumulation”, paying special attention to those where there is greater tension.

A necessary component for almost any massage is oil. It softens the procedure, making it not so much painful as pleasant by ensuring good gliding of the massage therapist’s hands. But it is not at all necessary to buy something expensive and “specialized” - oils such as sunflower, olive, almond, jojoba oil or other neutral oil that is on hand are ideal for massage. And remember that before applying it you need to warm it in your palms - this way it will not cause discomfort.

Carrying out a massage

The whole body massage usually begins with the feet. By using thumbs The heel, foot itself and toes are massaged separately.

But we also must not forget that not every person may be “to taste” of such a beginning: some are afraid of tickling, while others simply prefer to keep their feet away from the hands of others. This also needs to be taken into account.

Once you've finished stretching your feet, you can move on to a foot massage. To relax the muscles, lightly stroking the back of your legs will be enough to begin with.

The skin is rubbed smoothly, but with pressing movements - this technique best relaxes the muscles and relieves tension.

From the lower back, the massage should smoothly move to the upper. Unlike your legs, you shouldn’t rub your back vigorously. The movements should be circular and stroking, moving towards the neck. Or you can use the “figure eight” technique, drawing this number with your palms on your back. Try to avoid excess pressure on the spine, pay more attention to the muscles on its sides.

Having rubbed your back with soft movements, you can move on to the intermittent pressure technique, when your fingers press hard on the muscles and suddenly release. So you need to go from bottom to top and back. In a similar way, you can relieve tension from the muscles located near the shoulder blades, but for this you will need to bend your elbows.

Having finished with these muscles, the massage moves on to the neck and shoulders. First you will need to return the client's hands to their original position. And then use your thumbs to massage the area of the shoulder muscles, periodically gently moving to the neck.

When the muscles are sufficiently relaxed, it’s the turn of the hands. It is much more convenient and logical to massage them separately, not forgetting to cover the “non-working” part. this moment surface with a towel. Where should I start? The sequence of working out the arm muscles:

It is best to start a hand massage by stretching the forearm. To do this, hold the wrist with one hand, and the other is threaded through this same forearm. You should pull very carefully and smoothly.
If you switch your hands, the emphasis will be on relaxing the shoulder muscles.
The intermittent pressure technique is also used here.
After this, you can work your palms and fingers in circular movements.

The general body massage ends with a head massage, starting from the crown. From there they smoothly move to the back of the head, ears and temples.

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Massage is one of the most ancient and skillful healing techniques, which is used in traditional and folk medicine and now. Today there are many techniques that are suitable for massage therapists of any level.

The main feature of massage is its ability to neutralize the destructive influence stressful situations on the body. Still in medicine Ancient East doctors could influence certain organs human body through massage.

Like any other method of treatment, massage has certain indications and contraindications.

Back massage at home is contraindicated if the patient has allergic reaction on the gels and oils used to rub the skin and relax the muscles.

Contraindications include diseases circulatory system, inflammatory processes(on the skin and in the body), open wounds and other skin lesions, including purulent processes.

Massage technique

There are several massage techniques that can be done at home, and each of them is worth considering in more detail.

The beginning of the procedure for each type is quite standard, that is, the patient lies on his stomach, elbows are bent and tucked closer to the chest, and a small flat pillow should be placed under the head for comfort.

Stroking

Stroking at the beginning of the massage is used as a warm-up for the skin and relaxation for the body. Stroking body massage and neck massage are the most common and most simple technique massage to be performed at home, consisting of the following stages:

First of all, regular stroking is used to prepare and warm the skin.
Then backside The palms should touch the back and, stroking it, reach the collarbones.
After your hands have reached your collarbones, you can return to the starting position.
Next, the palms need to be moved away from each other by approximately the same distance (it should turn out that each hand is allocated its own small area on the back) and continue the massage in the given direction until armpits. Then, the palms move to the inguinal folds.
With similar movements it is necessary to grasp the entire back, and on the side parts of the body it is necessary to make grasping strokes.

Rubbing

Rubbing massotherapy– this is not exactly a massage technique, it’s a series preparatory procedures before it, since the muscles need to be well warmed up to get the maximum effect from such a procedure. Rubbing also consists of several stages:

The broad muscles of the back are divided into two parts by the hands (a movement similar to how a saw works). They should start from the lower back and reach the broad muscles.
On the sides, you can apply rubbing with your elbow with a slight push into the back. The movements begin from the lower back, and then the arms are spread on both sides of the back.
Don’t forget about the intercostal spaces, which can be rubbed with regular straight movements from spinal column to the intercostal area.
The hand is placed behind the back, and the elbow is lowered. Next, the forearm is raised with the second hand, and the massage therapist carries out intense rubbing in this position, which starts from the intervertebral column and reaches the shoulder blades.
In order to achieve maximum effect It is recommended to perform a general rubbing of the entire back.

Kneading

You can also do a massage in cases where the patient has stagnant salts, or simply muscle soreness (pain), which appears after intense sports (especially when doing back exercises) and prevents full movement for several days.

Kneading is a classic massage and is carried out with considerable effort. Its main secret is that one hand must be placed on the other and the massage must begin with the long muscles of the back, since only in this way can the maximum effect be achieved.

Kneading can be done thumb one hand, both hands, the pads of four fingers and the phalanges of the fingers. This technique involves the following stages, which can occur in any order:

Left thumbs or right hand a voluntary muscle on the back is pressed. It is slightly pressed, after which it is kneaded for two minutes.
The muscles are simultaneously compressed with the left and right hands, and kneading is performed in a circular motion, smoothly moving into the spinal region.
Also, using the pads or phalanges of the fingers of the left and right hands, the massage therapist can perform several intense circular movements, which will help to rub out clogged muscles well after visiting the gym.

Squeezing

Spinal squeezing massage is a relaxing massage aimed at restoring the functioning of blood vessels, nourishing the skin, as well as warming up muscle tissue and providing a tonic effect on the patient’s entire body.

Squeezing actively affects not only the skin, but also the connective tissues. This explains the tonic effect of this procedure. Squeezing can also be called a universal technique, since it consists of all the listed techniques.

Squeezing is a deeper massage that is performed in the direction of lymph flow. A prerequisite is the slow implementation of such massage techniques. Squeezing also occurs in several stages:

A standard squeeze is similar to intensely stroking your back with your palm. In this case, four fingers should be connected together, and the thumb should be slightly moved to the side. With slight pressure, the massage therapist presses his palm onto the required area and makes a stroking movement, which activates the nutrition process in the body tissues.
The grip squeeze-up is done on the side of the back in the same way as a standard squeeze-up (4 fingers brought together and the thumb moved away). This is how it is possible to cover the largest area.
The forearm squeeze is performed exclusively on the main part of the back. The procedure is performed with the forearm so that the massage therapist can regulate the depth of influence of the hand on the muscles. Procedure in progress outside forearms. Squeezing with your forearm will help get rid of muscle pain and stagnant salts.

End of session

It is best to finish a spinal massage at home with small vibrations, which will allow the patient to relax as much as possible. For these purposes, sweeping taps or light pats on the back with fingers or bamboo sticks are used.

After vibration, it is recommended to carry out regular, light strokes, which will soothe the skin, or, conversely, vibration strokes, which will have a tonic effect (the end of the session directly depends on what type of massage was used to treat the patient).

If muscle pain If you find any of your family members, you can perform a regular back massage at home, making sure to follow safety precautions and the basic sequence of the massage. It is important at home when performing a massage not to put frequent pressure on the spine.

The first thing you need to do is prepare workplace(a pillow under the head, oil or cream, and a towel to cover the lower body and back after the session is completed).

Technique classic massage It’s quite simple and consists of basic stroking and pressing, which warms up the muscles due to which the pain goes away quite quickly.

After completing the procedure, you need to cover your back with a towel so that the muscles warm up and the pain does not bother the muscles.

The following video talks about classic massage technique back:

Now there is a lot of available information both on the Internet and in printed sources (books, magazines, manuals) on store shelves, and even videos teaching how to properly massage the back. Learning this manipulation is not difficult. But it is important to study all the information and anatomy in detail human body, at least its basics. This information can be mastered even by a person who does not have medical education. The main thing is to understand the first principle of any medical manipulation- "do no harm". Of course, the ideal option is for a specialist to teach you classical techniques.

Do therapeutic massage at home only possible after a doctor's permission, because for some back diseases massage is contraindicated, especially in acute period. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to do massage therapy, but also when to do it. In addition, it is important to navigate the anatomical structures of the back and understand their relationship with each other.

What is a back?

The back is the back side of the body, located from the bottom of the neck to the border between the lower back and the sacrum. The back is formed by the spine with the posterior sections of the ribs and located on these formations soft tissues. In its center there is a groove in which the ridge and vertebrae can be seen. The back is limited on both sides by muscles that run along the back. The spinal musculature is represented by five layers of muscles. It maintains the torso in an upright position and active movements of the spine, raising and lowering the ribs, movements of the shoulders and arms.

Lymph from the vessels of the back is collected by the axillary and inguinal lymph nodes.

Basic techniques of classical therapeutic massage

To understand how to do it correctly, you should first master the basic massage techniques - stroking, rubbing, kneading and vibration.

Stroking is the sliding of a massaging hand over the skin with different strength pressing, while the folds of the skin do not move. There are several types of stroking, the main ones are: planar and grasping, and there are also tong-shaped, comb-shaped, rake-shaped and ironing. Main effect stroking improves skin respiration.

Rubbing is the movement of a massaging hand, shifting and stretching the skin in various directions. It can be straight, circular and spiral, and there are also auxiliary types of rubbing such as “sawing”, “crossing”, “hatching” and others. Rubbing helps improve blood and lymph circulation in the massaged tissues.

Kneading, in which the massaged area is first fixed, squeezed, compressed and rolled out. This movement improves contractile function back muscles, stretches shortened fascia and aponeuroses, relieves muscle tension and increases performance.

Vibration, in which the massaging hand transmits oscillatory movements to the body of the person being massaged. Vibration can be continuous and intermittent, labile and stable.

How to do a therapeutic back massage?

The person being massaged lies on his stomach with his arms slightly bent elbow joints and arms placed along the body. Pillows or bolsters are placed under the patient's chest, abdomen and forehead.

The massage begins with superficial stroking, flat, deep and grasping. All movements are made with two hands. The direction of movement is from bottom to top to the supraclavicular fossa, then from the iliac crests to the armpits.

Both hands actively knead: ascending and descending, longitudinal and transverse. And again stroking. It is important to note that stroking is performed after each type of kneading to achieve complete relaxation of the back muscles before performing next appointment massage. When performing kneading, the area of the heart and kidneys is spared.

And the final technique is vibration. When massaging the back, chopping, tapping, patting, intermittent and point vibration are used. Moreover, there is vibration in the interscapular region, reducing the force of impact.

Finish the massage with superficial stroking.

For best effect massage is performed with special creams and oils that have a warming and tonic effect. During the hot season, you can use talc.

Therapeutic back massage – preventive and curative measure against osteochondrosis, protrusion, hernia and other degenerative processes in intervertebral discs. To massage for back pain, you don’t have to take long training courses. You can please and treat your loved ones by mastering the simplest massage techniques.

The main thing in the craft of a massage therapist is the ability to feel the muscles and read the patient’s sensations. Only then will the sessions have a relaxing and healing effect.

Massage relaxes, helps relieve stress and improves your mood. Session proper massage back improves blood circulation in the muscles, which not only strengthens them, but also improves metabolic processes in cartilage tissues intervertebral discs. And this best prevention from protrusion and hernia. Massage helps with back pain, even if your back has been hurting for a long time.

Massage eliminates muscle spasms that will help cope with chronic pain in back. Thanks to the acceleration of blood flow, it strengthens the cardiovascular system. Blood pressure stabilizes.

Therapeutic back massage is based on the principle of movement along the blood circulation and lymph flow. Back massage techniques involve movements from the lumbar region to the lymph nodes in the groin, from chest area to the axillary, from the thoracic region to the clavicular. When doing all types of massage, you need to remember that the massage therapist works with muscles, not bones. You need to work out the subcutaneous muscles. And most importantly, never engage the spine itself. Working with the spine is a specialty chiropractor To perform it, long training and special education are required.

First you need to place the patient on a hard surface. All massage rooms and salons are equipped with special massage tables. If you had to massage the spine at home, you are unlikely to find a special couch for massage. Therefore, it is advisable to choose the hardest place. As an option, lay a blanket on the floor.

Wash your hands thoroughly before performing a massage. Apply a special ointment or massage oil to make your hands slippery. Rub your hands lightly to warm your palms and make the first touch pleasant.

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When working with a patient, remember one of the main rules of massage - listen to the person whose back you are treating. If the patient experiences discomfort, try to understand the source. If the problem is that you're putting too much pressure on your back, ease up on the movement. If the patient begins to feel pain and does not go away after you stop massaging, end the session.

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Classical technique

The patient should lie on his stomach, place his arms along the body and relax. You can put a thin, hard pillow under your head. It is also acceptable to lie on the side if it is difficult for the patient to lie on his stomach.

Before doing a therapeutic massage, the back is always stroked. It is important to ensure that all movements affect not only the skin, but also the muscles underneath it. Feel how your hands work on the subcutaneous muscles. After general stroking, stroke, gradually increasing the strength of the movements. Move from the lower back to the clavicular area and vice versa. Work your entire back this way to prepare for more intense and deeper techniques. Stroke the sides, lightly clasping them with your palms.

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Push-ups

The squeezing technique is similar to stroking, but more intense. Place one palm on top of the other, make movements as if squeezing the back of the person being massaged. First, the back muscles on the sides of the spine are affected, then we move on to the latissimus. This is how we work the entire back.

Rubbing

The rubbing technique has an even deeper effect. We begin to rub the long muscles of the spine, as if we were “sawing” with both hands along the ridge. We start from the sacral region, slowly reaching the back of the head. We move back to the sacrum. The technique can be performed up to seven times, depending on the patient’s sensations. Moving on to the lats, we immediately use both hands. We start from the bottom - from the lumbar region. A more gentle option is the same movements, but performed with the pads of the fingers of an outstretched palm. We work on the patient's sides with the radial side of the palm. We move from the pelvic area to the armpits. Between the ribs, rub from the ridge to the sides, fingers apart. To finish, rub your entire back with gentle movements. Perform a couple of cycles of light strokes.

Kneading

The healing back massage continues with kneading. We place our hands like this: one hand on top of the other. We treat the long muscles, then the latissimus. But depending on the sensitivity of the patient and for the solution different tasks Kneading is used in different ways:

Thumb. Press the muscles to bone tissue under them, begin to move in a circle from bottom to top;
The thumbs of both hands act on the back in turn, first on one side, then on the other;
On the back, move four fingers in a circle;
Move all fingers in a circle.

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Having stretched the muscles along the spine, move on to the latissimus. We work along the lines, from the ilium to the armpits. We grab the muscles, pull them slightly and massage them in a circle.

Completing the procedure

Tap quickly and lightly across the entire back area. You can “chop” it with the radial side of your palm. Follow the muscle lines. Finish with stroking. Standard procedure lasts about twenty minutes, ten of them are devoted to kneading.

Massage of different departments

Types of back massage are classified according to the area they are aimed at. Modern massage therapists believe that it is most effective to work the entire back, and then move on to working with specific sections.

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Working with the lower thoracic region

We massage from 7 to 12 thoracic vertebrae. We perform all movements from top to bottom and from the center to the sides:

Squeezes;
Rubbing;
Kneading;
We use the technique of light blows and slams.

Massaging this area for five minutes will be enough. If you are performing a therapeutic back massage, work on this surface for a quarter of an hour. Please note that the 11th and 12th vertebrae are close to the kidneys; you cannot put too much pressure on them, otherwise pain may appear when you massage your back.

To apply rubbing on the inner sides of the shoulder blades, place the hand of the person being massaged on the lower back and move the elbows closer to the surface. Use one hand to slightly lift your shoulder and rub it with the other. In the area between the scapular area and the ridge, rub with the pads of your fingers. While stretching the scapular muscles, place one palm under your shoulder and lift it slightly. Don't forget about your shoulders - do the kneading in a circle on all sides.