How To Massage For Back Pain

Back pain can be such a horrible problem and often there is little that healthcare professionals can do to ease it. We are going to be having a look at some of the benefits of back massage and how exactly to perform it in order to ease your back pain.

You are going to discover how to perform a back massage on somebody else either with your hands or a back massager. Using the steps below, you can also get somebody to practice this method on you if you suffer from discomfort in your back yourself.

What does a back massage do?

When suffering with back pain, many people assume that they need strong painkillers or to go down other complicated routes in order to cure their problem. You don't have to take medication and you can actually ease the pain in your back with a simple massage.

Let's look at how a back massage works and its benefits.

The main purpose of a massage is to decrease tension in the muscles. This works to improve flexibility but most of all to reduce pain caused by muscles that are too tight.

It increases circulation and blood flow in the area, which brings much needed nutrition to the muscles. This is ideal if you have some kind of back or shoulder injury caused by exercise or over exertion.

A massage releases feel good endorphins in the body, which in short, will pick up your mood and leaves you feeling much happier in general. Even if the massage does not work miracles, you are still going to feel so much better at the end of it.

How to give a back massage to somebody else

You don't not have to be a qualified masseur to give a back massage and ease the pain of a loved one. By putting the following steps into action, you can give a simple but effective massage using just your hands.

Make sure that you have somewhere comfortable this person can lay, they are not going to feel relaxed during the massage if this is not the case. The person should lay on their stomach on a massage mat or mattress.

They need to remove the entire upper half of their clothing so you can get to the entirety of their back without any trouble.

If you have massage oil and they agree to it, squirt a few drops on their back. This can reduce friction and generally be very soothing for the skin.

Apply pressure on the lower back with your hands on either side of the spine, your hands should be flat and pressed down firmly.

Slowly push your hands in a swift motion up the back. This move should be made several times and is done to loosen the muscles and get the tissues prepared for the massage.

You should now use the heels of your hands to make a circular movement. Start at the bottom with your hands either side of the individual’s spine. Move your hands outwards and upwards in a circle but be careful not to do this on the spine or directly on any bones.

After you have done the previous move for about five minutes, use your fingers to press just outside the spine on either side and move horizontally towards the hips. Do this up the entirety of the persons back.

Next you should slide your thumbs up the long muscles either side of the spine. This should be fairly easy to find, and you can do this for around five repetitions.

Finally, you should use your thumb to relieve pain in tight areas and you might need to ask the individual where this is before you perform the move. Use your thumbs to provide a firm pressure to these areas making small circular movements.

You can mix the moves the entire steps for a massage as required if you like or depending on the preferences of the individual. While a firm pressure is most effective, if you are going too firm, tell them to let you know so that you can adjust as required.

How to give yourself a back massage

If you don't always have somebody nearby to give you a massage, you can actually give yourself a massage using the following technique. Keep in mind that you do need to get yourself some tennis balls in order to do the following.

Failing this, you can use some cool equipment including a S shaped back massager and a trigger point self massager.

Lay on your back on a mat with two tennis balls under the middle of your back, with one either side of your spine - your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees slightly bent.Slowly move yourself up and down so that the tennis balls massage your back.

Depending on how bent your knees are, you can relieve some of the pressure as required although a deep massage is usually the most effective.

Effective massage equipment

While equipment is not 100% necessary while giving a massage, there are some pieces of massage equipment on the market that are reasonably priced and very effective, especially when you are conducting a massage on yourself.

A s shaped back massager is a really handy device that you hold easily in front of yourself when standing, but the S curves around your body and massages your back.

A trigger point self massager is a tool that comes in all shapes and sizes but is ideal for giving yourself a massage and easing discomfort.

Now that you know how to massage for back pain, some equipment that you might need to use to get the most from massage and even how to give yourself a back massage - you are ready to go.

There are many reasons why you might be having back pain but a massage, either from yourself, a friend or a professional, can really be helpful in easing your symptoms.

Brought to you by Your Back Pain Relief