Getting or giving a massage without the right information is something you need to avoid. If you aren’t prepared for getting or giving a massage, you can really end up hurting someone or even yourself. Instead of just diving into the topic and thinking you know everything, take some advice from this well written article below.
Change your mindset about massage. Instead of thinking of it as a luxury, think of massage as a therapeutic approach to health. Research shows that massage can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as lessening asthma symptoms in children. Additionally, those tension headaches are no match for the hands of a skilled massage therapist.
Hydrate yourself well for forty-eight hours before your massage. Many people know that heavy water intake after a massage is good for flushing the body of toxins and helping with sore muscles. Drinking plenty of water before the massage will greatly increase the impact of the massage and its purging abilities.
Make the most of your massage by drinking lots of water. Why? Because a good massage gets your circulation going, but water is needed to flush toxins out of your body. Hydrating before your massage makes your blood less sluggish, making it easier for the masseuse to rub excess lactic acid out of your muscles. Staying hydrated after aids your body in processing and eliminating these toxins.
Make sure that your massage therapist is registered in your state. If your massage therapist is not properly registered and insured, then you are at risk of being left to fend for yourself if they were to cause injury to you during their work. Do not worry about being rude, ask for proof so that you can be confident that you are in responsible hands.
If you will be getting a massage to have some stress relieved, go with an aromatherapy massage. Along with a massage, the therapist will use essential oils on your capillaries in order to relax the body. Most of these oils come from flowers, roots, and herbs and are completely safe.
If you are suffering from back pain and traditional back massages are not alleviating the pain, try a hand massage. Firmly press into the meaty area between your thumb and index finger and gently massage. This type of massage is especially effective for muscle spasms and pulled back muscles.
The light and gentle massage technique is often referred to as Swedish. It helps increase circulation and relax your partner. This type of massage is also excellent for athletes who have muscle fatigue. You must be careful with this type of massage and listen to your partner. They could have injuries and if the massage is painful, you need to stop.
The feet are an often overlooked area that needs to be massaged. There are many pressure points in the feet that can relax the body as a whole and give the entire body a sense of well being. Focus on one foot at a time and use as much pressure as your partner will allow.
If you are a woman, don’t swear off men massage therapists. Since most women are modest, they often feel uncomfortable in front of a male massage therapist. However, some women have reported that the best massage they have gotten in a long time is from a male massage therapist. Whatever your decision, don’t just base it on the sex of the massage therapist.
An excellent way to give a great back massage is using the “raking” technique. This involves using the tips of your fingers. Make sure that you spread your fingers apart. Begin your massage at the shoulders and slowly move your hands down the other person’s back. Your fingers should move alongside the person’s spine; however, you should not actually touch the spine. While one hand is going down one side, have your other hand go up in an alternating motion.
Massaging your own shoulders can be enjoyable if you do it right. Beginning at the top of your spine, using one hand or two, use your hand to stroke from skull to shoulders. Then work your way across the shoulder outwards. Go back towards the neck and repeat the process.
If you have dry hands or feet, find a good moisturizer and use it for massages. Apply a small dose of moisturizer on your dry skin and take the time to massage the area. Massaging allows the moisturizer to penetrate the skin to its deeper layers, which means you will get better results.
Reading this article probably did not take too much time on your hand. However, the things you’ve probably learned about getting or giving massages can really stick. If massages are something of interest to you as a whole, it is something you really need to research. Apply all that you’ve learned from this article for future success.
