Do a Hard Core Advanced Therapeutic Massage

An advanced technique to help ease body pains and promote relaxation. Although these therapies will not diagnose or cure illness, they should promote good circulation, and make muscles more pliable and hydrated. Range of movement may be increased and muscle pain may be decreased.

Steps

  1. Start with face-up chest, their arm down to side. Prop their arm up on your knee or pillow to loosen the pectoral, anterior deltoid area to work through it more easily. You can start at the center of their chest by the clavicle and work towards you to clear the area thumb-width by thumb-width like combing through their muscle bit-by-bit. Then change their arm position to above their head and prop it up again; this changes the fibers of each muscle area, go through the area again for a more detailed, deeper effect. Place arm down to the side and go through again.
  2. Arms: Biceps worked both from and to the heart several times over. Forearm flexors and extensors and then the hands, working with steady pressure in the palm, and gentle twist/pull for each finger.
  3. Thighs: Top of legs, to and from the heart, you can face your body to their face and turn toward their feet when you change direction to make it easier for you. Working knee to hip then hip to knee, then knee to hip slowly clearing the muscles deeper as they let you go through, like a wave in water, letting the muscle relax and move as you go through with your thumbs. If you work the inner or outer thighs, proceed with care, as they tend to be quite sensitive.
    Abdomen and Hips. If you work this area, you must be patient and gentle, as it tends to be sensitive. Start at the bottom of the ribs on the left and right abdominal muscles and work your way down to a couple inches above the front of the pubic bone, then work back up. Then slowly go back down and up a bit further out; repeat until you get to the obliques. Also work gently inside the iliac crest, and you can work quite a bit on the outside edge of the hip between the iliac area and the joint at the head of the femur.
  4. Have them turn over to face down.
  5. Start again with their legs straight, knee to hip, and then hip to knee and back to hip. Calves the same way, including the muscles lateral to the shinbones in front, then feet; they are easier since the bottom of their feet can be propped up on a firm pillow. Use a couple run-throughs of increasing pressure in the arch and ball of the foot, then the toes as done to the fingers; You can have them turn their knee out and bend their leg out so that their illio-tibial band is up to work on; this also changes their hip to work on again around their trochanter (leg bone). End with their legs straight of course.
  6. Hips again now, if no underwear, uncover just one hip and work on separate to and from heart slowly clearing deeper each time.
  7. Now move to the back, warm with lotion or oil feeling for tight areas to concentrate on and them have them scoot down and turn to a side. You can start with their shoulder or hip, it doesn’t matter, all will be worked on. When a person is turned on their side, the muscles change their structure, some loosening, some tightening, work on the loose muscles deeper and slowly, concentrating and clearing those areas. Have them place their arm down to side to get at infraspinatus and rear deltoid easier; this also loosens trapezius as well. Carefully work and loosen the side of their neck on top, then have them turn their head so that their nose is down toward table and work the underside of their neck, by turning their head it puts a slight twist in the neck and shoulder muscles to catch and go through slowly and more thorough. Have them turn their head back to a comfortable place to go again through the shoulder, then lats, then rib cage and quadratus lumborum, by working this area from the side you can slowly sink through and clear to spine.
  8. You can work through hip again from this angle too, then to have them turn over to repeat on other side.
  9. When done with that side, have them face down again to work through their entire back again and finish with the shoulders and neck,to help maintain a relaxed state.
  10. You can have them flip over one more time to face upwards, and finish with the muscles of the jaw, face and head. Here, start at the temples and work your way out, then through the ocular region, down onto the cheeks and jaw, and where the jaw meets the neck below the ears. Then work outward from the center of the forehead, and slowly running your fingertips longitudinally around the skull from front to back.

Tips

  • Remember music, preferably something that is mellow.
  • Always back your hands up. This means always have one hand support the other, it is like a one-handed massage at times but only when you are working deeply and then for medium to light work you can use both hands separate.
  • Since the touch given in massage can be an intimate experience, be sure to pay attention to the receiver's boundaries. If in doubt, ask "Is this okay?"
  • Massage oils and lotions work great. Warming them will also help relax the muscles. Do not warm oils to the point that they will burn or scald. (Follow instructions presented on the bottle.)
  • Every person has different thresholds for pleasure/pain. Encourage the receiver to give feedback on what's good or if anything hurts, and then listen.
  • Remember this technique cannot cure illnesses but may help you deal with them.
  • It may take a while to get used to doing this massage technique.

Warnings

  • Be aware of any signs of contraindications. These are warning signs and the receiver should not be massaged. (see external link for list of contraindications)
  • Practicing massage without a license is illegal in several states and countries. Check the laws concerning massage in your local jurisdiction before practicing.
  • When using oils or lotions, follow any directions and advice given on the bottle. Do not use oils on areas with a large amount of body hair - this can cause irritation at the base of the hairs.
  • This How-To is not a substitute for actual massage training, and should not be used as treatment for injuries. A trained massage therapist should be sought.
  • This can be very habit forming.

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Sources and Citations

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