Massage is an ancient healing art that involves finger pressure on specific sensitive points on the body. By pressing on different points with different intensity, you can achieve exactly the opposite effects: people who suffer from hyperactivity can use massage to relax; asthenic, stimulating the corresponding points, can cheer up and recharge with energy.
Why massage healthy people
Massage reduces muscle tension while improving blood circulation. The increased blood flow ensures that more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the affected areas.
This is very important for athletes: overexertion, the body begins to fail, and massage helps to prevent this. Sometimes during training, mini-muscle injuries occur – there is some swelling of muscle tissue. Massage helps relieve these symptoms while stimulating blood circulation and promoting healing processes. In this case, massage can be done either in advance (before training) or after. Massage done before class is an effective prevention of injury. Connective tissue that has not warmed up properly is more prone to tearing and stretching, so by pre-competition massage we reduce the chance of injury. Post-workout massage helps relieve pain in overworked muscles and keep them flexible, reducing the tendency to spasm.
Basic techniques and rules
There are three main methods of massage: Squeezing – a method in which the muscle should be pressed against the bone located under it, straightening the compressed muscle fibers and increasing blood circulation. Impact on trigger points – direct pressure with the thumb in the area of \u200b\u200bstrong muscle tension. The trigger point is not difficult to find: when you click on it, you feel a distinct pain. With acute or chronic muscle overload, soreness can be felt even without pressing. Rubbing across muscle fibers. This is the main method of warming up the muscles and activating blood circulation in them. You can master these techniques on your own and use them to relieve tension, for example, in the neck-collar area or limbs. To give a massage to yourself, in most cases, additional tools are required: massagers, balls and other improvised materials.
Self massage
If you need something more than just stretching the pain point, then keep in mind that the correct direction of self-massage is from the bottom up. So start with your feet.
To get rid of pain and swelling of the feet and lower legs (this often happens in people who have started walking or running), you need to massage your feet either immediately before training, or at the end of the day, when after the massage you can just go to bed.
Having lubricated the hand with lotion, press the thumb on the convex part of the sole near the fingers, then massage the outer side of the foot with the same pressure movements (5 minutes).
To reduce leg pain, you will need a gymnastic tape (elastic band). Loop it around a cabinet leg, for example. Sit on the floor with your legs extended. With the toe of the foot under the tape, pull it towards you (15 repetitions on each leg).
Pain in the knee joints removed by stretching the leg in a sitting position. Squeezing the thumb and forefinger, press on top of the knee joint. You will hear the click of the kneecap. Then, with the other hand, rub the leg under the knee.
Pain in the buttocks after intensive exercises on the legs, it is removed with a tennis ball. Lie on your side, take a tennis ball and start rolling it around the gluteal muscle. Once you find a pain point, press the ball in that spot for a few seconds, then move on to the next pain point. This will help ease the pain.
cervical area in the same way, you can “roll” with the help of a ball. Even more effective is to lie on your back, placing two balls under the shoulder blades, and roll on them with your back.
Some techniques can be performed independently, however, to achieve maximum effect and to relieve severe pain, you should contact an experienced specialist.
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