Massage These 6 Areas Yourself for Soothing Relief
Aches, pains, and stiffness are ailments we
become accustomed to as we get older. But what are our options? Should
we just learn to live with the pain, or spend a fortune on a massage
therapist? Thankfully, there is a third option that I've recently been
trying myself - self-massage. I use foam rollers, lacrosse balls, tennis
balls and a massage stick (all cheap, easily available and simple to
use) for those hard-to-reach spots and consequently, I have found them
to be incredibly effective. All it takes is 10 minutes out of my day,
and the muscle pain and tension I was experiencing have reduced
significantly, in just a matter of days. My flexibility has also
increased.
The Benefits: Self-massage tools increase
blood circulation and smooth out 'knots' in the muscles and connective
tissues caused by dehydration, overuse and, injury. The longer they go
untreated, the tighter the surrounding muscle becomes, causing more
pain.
Let's take a look at six ways self-massage can help. The videos show you
how to perform each technique.
1. Reduce Lower Back Pain
The lower back is often a prime target for
pain, predominantly because the spine, made up of 33 small bones called
vertebrae, must carry the weight of the whole body. A number of
activities can put a lot of stress on the lower back, including running,
jumping and chronic sitting.
An effective way to reduce lower back pain is to massage the quadratus
lumborum (a back muscle) and the erector spinae (muscles that run along
the outside of the vertebrae). As this spot is hard to reach, using a
small, dense ball will help.
2. Relieve Tension Headaches
Stress and a slouched posture can often
cause throbbing tension headaches. Such a headache occurs due to muscle
contractions in the head and neck. Kneading the upper trapezius muscle
(the muscle located near your neck and shoulder) with a massage stick
ought to alleviate the pain.
3. For Flexible Hips
Most of us have limited hip mobility and
flexibility because our quadriceps (upper thigh muscles) are tight.
However, keeping your hips flexible means that you are less prone to
injury. Using a foam roller on the quadriceps will help loosen up this
tissue.
4. Your Posture Will Improve
Sitting down all day creates muscle
imbalances. Therefore, some muscles become short, tight and overactive
while others weaken out of neglect, causing us to feel pain and making
us prone to injury. Rolling on a simple device, known as the 'peanut
tool', will loosen and relax your back muscles. To make the peanut tool,
just add two small balls (the size of a tennis ball) to a sock, tying a
knot firmly at the top to keep the balls in place.
5. Reduce Foot Pain
Pain in the plantar fascia (the muscle that
spans the bottom of the foot) can be caused by injury, overuse, a
sudden increase in activity or even weight gain. Massaging the soles of
your feet with a tennis ball can remove adhesions in the plantar fascia
and also send blood flow to your feet, warming up your foot muscles.
6. Release Shoulder Pain
Self-massage is a fantastic way to release
discomfort and pain in the shoulder area. A lacrosse ball is the best
tool to release adhesions in the shoulder muscles.