Therapeutic massage for back pain and osteochondrosis

Sedentary work, lack of physical activity, excessive stress on the back, poor posture, uncomfortable chairs or mattresses are just a small list of causes of neck and back problems. The very fact of walking upright is already a potential problem for the human race. It is not surprising that MASSAGE of the BACK and cervical spine is so in demand. But not everyone succeeds in turning to professionals. Everything again comes down to free time, the financial side of the issue and the habit of prolonging pain or discomfort in the back to a deplorable state. Today we will talk about how to properly massage your back at home. We will talk about the technique, plunge into the world of the anatomy of the spinal muscles and compile a list of contraindications.

What problems with the spine can massage cure?

Massage is not just a pleasant procedure that allows you to relax muscles and improve blood circulation. There are therapeutic massage techniques aimed at restoring the mobility of individual segments of the spine and eliminating the symptoms of diseases.

Indications for the procedure are:

• Chronic back pain associated with sedentary work and a sedentary lifestyle;
• Migraine;
• Neck pain, decreased mobility;
• Numbness and weakness in the upper and lower extremities;
• A diagnosis of osteochondrosis of any part of the spine has been made.

Therapeutic massage for osteochondrosis helps prolong remission, eliminate unpleasant symptoms, slow down the development of the disease, and also prevent muscle atrophy.

Osteochondrosis appears due to abrasion of the intervertebral discs. The cartilage between the vertebrae becomes thinner as a result of various factors: stress, infection, high physical activity. This diagnosis is increasingly being made to young people aged 25-30. The reason for this is a sedentary lifestyle, a long stay in one position (often incorrect) at the computer .

Osteochondrosis is a chronic disease. Few people manage to restore cartilage tissue after destruction, but the course of the disease can be slowed down if you use classical types of massage, physical therapy and take medications as prescribed by your doctor.

Stooping, curvature of the spine, and incorrect body position during sleep also increase the likelihood of osteochondrosis. The disease cannot be ignored. Lack of proper treatment will lead to the formation of hernias, as well as impaired blood circulation in the brain (with osteochondrosis of the cervical spine).

Indications

When it comes to indications for back massage, several types of massage should be distinguished. For example, sports massage allows you to relieve tension from the muscles, promotes their speedy recovery and prevents the formation of microtraumas and damage.

Therapeutic massage has a healing effect and can relieve you of pain in many incurable diseases, for example, osteochondrosis. Since beginners can only carry out health and general strengthening procedures at home, we will talk about the positive effects of this type of massage on the body:

• Restoration of blood circulation. If you often feel cold in your legs or freeze, even in warm weather, then pinching in the back may be the cause of such symptoms. The most common massage 2-3 times a week will help reduce discomfort.
• Reduce pain after physical activity. This applies to both physical exercise and heavy physical labor. Massage will allow you to quickly cope with the consequences of micro-strains, relieve fatigue and pain in the muscles.
• Restore correct posture. Here it is worth clarifying that you can only restore the mobility and elasticity of the muscles, due to which your posture will improve slightly. It is almost impossible to completely restore crooked posture.
• Increase endorphin levels. The overall well-being depends on the level of these chemical elements in the body. Increasing endorphin levels can have a positive effect on the treatment of chronic muscle diseases.
• Get rid of or reduce headaches and dizziness. Pinching and formation of salts in the cervical-collar area can lead to unpleasant symptoms. Acupressure of the cervical area will quickly eliminate dizziness and restore blood circulation.

Benefits and effects of massage

Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles. When we experience pain, the muscles tense, numbness, a feeling of tightness, and discomfort occur. An experienced massage therapist will help eliminate muscle tension, relax muscles and improve blood circulation in the affected area.

With the help of classic therapeutic massage (provided that it is performed by a professional), you can achieve the following results:

• Restoring mobility of the affected segments of the spine;
• Removing tissue swelling;
• Elimination or reduction of pain;
• Strengthening individual muscle groups;
• Increasing the overall tone of the body;
• Improved well-being;
• Relieving chronic fatigue

A massage session lasts 30-40 minutes. The course includes 8-10 sessions, after which you need to take a break.

The benefits of massage for hernia

Each type of intervertebral hernia has serious complications, so you should not delay treatment.
See how easy it is to get rid of a hernia in 10 sessions

Massage for hernia:

• Improves blood flow to inflamed soft tissues.
  Plasma contains oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells that accelerate the healing of damaged tissue.
• Relieves inflammation.
  The procedure relieves swelling that has formed in response to a pinched nerve.
• Reduces the level of stress hormones.
  In response to pain, the release of adrenaline, cortisol, and other substances increases, the task of which is to help the body cope with the situation. On a physical level, blood vessels constrict, which can cause spasms. Psychologically, a person feels severe discomfort.
• Relaxes.
  Massage for a spinal hernia softens tense muscles, which helps reduce pain and relieve spasms.
• Stimulates the synthesis of endorphins.
  This is the name for pleasure hormones - biologically active substances that are produced by the brain in response to a joyful event (in this case, a massage). Endorphins cause a feeling of pleasure, which dulls pain and stimulates healing.

The benefits of massage for lumbar and lumbosacral hernia

General stiffness is a common symptom of a lumbar hernia. The muscles go into spasm, causing the person to become stiff. Massage for a lumbar hernia normalizes the tone of blood vessels, which leads to improved blood supply to tissues and venous outflow. The muscles relax and lactic acid leaves them. The muscles begin to contract better and become more flexible, restoring mobility to the lower back.

If there are scars after surgery, massage performed using the correct technique helps to resolve them.

The benefits of massage for thoracic hernia

Intervertebral joints and discs do not differ in mobility, especially in the thoracic region. However, under the influence of massage they become more plastic, flexible, stronger, which allows you to eliminate pain in the joints and muscles and prevent the appearance of the last stages of hernias. In addition, the pressure on the discs is reduced.

Read more about this type of hernia and other methods of its treatment in this article.

The benefits of massage for cervical hernia

The procedure makes the neck more flexible, relieves muscle tension, pain in the forearm, and eliminates migraines. Impact on the 7th cervical vertebra has a positive effect on the heart.

Read more about the symptoms and treatment of cervical hernia here.

Contraindications for therapeutic back massage

The procedure should not be accompanied by severe pain and does not lead to side effects, provided that the patient has no contraindications. Before a massage, it is advisable to consult a doctor , get a consultation, and then provide the massage therapist with complete information about your health.

It is not recommended to perform a back massage in the following cases:

• Increased body temperature, fever;
• Thrombophlebitis, thrombosis and atherosclerosis;
• Reduced blood clotting;
• Purulent and infectious processes in the body;
• Aneurysm;
• Fungal skin infections;
• Inflammatory process in the lymph nodes;
• Neoplasms in the spine;
• Tuberculosis;
• Venereal diseases;
• Unstable psyche, mental illness.

It is necessary to inform the massage therapist about the presence of allergies and all known diagnoses. If the procedure is required after a back injury, you need to wait some time to allow the spine and tissues to recover before starting massage treatment.

The essence of point massage

Analysis of the interconnection of organs makes it possible, by acting at one point, to receive a response from the influence at a distance, but related to it. This is precisely the goal that implies the use of point activities.

How does acupressure work?

The technique is based on the principle of acupuncture. There are about seven hundred activity points on the human body, the impact of which causes one or another reaction. For acupressure massage, 150 is used.

Acupressure

Important! The uniqueness of pinpoint manipulation is, first of all, that it is possible to cause the desired reaction without directly affecting the affected area, which is often simply impossible to massage due to its inaccessibility. Such places include, for example, intravertebral injuries.

Massaging active points or applying pressure to them is used in various types of massage and serves to achieve a variety of goals.

Table. Different types of point massage.

Here we will consider traditional European point massage, performed as an aid for various diseases of the back, internal organs, as well as to relieve tension and fatigue.

Massage can be therapeutic, sports, relaxing, tonic... There are a lot of massage techniques, the choice is always strictly individual depending on the patient’s health status and gender. We recommend reading the article on our website to learn about how a man’s back massage is performed.

Finding the point of influence

If you find the right point that needs to be manipulated, the patient will experience the following sensations at the moment of influence on it:

• a short tingling sensation, like a low voltage electric shock;
• the appearance of “goosebumps” all over the body;
• body aches;
• fatigue;
• formation of “goose bumps” in some open areas;
• pulling feeling at the point.

Important! Among all the sensations when pressing or otherwise influencing a correctly found point, there should be no pain, at least not strong.

Unpleasant sensations may occur during acupressure

Massage technique

The specialist must interview the patient, clarify the diagnosis, symptoms, and tell about contraindications. The procedure is performed lying on the stomach (if a massage of the neck and shoulders is required, the patient sits with his back to the specialist and rests his hands on the table). The massage always starts from the part of the back where the pain is least severe.

Massage includes several basic techniques:

• Stroking . The massage therapist gently strokes the skin without pressing hard to warm it up and prepare it for more intense treatment. A therapeutic massage session begins and ends with such actions.
• Rubbing . They help increase blood flow to the massaged area of ​​the body, as a result, the tissues are better saturated with oxygen. Rubbing also helps reduce pain.
• Kneading . With the help of kneading, the specialist affects not only the skin and muscles, but also the tendons. Such a deep impact allows you to improve the mobility of the vertebrae and tendons.
• Effleurage . The massage therapist intensively affects the area affected by osteochondrosis, which improves blood circulation and increases muscle tone.

Classic manual massage can be supplemented with cupping or reflexology to achieve better results. If severe pain, burning or other unpleasant sensations occur during the procedure, you should immediately inform the specialist .

Acupressure can be used to treat back pain. The specialist influences acupuncture points to relieve pain and speed up the process of tissue repair. Thanks to acupressure, muscle spasms can be relieved.

It is better to entrust the procedure to a professional who knows the characteristics of muscle tissue, the location of cartilage, nerve endings and controls the force of pressure. If you undertake to give a massage to a loved one with osteochondrosis, make sure that your manipulations will not harm him. Try to perform all movements towards the heart and not put too much pressure on the body.

For therapeutic massage, a special massage cream or oil is used, but the patient is not allergic to the components. First you need to apply a small amount of the product to your wrist and wait 5 minutes. If there is no redness, itching or burning, you can begin the massage procedure.

Is it possible to massage a hernia?

A herniated disc develops when the annulus fibrosus disc that connects the vertebrae to each other becomes damaged. The nucleus it contains protrudes outward and penetrates the intervertebral canal, where many nerve fibers are located. It compresses the nerves, causing pain not only in the affected area, but also in the area for which they are responsible for innervation - the neck, arm, leg.

Massage is one of the manual therapy techniques that has proven itself as an effective remedy. The procedure is recommended for hernia of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Whether it is possible to do massage for spinal hernias and how to do it depends on the patient. At the initial stage, when the fibers of the intervertebral disc are damaged, but it is still intact, massage is prescribed as part of the treatment. At this time it gives the best effect. One course stops the progression of the disease, relieves pain, and starts regenerative processes.

Massage is a combination of weak and strong movements in the form of rubbing, pressure, vibration. Under their influence, the distance between the vertebrae increases, negative pressure is created, under the influence of which the core returns to the disc.

Nutrients that reach hard-to-reach areas:

• improve the regeneration of the disc and cartilage tissue;
• strengthen the ligaments of the spine;
• makes the vertebrae stronger and more resilient.

With protrusion, when the disc cracks increase, but the core remains inside, the approach changes. Massage must be done carefully, otherwise it can provoke the progression of the hernia. The correct technique will stop degenerative processes in the disc.

With prolapse, the nucleus partially comes out, which is accompanied by severe pain. In this case, gentle stroking is recommended, intense exposure is prohibited. Hydrotherapy in the bath has a good effect. The same technique must be followed when extruding. At this stage, the nucleus protrudes greatly from the disc, affecting more nerve endings than with prolapse.

During sequestration, the procedure is prohibited. The hernia does not just bulge, but breaks away from the disc and migrates along the spinal column. This is a very dangerous condition that can cause paralysis. Any load on the spinal table is prohibited. The patient often needs surgery.

The procedure goes well with other methods of physiotherapy - cold, heat, hydrotherapy, electrical nerve stimulation. A good therapeutic effect is achieved by massage in combination with physical therapy exercises.

How is lumbar massage performed?

If osteochondrosis has affected the lumbar spine, you need to place the patient on his stomach and place a small cushion under the sore area. Your arms should be along your body and your head should be turned to the side. You need to try to relax as much as possible.

First, the massage therapist will warm up your lower back. He will work the massaged area with gentle rubbing movements. For the next 5 minutes, the specialist uses kneading movements that improve blood flow in the lumbar region, allowing you to stretch and warm up not only the skin, but also the muscles.

It is also necessary to treat the gluteal area near the lower back with intense circular movements. You can end the session with stroking.

Preparation and technique of acupressure

A professional massage therapist chooses individually which place of the palm or arm to influence the points. The selected methods can be combined and changed. The influence can be exerted as follows:

• thumbs;
• with your knuckles bent;
• index fingers;
• the back of the hand;
• middle fingers.

An example of thumb pressure

To prepare, a relaxing massage is performed, the techniques of which are mainly rubbing and stroking.

Advice. Despite the area of ​​the back in which acupressure will be carried out, a preparatory massage is done over its entire surface.

Stroking is done without lifting the open palms from the skin in the direction from the buttocks upward. The movements are circular, then fan and zigzag. The order can be changed. Tempo – 25 movements per minute.

Stroking - a classic massage technique

With subsequent rubbing, the pace increases to 60 movements. In addition to the knuckles, preparatory rubbing can be performed on the backs of the hands or elbow joints.

Trituration

Now the patient is ready for targeted treatment, relaxed and calm. It is carried out this way.

1. Find the pain center, the point where the pain is felt most strongly.
2. For five seconds, make circular movements along it clockwise (as if screwing something).
3. With each approach, increase the time by two seconds, bringing it to twelve.
4. Between approaches, the massage therapist’s hand is abruptly removed from the point.
5. The intensity and frequency increase from session to session.

Advice. You can apply simple pressure for 7-10 seconds. In the first session, you should limit yourself to a few approaches, increasing their number and degree of pressure gradually.

Before starting acupressure, the doctor must clarify whether the patient has any contraindications to it.

An obstacle to the manipulation may be:

• hyperemia disease;
• the presence of a malignant tumor;
• any bleeding;
• fragility of blood vessels;
• any oncology;
• lymphadenitis;
• venereal disease;
• thrombophilia;
• mental illness.

Contraindications to massage

Massage of the cervical spine for osteochondrosis

Massaging your neck yourself or trusting your relatives to do so is dangerous. If there is instability of the cervical vertebrae, the nerve can be compressed. Do not put too much pressure on the collar area or make jerking movements.

Massage of the cervical spine is carried out as follows:

• The patient sits on a chair and places his hands on a support.
• The specialist treats the area of ​​the neck and shoulders with smooth, careful movements without strong pressure.
• Then the massage therapist works with more intense movements at the base of the neck and shoulders, using the edge of the palm. This allows you to warm up the muscles well and prepare them for further manipulation.
• Then the muscles of the neck and shoulders need to be rubbed with smooth transverse movements.
• At the end, the specialist moves in a circular motion the entire area from the head to the back and from the base of the neck to the shoulders.
• After finishing the procedure, the massage therapist wipes the skin with a damp cloth to remove any remaining oil and covers the patient’s neck and shoulders with a warm towel. You need to sit like this for a while.

It must be remembered that osteochondrosis of the cervical spine is often accompanied by neck pain and decreased mobility. If the massage is performed incorrectly, there is a possibility that the pain will intensify and migraines will appear.

Self-massage of the neck

If you feel tension in the cervical region, you can relieve it with self-massage.

Find out how to do it correctly to get good results.

1. Sit in a comfortable position, remove your hair, warm massage oil in your palms.
2. Tilt your head with your chin down and start stroking your neck from top to shoulders.
3. Make several circular rotation movements along the cervical vertebrae using the pads of your fingers. Then perform intense stroking. Alternate techniques.
4. Light pinching of the skin near the vertebrae works well.
5. Lift your chin and perform three or four strokes from bottom to top.
6. Now, using your index finger and thumb, make several circular movements from your collarbone up to your chin. Stroke the surface of your neck with your palms. Repeat all movements again. The massage can last 5–10 minutes.
7. Finally, stroke your entire neck with your palms again.

Knowing how to properly massage your back and neck yourself, you can prevent the development of various diseases, maintain good muscle tone and relax.

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Features of thoracic spine massage

Osteochondrosis in this area is the most difficult to cure. It is not recommended to massage the thoracic region at home or on your own. It's better to leave this to a professional.

The procedure can be performed either lying down or sitting. If the patient is sitting, the specialist gently warms up, rubs and works the area, trying to warm up and relax the muscles. The session begins and ends with light strokes.

If the patient is lying down, a small cushion is placed under his chest. First, the specialist will warm up the skin, then rub the back muscles with longitudinal movements. The session ends with kneading.

Contraindications

Even the most ordinary relaxing, classic massage at home from a non-professional can cause harm to the human body. Strong pressure along the spinal column is strictly prohibited. There are a number of contraindications that will answer the question of how to make a back massage as safe as possible for the patient:

• Presence of open wounds, severe bleeding or serious injuries. Having open wounds increases the risk of infection. But internal damage must also be taken into account. If shortly before the session a person fell and experiences pain in the ribs or spine, then amateur massage is contraindicated.
• Complex infectious diseases. Massage of the back muscles can improve blood circulation, which may be undesirable during an infectious disease.
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes. First of all, the ban is associated with improved blood flow. Also, it is worth considering that enlarged lymph nodes indicate the presence of diseases, so it is better to postpone massage. If you do a massage after the condition has improved, then areas with lymph should still be avoided.
• Burns in the massage area. Damaged skin in burn areas changes its structure. You should be especially careful when approaching burn wounds that have not yet healed.
• Skin diseases. You should be especially careful at this point. If there are spots of unknown origin on the patient’s back, then it is not worth starting the massage procedure for the safety of both parties. There is also an additional recommendation regarding moles. It is better to avoid such areas so as not to injure them and cause bleeding and infection.

What are acupressure points and their location diagram

Eastern medicine is based on the philosophical doctrine of the vital energy “qi” flowing in the human body through 12 invisible channels that interact with each other and form a closed network. There are about 700 special biologically active points on these meridians, each of which has a direct connection with a specific organ or system. By stimulating them with acupuncture or simple pressure, you can add energy to the diseased part of the body and get rid of the problem. Depending on the method of influence, these points began to be called acupuncture (from the Latin acus - “needle”, punctio - to prick) or acupressure (from pressurum - “to press, press”).

Modern medicine does not deny the healing properties of acupressure, but explains their mechanism from a scientific point of view: relief occurs due to the activation of nerve endings that send signals to the brain, which, in turn, gives a command to stimulate the activity of a particular organ.

For acupressure back massage to give positive results, you need to correctly determine the location of biologically active points. To do this, we use any of the known methods:

1. Press with your fingertips on different areas of the skin. When entering the desired area, a person will feel pain, tingling or slight numbness.
2. We follow special topographical diagrams that depict the meridians and the vital points themselves.
3. We use such anatomical landmarks as the protrusions of the vertebrae, shoulder blades, pelvic bones, skin folds, spaces between muscles or spinous processes.
4. We carry out a search using a special apparatus.

The distance between points is often measured in cuns. This is the length of the second phalanx of the middle finger of the right hand in women and the left in men.

Interestingly, by massaging acupressure zones on the back, we not only get rid of problems with the lower back, neck and spine, but also have an impact on other internal organs.

The most significant points are:

1. “21” – located on the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra. Controls the functions of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland and skeletal system. It is massaged for pain in the heart and nerve disorders.

2. “22” - located in the center of the shoulder blade, pressing on it will have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the lungs and eliminates pain in the shoulders.
3. “46” – two symmetrical ones lie 7.5 centimeters from the spine on the 12th rib. When exposed to them, adrenaline is released, stimulating the work of the heart and respiratory organs.
4. “47” – paired on the upper side of the shoulder blades. Relieves spasms, pain in the back, especially in the lumbar region, as well as in the arms and legs.
5. “51” – symmetrically located at the base of the neck. Their stimulation perfectly relieves tension, mental and physical fatigue, improves cerebral circulation, treats insomnia and diabetes.
6. “76” and “94” - have a similar effect, eliminating pain in the lower back and legs.

In addition, along the spine, at the exit points of the nerve roots, there are so-called spinal points, which are a direct projection of the internal organs:

• san-jiao-shu – digestive organs;
• shen-shu – kidneys;
• da-chan-shu – large intestine;
• guan-yuan-shu – reproductive system;
• xin-shu – hearts;
• pan-guang-shu – bladder and excretory organs.

The area of ​​influence on the active point during an acupressure session is much wider than with acupuncture. The massage therapist uses techniques such as rubbing, kneading, pressing, circular movements, involving fingers, palms, and sometimes even elbows. Therefore, the patient may experience some discomfort. But, given the end result, it’s worth a little patience.

Massage and pregnancy

During pregnancy, a woman's body changes, and the spine takes on more stress. Regarding massage, you should consult with an obstetrician-gynecologist.

, since a lot depends on the duration of pregnancy, how it proceeds and how the expectant mother feels. The second rule is that massage should only be performed by a specialist who knows how to work with pregnant women. At any stage of pregnancy, only light stroking of the back and soft, gentle, relaxing movements are used. Any more intense effect is only possible in the absence of contraindications and with permission from a doctor.

Accessories

It is not always possible to see a doctor at the first signs of illness. In addition, massage and acupuncture procedures are not cheap. To relieve back and neck pain on your own, you can use massagers, the choice of which is wide today. Particularly popular:

1. Ebonite sticks are special devices with a pointed end that allows you to influence biologically active points. The therapeutic effect is enhanced by the unique properties of ebonite: at the moment of contact with the skin, a weak electromagnetic field appears, which stimulates protective and regenerative processes in the body's cells.

2. Teak sticks are excellent acupressure tools used by Thai massage therapists.
3. Applicators (Kuznetsova or Lyapko), which are surfaces covered with metal or plastic spikes. They do not injure the skin, but they work perfectly on active points. They cause a rush of blood to the tissues, thereby improving their supply of oxygen and nutrients, combined with the flushing out of cholesterol plaques, salts and toxins. They eliminate pain thanks to signals coming from an artificially created focus of excitation in the brain.

4. Rollers are devices consisting of a rotating roller with spikes and a long handle. Needles can be made of plastic, rubber or metal. Several options for the frequency of their location and degree of sharpening make it possible to use the massager with different skin sensitivity to pain.

5. Balls with spikes - roll slowly but with effort along the back until pain is replaced by relaxation.

Such devices are useful for patients who want to get rid of problems with the musculoskeletal and muscular system. They are used with pleasure by office workers, athletes and people experiencing heavy physical activity. This is the best way to relieve fatigue, headaches, stretch a stiff back and restore lost health.

Trigger point massage

With various ailments of the musculoskeletal system, excessive loads, injuries or a sedentary lifestyle, very painful compactions form in the muscles in the form of nodes of different sizes, which are easily identified by touch. Amateurs consider them “salt deposits.” These are so-called trigger points - areas of muscle tissue that are under constant tension. "Trigger" translated from English means "trigger". Indeed: nodules, until a certain time sensitive only upon palpation, under the influence of irritating factors (stretching, hypothermia or overload) remind of themselves with a sharp pain, like a shot. It can radiate to any organ or part of the body, causing a lot of trouble. A person usually feels:

• tingling and numbness in the problem area;
• convulsive spasms;
• dizziness;
• noise in ears;
• difficulty moving limbs;
• "formication;
• chronic irritability;
• headache.

Physiotherapy, warming up, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs will not bring relief. You can get rid of the problem only by eliminating muscle spasms. And the best way to do this is acupressure of the painful point manually or using special devices. The best of them is considered to be the massager A.I. Koldaeva:

1. The device is an S-shaped stick with 5 protrusions of different lengths, each of which ends in a small ball.
2. The design is made of high-quality plastic and is designed to relieve muscle spasms, deactivate trigger points and restore damaged muscles.
3. You can massage yourself without even taking off your clothes. To do this, just find the painful point on your back and work it out by pressing with a ball or making circular movements. The convenient shape of the massager allows you to independently reach even hard-to-reach areas between the shoulder blades.
4. The training disc included in the kit provides a detailed description of the rules for identifying trigger points and influencing them.

3-4 two-minute sessions a day are enough for you to forget about the problem in a couple of weeks. “Thera Cane” and “Body Back Buddy” are foreign analogues of a massager that allow you to conduct acupressure sessions at home.

Preparing for a relaxing back massage at home

Even without special knowledge, you can get a massage right at home, which will bring great benefits to human health. For example, when learning basic techniques, you can give a massage to a close relative who spends a lot of time at the computer: with the help of simple actions, muscle pain and numbness in the upper back will disappear, blood circulation will improve, and the person will receive a charge of new strength and vigor.

Before starting massage procedures, it is necessary to create a comfortable temperature in the room: it should be at least 22 degrees. Some essential oils that are used for rubbing have components that themselves have relaxing properties - for example, lavender oil has this property. To avoid harming a person’s skin during a relaxing massage, you should cut your nails short and file their edges well.

A high-quality relaxing back massage involves treating the buttocks area, where a large number of muscle groups are concentrated. In this part of the body, you can use some power relaxing massage techniques, but you should remember that in the back area itself, all movements should be performed quite carefully so as not to cause pain in the person being massaged.

Contraindications to massage

Despite the fact that massage seems to be a universal solution to the problem of osteochondrosis, it may not be prescribed in all cases. It is simply unacceptable to prescribe a course without consulting a neurologist! The main contraindications to prescribing a massage course:

• the presence of any oncological diseases, as well as benign tumors (in this case, neither the size of the tumor nor its location matter);
• open form of tuberculosis;
• presence of untreated sexually transmitted diseases;
• disorders of the skin in the area of ​​inflammation (scratches, wounds, burns, warts, etc.);
• aneurysm;
• disruption of the circulatory system, weak vascular walls;
• osteomyelitis.

A relative contraindication is the patient's pregnancy. In this case, the doctor makes an individual decision on the admissibility of using massage.

Indications and contraindications

There are no age restrictions for acupressure back massage. It can be used even in children after one year. A medication is prescribed for:

• various types of neuroses;
• diseases and functional disorders of the digestive system;
• osteochondrosis of the spine, lumbosacral, shoulder, thoracic or cervical radiculitis;
• diseases of the circulatory system: angina pectoris, low or high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances;
• intervertebral hernia;
• postherpetic neuralgia, plexitis, sciatica, vegetative-vascular syndrome;
• problems of the musculoskeletal system: intercostal myalgia, arthritis, arthrosis, lumbago.

With the help of acupressure, people can recover from fainting states, stop coughing, treat obesity, and even stop asthmatic attacks. Stimulation of acupressure points activates the reserve forces of the human body and restores energy balance, which helps strengthen the immune defense and rejuvenates the body.

It must be remembered that, like any medical procedure, acupressure back massage has a number of contraindications. It is strictly forbidden to perform manipulations with:

• high body temperature, viral and infectious diseases;
• open form of tuberculosis;
• exhaustion;
• thrombosis;
• digestive problems;
• any neoplasms or tumor processes;
• mental disorders.

It is prohibited to perform the procedure during pregnancy, menstruation or alcohol intoxication. Massage immediately after eating or on an empty stomach can lead to fainting.

A special diet that excludes spicy and salty foods, tea and coffee, as well as alcoholic drinks will consolidate the therapeutic effect. Experts recommend refraining from hot baths during this period, preferring a warm shower.