Basic Self-Massage Tips
August 25, 2020- 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.