When you don’t have a set physical activity routine and you spend time without much movement, you suffer from muscle and joint pain. In addition, excessive use of technological devices such as cell phones or tablets forces neck movements. These bad habits always take their toll on the body, but one of the solutions is to resort to self-massages in the most tense and injured areas.
According to Teodoro Morales, a physiotherapist, massages have many properties. In addition to the main objective of releasing muscle tension, they help combat stress. Massages can be draining, as they promote blood circulation, making sure that nutrients reach the muscles and tissues correctly. They can eliminate retained fluid, reduce volume, and also achieve smoother, brighter skin.
For massages to eliminate muscle tension and stress, the person needs to be relaxed. This can be achieved by doing slow, deep breathing exercises and being in a quiet, relaxed place. Then, you can begin massaging the required area.
In the head
Many factors influence headaches, such as stress, poor nutrition, or more serious illnesses. Because the brain is 70 percent water, when you are dehydrated, hormones called pain-causing hormones are produced. Therefore, when you feel discomfort, first drink a large glass of water, little by little. Then, do the massage.
Move your fingers over your scalp, drawing circles that will start small but will gradually become larger. As you progress with the massage, apply a little pressure with each movement.
Once you have massaged your head for about 15 minutes, move on to your temples. Using your index and ring fingers, draw a figure eight at the height of your temples, applying light pressure and moving upwards as if you were pushing your fingers upwards.
On the neck
A bad sleeping posture, excessive use of cell phones, reading for too long, or stress can cause neck pain. The muscles feel stiff and it is difficult to move the head. It can even cause migraines, and pain in the arms or back.
According to Fernando Díaz, a physiotherapist, the neck should be massaged every four days, even if there is no pain. This will help prevent tension from building up in this part of the body and the person will be able to relax and even sleep better.
Massage the neck with circular movements from the nape of the neck down and from the middle to the outside. When you have finished, stand up and rotate your shoulders a few times, first moving them forward and then backward.
On the back
The back is a very large area, which begins in the neck with the cervical vertebrae, continues with the dorsal vertebrae at the highest part, continues with the lumbar vertebrae, and finishes with the sacral area. Normally, pain is felt in the lumbar and dorsal areas.
If the pain is in the lower back, you will need a hard object, such as a foam roller, tennis ball, or wooden stick, which will work to activate the muscle.
Place the object in the middle of your lower back and slide it up and down several times. Then repeat the same procedure from left to right, pressing the muscle from the inside out. The massage can be done by moving your back over the object and lying on your back. Or standing, leaning against a wall.
The movements should be slow, for approximately 15 minutes.
On the legs
If you spend a lot of time sitting, without stretching every 40 minutes, you must take a cold shower before the massage to stimulate circulation, as this could be one of the causes of leg pain.
You can use moisturizing cream or oil for this massage so that your hands work more easily and you can relax. Ideally, the movements should be from bottom to top, to promote circulation. Start massaging the ankles, making upward circles until you reach the thighs. Here you should apply more pressure to the area where you feel the most tension in the muscle, such as the ankles or above the knee.
For best results, after the massage, lie down with your legs up so that you relax more and circulation remains active for longer.
On the feet
The nerve endings of the entire body are located on the soles of the feet, so giving a massage in this area not only works to relieve pain in the foot but also the entire body.
If you are not used to this type of massage, it is best to sit on a chair and rub your hands so that they are not too cold. The first movements will be aimed at relaxing your feet to prepare them and locate the areas where you feel the most pain.
Press with both thumbs along an imaginary line that you will draw from the heel to the toes. Start at the center of the heel and continue until you finish at the pad of the fingers, between the thumb and the middle toe. Then, run your knuckles four times along the sole, applying pressure.
With the sole relaxed, it’s time to give each toe a brief massage. Squeeze and move your finger on the pad of each toe. Finally, bend your elbow and let your weight fall, drawing circles on the sole. Then, squeeze the feet with both hands, as much as you can.
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