How To Give A Back Massage
There’s a good reason massage therapists charge what they do. They’ve undergone intensive, long-term training that involves learning anatomy and physiology. They’ve practiced for months or longer, hours per day, to develop the understanding and the skills to detect body problems. They’ve learned a demanding trade. But sometimes dedicated amateurs can emulate their skill to … Read More
Massage for Pregnant Men
Certainly, human males can’t get pregnant. (Not yet anyway.) But couples often say ‘We are pregnant’ when announcing their joyous news to friends and loved ones. So, sometimes, it’s helpful for the man to consider himself as expecting also. One of the things his mate may be expecting, besides a child, is a good massage. … Read More
Neck and Shoulder Massage in Simple Steps
It used to be that mailmen and athletes were the two major professions that suffered neck and shoulder aches. Nowadays, with virtually everyone using a computer for long hours every day, the problem can affect anyone. Fortunately, a partial solution can be provided with a few simple, easy to learn techniques. To get the full … Read More
Working Trigger Points
Whether trigger points even exist is still a matter of some controversy. Proponents on both sides will argue and reach no definite conclusion. To explore working them, will require a slight detour into some simple muscle physiology. Muscles work when a set of protein molecules composing them ‘overlap’ by being electro-chemically stimulated. These long chains … Read More
Chair Massage In the Workplace and Out
Picture a massage. What comes to mind are images of someone lying on a table, partly covered with a sheet, being kneaded. But one of the newer and now equally common forms doesn’t use a table or mat at all. The recipient isn’t even prone. He or she is sitting. Chair massage has come of … Read More
Deep Tissue Massage
Swedish massage and similar techniques seek to stimulate the surface and relax muscles that are readily accessible. Deep tissue massage tries to go further, to get down to layers where trigger points (muscle knots, localized pain areas) and other problems may reside. There are a number of specific techniques utilized to accomplish that aim. Classic … Read More
Effleurage
Effleurage is one of the most common massage techniques employed. Using a succession of light or deep stroking or gliding motions, the masseuse or masseur floats across the contours of the body. The therapist uses a flat surface, such as the hand or forearm. He or she moves with low-friction over large expanses of skin, … Read More
Hawaiian Massage – Lomi
American missionaries invaded the Hawaiian islands in 1820 and, as ships came and went with supplies (and sometimes natives eager to leave), the native massage practice spread to the west. That art is called Lomilomi. ‘Lomi’ is the Hawaiian word for ‘rub’, and hence Lomilomi (‘masseur’ or ‘masseuse’) has come to mean the practice of … Read More
Hot Stone Massage
Most massage techniques make heavy use of the therapist’s hands and arms. Occasionally sticks will be used for certain specialized applications. But ‘recently’ a new tool has been added to the toolkit – hot stones. ‘Recently’ is in quotes since the technique has actually been practiced for thousands of years. But only in the past … Read More
Indian Massage – Marma-Point
Many massage techniques that later became popular in various parts of Asia actually originated in ancient India. One of the oldest is marma-point massage. Used for thousands of years, it has now made its way into Western spas where it’s a great favorite of clients. As with many Eastern techniques the focus is on the … Read More