Basic Self-Massage Tips

August 25, 2020

Information

With Michele Grand, LMT

ID5489

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00:00OK, Good morning again everybody and
00:02thank you for taking the time to join.
00:04My name is Michelle Grand.
00:06I'm a licensed massage therapist.
00:07It smilow cancer hospital and I'm
00:10so pleased and honored to have
00:12this time with you today to talk
00:14a little bit about self massage.
00:16Self massage we can do for ourselves
00:19at anytime we we use our fingers and
00:22we use different kinds of pressure and
00:25I want to talk a little bit about the
00:29soft tissue that we're going to reach
00:32when we press on to our skin to begin
00:35a few of the benefits of self massage.
00:38It will increase our circulation
00:40especially to the nerve endings.
00:42It calms the nerves and
00:45lubricates the joints.
00:46It can increase our mental alertness.
00:49It can improve elimination
00:50of impurities from the body.
00:53It can aid in smoother and softer skin,
00:56increased levels of stamina throughout
00:59the day, and better sleep through
01:02the evening through the night.
01:05What we have under our skin.
01:07Our basic.
01:07There's more than these things,
01:09but we're going to just talk
01:11about these three things.
01:13We have.
01:14Trigger points we have connective
01:15tissue and we have fassia,
01:17and those are the three things
01:19that were going to activate when
01:22we do our self massage today.
01:24Trigger points are muscle knots
01:26there often sensitive spots in
01:28our soft tissue and what it is.
01:30It's a small Patch of tightly contracted
01:33muscle and that's as opposed to a
01:35whole muscle spasm like a Charlie Horse.
01:38Generally,
01:39if the muscle fiber.
01:42Servers are in a relaxed state,
01:44their flat,
01:45but when they become contracted
01:47in this little mini spots,
01:49they feel like little balls
01:51of tight muscle and they choke
01:53off our blood supply and then
01:55that irritates them even more.
01:58In addition to the trigger points,
02:00we have connected tissue.
02:01Connective tissue is fibrous in its density,
02:04and connective tissue includes bone,
02:06ligaments, tendons,
02:07cartilage, and fat tissue.
02:10Thirdly,
02:10we have fassia and Fasha is a band
02:13or sheet of connective tissue.
02:16It's primarily made of College
02:18in its beneath the skin also,
02:21and it attaches, stabilizes,
02:23encloses, and separates muscles.
02:25An other internal organs.
02:27So again,
02:28as we go through our self massage
02:31from head down to our toes.
02:34When we touch the skin and we're pressing in,
02:38these are the soft tissue.
02:40That we're gonna try to activate
02:43an increase our blood flow to.
02:46The motions were gonna use when
02:48we do self massage are going to
02:51be circular circular motions
02:53needing needing motions which is
02:55also called Petra Saje.
02:56Long and broad strokes which is
02:59called Effler ajc Ann where needed
03:01some deeper deeper pressure will do
03:04a little friction maybe around the
03:06joints and what we're trying to do.
03:09Again is we're going to detox our body.
03:13We're going to increase our
03:15blood flow and circulation.
03:17I'm going to basically just
03:18nurture ourselves.
03:19We're going to fill ourselves with Logan,
03:21love and kindness,
03:22and the third thing I just want
03:24to mention is something called.
03:26You may have heard of Mayo, Fashil pain.
03:29Myo means muscle and fascia we know is
03:31the band of connective tissue around
03:34the muscle and the milv ashel pain
03:36is what we feel when we have these
03:38muscle knots pain in trigger points.
03:40So what we want to remember too
03:42when we're done, of course,
03:44is to wash your hands because we're gonna.
03:47We could sometimes start without
03:49feet and woke up, but we're going to
03:51start with our head and work down,
03:53then wash our hands.
03:55Of course, when we're finished,
03:56so to begin, we're going to start with.
03:59Are ahead at our face.
04:01The first thing I'd like you to
04:03do as we begin to self massage is
04:06place one index finger. On the top.
04:10Up either side of the center line
04:13of your head.
04:14If you prefer to use a couple of fingers,
04:17that's fine.
04:17You could even use 1, two or three fingers.
04:20So what we're going to do on
04:22both sides of the center line?
04:24So we're going to press in.
04:27As we massage, you're going to feel releases,
04:29so you're going to want to keep breathing
04:32and continue your breakfast we go.
04:34And in little circular motions.
04:37We're going to press forward.
04:40From the back of our head.
04:44To the forward of our head.
04:47Makes little circles and you'll feel
04:49your scout move a little bit as we go.
04:55And continue the breath.
04:58Very important to release.
05:00Now we're going to take one finger.
05:03I'm gonna go directly.
05:05Down the center line.
05:11As we continue to breathe.
05:27Now we're going to move about an
05:29inch away from the center line and
05:31you could take all your fingers.
05:34Make like a little claw
05:36grip with your thumbs.
05:38And we're going to start at the
05:40back and just continue forward.
05:43Just give a good release press in
05:46with pressure to your comfort level.
05:50You don't want to be in terrible pain,
05:52but you should be able some sensitivity for
05:55sure as you hit those little trigger points.
05:57When you get to the top of the ear here,
06:01you're going to feel probably a
06:03little more soreness and sensitivity.
06:05Which is fine and good.
06:08Come forward towards your temples.
06:10The thumb here will give you nice pressure.
06:17Make little circles at your
06:19temple with your thumbs.
06:23The other really spill
06:25your shoulders drop a bit.
06:30God. Excellent. Now we're going
06:35to come with the index finger
06:36to the top of your forehead.
06:39And we're gonna press outward.
06:44I'm going to move slowly down the
06:47forehead, twords the eyebrows.
06:52And continue your breath.
06:58Move downwards. Drop your
07:02shoulders and feel the release.
07:07Excellent, now when we get to the center
07:11you can take your thumb or any finger
07:15rate between the eyebrows and just
07:18make little circles. Build a release.
07:25Excellent glad.
07:29Go ahead below the eyebrow.
07:31This is where we get that sinus
07:33pressure pain so it can go a
07:35little softer, little more gentle.
07:38Make little circles with your thumb.
07:41Stretch it out a little bit.
07:47Back to the temples were
07:48going to work our way down.
07:53Going to go right here below.
07:58The eye socket right here at
08:00the top of the cheekbone?
08:03Go ahead and make little circles
08:05and move your way around again.
08:08Back up towards the temple.
08:13Good, now we're going to go below the
08:17cheek bone at the base of the nose.
08:20Feel little sensitivity there always.
08:22When we get to the job,
08:24we get that tight job many of us
08:28klundt clincher jaw at night.
08:30Now I'm going to make little circles here.
08:34At the base of the jaw.
08:37Could open your mouth a little bit.
08:40And get more of released.
08:46Could you could press back?
08:51From the chin backwards,
08:54give a good stretch.
08:56Stretching the fassia.
09:02Could go upward a little bit.
09:07Good. And now again,
09:10wait at the job where the jaw meets
09:12the ear could take an index finger.
09:14Be tender. There you can go back
09:17behind the ear a little bit.
09:19Right at the base of the jaw.
09:22Make little circles there for
09:24release and continue your breath.
09:33Good. Good now going to work our
09:37way back down towards your neck
09:39will take one hand and put your
09:42hands behind your head on your neck
09:45and just give a little squeeze.
09:47Give a little squeeze a
09:49little neck rub there.
09:54Good. Could move up a little
09:57bit, charge your hairline.
10:02We could switch switch hands with your
10:04other hand, gave a little squeeze.
10:06Have your next start from the bottom of your
10:09neck and work your way up a little bit.
10:15Now Exhale and let your head drop,
10:18stretching the back of your neck
10:20slowly and you could use one
10:23hand to sort of guide your head
10:25downward so your chin touches your
10:27chest and give a little stretch.
10:33Inhale and lift your head.
10:37And Exhale again as you
10:39stretch your neck down.
10:41Only stretch to a comfortable
10:44point for you. In hell up.
10:49You can stretch now to one side,
10:52downward to the right.
10:57An app, switch hands and downward.
11:00To the left a little and feel that
11:03stretching your shoulders in there.
11:08Excellent. Now we're going to take
11:11her fingertips and we're just going
11:14to go to the back of the head.
11:17The base of the scalp at the occipital Ridge,
11:20here starting at the middle.
11:22You'll feel the very top
11:24of your cervical vertebra,
11:26and we're going to start at the middle
11:29and just release little circles.
11:32Outwards moving Tord your air
11:34at the base of the head,
11:36and the top of the neck.
11:41Just move along the base of the hairline.
11:46Pressing and releasing from the center
11:49of your head out towards your ears.
11:54You'll feel little sensitive spots,
11:55probably as you get towards your ears,
11:57and that's good.
11:58You can loosen the pressure a
12:00little bit when you get there. Good.
12:04Good. Could take the base of your.
12:08Your chin here under underneath
12:10and you could stretch that out.
12:13Good for circulation.
12:14We hope it increase the flexibility
12:17of our skins that were not so saggy.
12:20It certainly can't hurt to try.
12:23Just give little releases their
12:25gentle if you feel sensitive,
12:27just loosen up on the pressure a little bit.
12:31Good. Excellent.
12:35Very good,
12:35take a moment read if you want
12:37to grab a glass of water 'cause
12:39we're doing a lot of release here.
12:41Sometimes you get a little
12:43dehydrated thirst you so feel
12:45free to take a drink of water.
12:46We're going to move now to our soldiers.
12:50So what we do is we're going to
12:52take our right hands and go over
12:54to our left shoulder and we're
12:56just going to make nice squeezes.
12:59Little squeezes take that muscle.
13:01That's the Trapezia's.
13:02That's a strong muscles.
13:03You can use extra pressure.
13:06And you could pull forward for release.
13:11Could feel the warmth you could
13:13feel the blood flow starting
13:15here who make little circles.
13:20Smooth around and around.
13:25And when you're ready,
13:26we can move to the other side.
13:28Again. Pull forward.
13:32You some good pressure here.
13:38Make circles circles. I'm needing
13:43that Petra Saje that needing motion.
13:47Will aid in increasing blood flow.
13:53Excellent, very good.
13:54Now what we're going to do is we're going
13:58to work our way from the shoulders.
14:01Down. Thoards R Wrist.
14:05Just make little squeezing kneading.
14:09Motions you can go up and down several
14:13times and get in there you some pressure.
14:18Make a twisting a twisting
14:20motion for release.
14:21You'll know it feels good as you do it.
14:25You'll know what's right for you.
14:29Still no pressure wise and motion
14:32wise what feels good on that muscle.
14:36Good when we get to the hand just give
14:40it a nice little squeeze on the hand.
14:44Nice crease the fingers together
14:46a little bit.
14:48We use our hands so much and
14:51there's there's muscles here.
14:52There's soft tissue here that gets tight.
14:55We could take each finger
14:57and give a little squeeze.
14:59Anna Little pull at the same time.
15:04Nice release there for the fingers.
15:09OK, good breath in. Move to the other side.
15:16When I go down from the shoulder.
15:18All the way down to the West.
15:21Kind of a again a squeezing motion here.
15:26Up and down.
15:28Use pressure that's comfortable for you.
15:32Not too late, but you don't
15:34wanna feel too much pain.
15:36Twisting twisting motion.
15:41Up and down.
15:44Feel you could feel the warmth of
15:46your skin may be getting a little red.
15:49That's exactly what we want
15:50and we get to the hand again.
15:53Still nice squeezing motion.
15:59Around the fingers.
16:03And when we get to each finger,
16:05we can give a little little
16:07squeeze and a slight little pull.
16:09Slight little pull forward,
16:10not too much to cause any
16:13sort of pain or discomfort.
16:19Excellent, go back up one more time.
16:24And down you could even
16:26give your arms a little,
16:28a slight little pull,
16:30a slight little stretch.
16:32Excellent, very good.
16:33We could do a little bit of work
16:36here at the clavicle at the collar bone.
16:39The trapezius comes across the
16:41top of the shoulders and connects
16:44over here so sometimes we could
16:46be a little aggravation here.
16:49Doing little gentle circle
16:50motions here can all such as help
16:52open up the breath alittle bit.
16:58As we work, we always keep
17:00in mind the Shockers too.
17:01We started with the Crown,
17:03we went to the third eye and
17:06here's our throat chakra.
17:08So as we massage the soft tissue,
17:10we're also opening up the
17:11energy channels as well.
17:16And then moving down to the
17:18heart area, the heart center.
17:21Very gentle. Little circles.
17:24The pet muscles are here.
17:28We give those a little
17:29stretch and release as well.
17:33Excellent, now working in the back again.
17:36We just do on ourselves when we
17:39do self massage we just do the
17:41best that we can with our hands.
17:44We can of course use a foam roller and roll
17:47on that which is an excellent release.
17:50You can use a tennis ball down at
17:53the base of your lumbar spine for
17:55release there in the buttocks as well,
17:58but for self massage we're just going
18:01to reach back and do the best we can.
18:04Each, whatever it is that you can reach.
18:07OK, so we're going to start down here
18:09at the lumbar spine, not on the bone,
18:12but to the left and the right
18:15of the vertebra.
18:16You'll feel like a softness there,
18:18and we're just going to take our
18:21thumbs as best as we can and just
18:25make little circles going on up.
18:28From the lumber.
18:29As tight muscles there,
18:31so you can kind of get in as best as you can.
18:35Then we hit the thoracic.
18:37The thoracic vertebra and those muscles,
18:40as best we can make little circles.
18:43As best we can and then with a cervical,
18:46just read from the top.
18:49Read from the top down.
18:52Over your shoulders and damn.
18:56And down the back as best you can.
18:58You could start at the top of the
19:01neck and just work your way down.
19:05Around the cervical vertebra
19:06in the soft tissue area.
19:08Not directly on the bone,
19:10but in the soft tissue.
19:16Good on your own as you
19:19continue self massage.
19:21You just do the best you can with that.
19:24Ann is something you can do just when
19:26you feel stressed in tight and when
19:28you just need some muscular release,
19:30you could focus on the parts
19:31of your body that need more.
19:33Or you could do what we're doing today.
19:35Kind of an all over massage.
19:39Now we're going to move down to the
19:42legs and the feel little bit so.
19:45Moving to the best I can,
19:46you can take all your right leg and
19:48put it over your knee if you like or
19:50just whatever is comfortable for you,
19:52but for the purpose of my showing
19:54you what we're going to do,
19:56I'm just going to bring the
19:58camera down a little bit and.
20:00We go.
20:01So what we're gonna do is just
20:03defined muscles were just going
20:05to make again that Petra Saje that
20:08needing motion around the thighs
20:11starting at the top of the hip bone
20:14here and just needing downwards.
20:16I'm going to bring this forward
20:19to to get a little better view.
20:22And when you get to the knees
20:25around any joint,
20:26we can do a little friction
20:28which is taking the tips of your
20:30fingers around the bone.
20:32You'll feel the Bony area and just
20:35make little circles follow the
20:37bone around at the joint and this
20:39is what helps lubricate the joint
20:41and it could help to alleviate
20:43some pain that you may have there,
20:46and you could feel little tender
20:49spots here and there.
20:51And that can help to just release those.
20:55Those spots,
20:56sometimes we get like tight shins
20:59along the frontier would lift up my
21:03pants to show you along the frontier.
21:06Just you'll feel there's a lot of.
21:09Muscle, muscle,
21:10soft tissue here that gets
21:12very tight and tender.
21:14Just press in and around again to
21:18your comfort level and just move
21:21your way down towards your ankle.
21:24You do that several times,
21:26moving outward a little bit.
21:29Just rub it in and around.
21:32In and around.
21:34Down to the ankle.
21:37You could take your ankle and just
21:40make gentle circles around.
21:42And in the opposite direction around.
21:47Then I didn't give a little
21:49shake to give a little shake.
21:51Now at the bottom of your foot
21:53this is the Planter area.
21:55We could some people get plantar fasciitis.
21:57It's when the connected tissue gets all
22:00gummed up and it just needs to move
22:03so the motion we wanna use is from the
22:06heel to up tored the to and it's a
22:08long broad stroke but it's a deep stroke.
22:12Is particularly at the art.
22:13You could feel some sensitivity there,
22:15but you want to press in an up.
22:19Express in an up.
22:22And just take your time and
22:24just work your way.
22:26Just work your way around
22:28the bottom of the foot.
22:31When you get up here towards the toes.
22:34You can make little circles.
22:36Little circles on the bottom for release.
22:39And move your way up towards towards the toe.
22:45And you can give a little again
22:47like we did in the fingers,
22:49a little squeeze and a pull on each
22:52to gentle not to cause too much pain.
22:55You might even feel popping
22:57a little crack in there,
22:58which is good.
22:59And then again on the frontier
23:01there's tendons.
23:02We want to start from the to
23:05and work upwards,
23:06but sometimes those tendons get aggravated.
23:08Maybe we wear the wrong shoes or.
23:13Too much, too much walking at exercise.
23:15Sometimes we just want to release that.
23:18From the to. Especially that picture.
23:22Upwards and you can even go
23:24all the way up to the knee.
23:26You can go from the tow
23:29up to the knee each one.
23:31'cause those tendons connect the muscles.
23:37To the bone.
23:38The ligaments connect bone to the bone.
23:43Give a nice release, excellent and
23:45we always want to do both sides,
23:48so start up again here at the hip.
23:52This little circles here release the hip.
23:56All the way around.
23:59And just work your way down.
24:02Well squeezes.
24:05The quads will get to Arnie.
24:10Could make little circles or around
24:12the knee again around the joint.
24:13Any joint we can do the friction?
24:16Little circles like this around.
24:20That's a good release.
24:22Could do that around our elbows around
24:25our shoulders around her wrists.
24:28And then again,
24:29we're going to work our way down.
24:33Let's give it a good a good pull there
24:36a good pull, Anna Good a good Robbie's
24:39muscles are firm and their strong
24:41so we don't have to be to tender.
24:43And two gentlemen want to do some friction.
24:47And then just work your
24:49way down towards the ankle.
24:51If you want to use the palm.
24:54Of your hand, we can use.
24:55We can do that as well.
24:58And work your way down.
24:59In broader strokes.
25:01Press in and down.
25:04Discontinue the breath.
25:09Down the front shit good.
25:13To the ankle and again could
25:17make little circles around.
25:19Slow circles in the other way.
25:23Excellent and then again
25:25the bottom of the foot,
25:27particularly at the Arch.
25:28You want to start at the heel
25:31and move up towards the toes.
25:39Excellent, let's keep that going.
25:41You could use a moderate amount of
25:44pressure all the way up to the toes.
25:46Don't stop short 'cause we want
25:49to activate the entire muscle.
25:52Sometimes we feel trigger point pain,
25:54but it's not the location of
25:56the trigger point itself.
25:57Sometimes there's riford pain,
25:59which is why it's always important
26:02to try to work the entire muscle
26:05and not just that one little spot.
26:07Up towards the toes again
26:09when you get to the.
26:11To the top of the foot here by the toes.
26:15Give present.
26:16Give good pressure here.
26:18Below the chose gets very
26:20tight there sometimes.
26:24And then again squeeze and pull
26:27on the toes for a nice release.
26:32And once again, let's get those
26:35tendons going here from the to upward
26:38from the to towards the ankle,
26:41every to has its own tendon.
26:44That's what you see here.
26:46Give that a good.
26:49Press pull and stretch.
26:53And then you can consider you could do
26:55that again all the way up to the knee,
26:57start at the toe and go all the way up.
27:01And do that all the way
27:03across the top of the foot.
27:05I continue the breath because
27:07that's a nice release.
27:09Again.
27:12And the pinky side.
27:19Good. Excellent. I will just take a moment.
27:26We've gone again, wash their hands
27:28when we're done but we've gone up we've
27:31gone today we started at the top of
27:34the head and we've moved our way down
27:36to the neck the shoulders, the arms,
27:38the back along the spine the let the hips,
27:41the legs and feet and this is something
27:44again you can do in your own time
27:46in your own way doing the whole body
27:49or just focusing on the areas that
27:51you may need that particular day.
27:54So that's it in a nutshell.
27:56I hope it was helpful.
27:58I hope it made sense to you and just,
28:02you know, enjoy your day, drink water,
28:04hydrate and just take care of yourselves.
28:07OK, it was good to be with you
28:10and I hope to see you again soon.
28:13Alright, take care of anybody.