Pose yourself on your knees beside them. Use your weight and be careful not to strain your own back. It will be helpful to use a little bit of vegetable oil as a lubricant between your hands and their skin.
Be careful of the sciatic nerve in the buttocks. Sharp pressure in this area will be very painful. Also, note the white dots on the photo above. These dots indicate the approximate location of the bones called the spinouts processes.
From the head smooth down the back muscles on both sides of the spine. This thick rope-like muscle is called the Erector Spinae group. It actually runs from the base of the skull to the tailbone area. Use equal pressure on your fingers and the heels of your hands. Smooth down the Erector Spinae, and back up along your friend's sides, shoulders, and neck. Do this several times.
Don't press directly on these bones. Don't push on these bones with pressure thinking that they are just stubborn spasms.
Move yourself along their side and face their head. Repeat the long smoothing strokes, going slightly deeper with each pass. Make sure that your hands conform to their body. Your pressure should be even and your strokes consistent in speed.
Try splitting your index finger and your center finger, placing your hand over the spine. Gently place each finger in the groove between the spine and the Erector Spinae muscles. Place your other hand over the bottom hand for extra pressure.
Again begin making strokes down the back, but deeper than the first time. Emphasize your pressure on the heel of your hands, stroking the Erector Spinae, down both sides of the spine. You can try to separate the fibers of the Erector Spinae group of muscles with your thumb.
For extra strength, you can use your other fingers to reinforce your thumb. Firmly, but smoothly, work from the ditch next to the spine and over the Erector Spinae muscle. Don't "thump" over the muscle. Take it slowly, with control. This will help to improve the fibers in the muscle itself.
After you've worked the muscle all the way down the back, you can do soothing circular strokes with the finger tips along the same area. This serves to relax the muscle and increase circulation.
Now the fun stuff! To work the Erector Spinae even deeper, now that it is warmed up, we'll use our elbows. In the second picture above, you can see that we use our elbow to work from the low back to the top. Keep your elbow away from the spine. Do not work to quickly so that you lose control. You will make several strokes (3-10) the entire distance.
Each should be slightly deeper than the first.
Back pain at some point will rear its ugly head with most of it. It may be lower back, shoulders or maybe the neck. Either it is the result of injury or it is the more gradual progression. If it is more gradual, then do not wait until it is a problem to get it looked at. If you are injured you go immediately, but when back pain just creeps up, then we do nothing. There are treatment options available. Preventative options are better. Check with your health care professional on a course of action for you. Most likely, massage therapy will be part of the healing process. Professional massage therapy is preferred, but not always convenient. Massage chairs are another alternative with many benefits
There are two major causes of back pain. Either it just happens, like an accident, which is most unfortunate. Or it creeps up gradually on us as we go about our routines. A traumatic injury is usually a sharp pain which needs immediate attention. The more subtle, gradual pain build up may from our sitting, posture, pregnancy or even from stress. This more subtle pain is nonetheless painful. We need to think prevention and start to seek treatment while it is in its early stages.
If you recognize that you are suffering from discomfort associated with back pain, get medical attention. Explain what you feel to your chiropractor and come up with a plan of action. Back pain can be debilitating, so waiting does not cure it. Understanding the causes is an important first step to starting the healing process.
Many of us have built up habits that are now causing the back pain we experience. I know as my stress builds, my shoulders and neck areas get stiff. This starts to cause considerable discomfort as my shoulders and neck start to ache. After speaking with my doctor, I started to realize how I carried my stress and we found some ways to start to reduce the stress by changing my reaction to certain situations. My shoulders and neck would really ache. I have started to change some habits which have started my healing.
In many cases of back pain, there is physical therapy, change of habits and tension relief. Tension and anxiety can be effectively reduced with massage therapy. Massage therapy is wonderful to help relax the mind and work out the stress that has accumulated in the body. There are many massage therapies to assist your recovery. One option you many not be aware of is massage chairs. Massage chairs offer a vast selection of effective massage therapies.
Massage chairs may be an effective alternative for relieving your back pain. Of course, you should check with your health care professional to see what is right for you. Most importantly is to do something about your situation before it deteriorates. If you have gradual pain and discomfort, it will not just go away by itself. Seek a consultation with your doctor and start the healing process. If you need massage therapy, your shiatsu massage chair may be just what the doctor ordered.
Both Royak Massage & James Knolan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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