The Five-Minute Massage

Follow these simple steps to give a short, but incredibly relaxing neck and shoulder massage - the five minute massage.

In this stressed-out world, nothing beats a neck and shoulder massage. A simple shoulder rub or back massage can be incredibly relaxing. Giving an effective professional-level therapeutic massage is something that requires training and years of practice. However, here are some simple techniques that you can use to perform a short, safe and simple massage. The massage techniques outlined here are of limited therapeutic value. You won’t be able to fix tendinitis or get rid of chronic headaches, but you certainly will be able to help your partner relax a little and release some tension.

SOME SIMPLE RULES

While most people love and welcome a quick shoulder rub, check with your partner to be sure that they want a massage before starting. If the person has any severe pain or has had any recent injuries to the neck or shoulder area, don’t do this massage. Instead, suggest they see a massage profesional. While the massage may feel good, it could aggravate their condition. The massage should not be painful. It should feel good. Pain will make your partner tense up and defeats the purpose of the massage. So be sure to check in occasionally to find out if the pressure is comfortable. Don’t massage anything that feels bony. Bones don’t relax. They also tend to be very pain sensitive. So everything you massage should feel relatively soft.

DON'T WRECK YOUR BODY

If you’ve tried to give someone a massage in the past, you may have found that by the time they felt relaxed your hands and arms ached. Follow these simple principles and you’ll be able to give a relaxing massage without feeling like you’ve wrecked your body:
• Keep your shoulders relaxed
• Keep your back straight and avoid bending excessively
• Relax your hands between each movement
• Use a slow, even pace
• Use your thumbs as little as possible and now, the techniques...

Here are some techniques for the shoulders and neck. You’ll do these techniques while your partner sits upright in a regular chair. They can be done anywhere – in the office or at the kitchen table. The shoulder muscle is called the “trapezius” muscle. Massage therapists usually just call it the “traps”. This is easy to remember because this is where most of us trap our tension. The first technique is a simple compression movement that uses the forearms. Stand behind your partner and rest your forearms on the top of their shoulders as close to the neck as possible. Keep your palms down so the fleshy part of your forearm, not the bony part, lies on the muscle. Let your weight fall straight down onto their shoulders toward their seat. Avoid pushing them forward and be careful that you don’t lean on their head. Hold this for several seconds. Slowly lift the arms and move them down the shoulder one inch. Let your weight fall through your arms again. Repeat this process several times. As soon as you start to feel the bony part of their shoulder under your forearm, stop, bring your forearms to the starting position and repeat the technique again.

This forearm compression technique is simple to do, but feels fabulous. Now, move to the side of your partner. Feel the tip of the shoulder with your fingers. It will feel hard and bony. Move your fingers toward the neck until you feel some soft muscle under your fingers. Place your thumbs on that spot. Put one thumb on top of the other for reinforcement — each thumb will be doing just half the work. Press straight down with the thumbs. You’ll be pressing on the trapezius muscle again. Press down slowly, then hold the thumbs in the muscle for a couple of seconds and then slowly ease off the pressure. Move one thumb width towards the neck and repeat the compression. You should be able to do four to six compressions before you reach the neck. Once you reach the neck, move your thumbs back to the starting position and do a second set of compressions to those same points. Move to the other side of your partner and repeat these compressions to the other shoulder. For this third technique, you’ll have to stand behind your partner. Drape one hand over each shoulder as close to the neck as possible. Squeeze the trapezius between the fingertips and the heel of the hand. Keep your thumb beside your index finger so that it stays out of the way. Hold the squeeze for a couple of seconds and then slowly release your grip. Move out one inch toward the shoulders and repeat. You should be able to get three or four squeezes in before you run out of muscle. Be sure that you have the whole muscle in your hand so that you don’t pinch the skin. As well, don’t put your fingers too far around the front of the neck. You don’t want to choke your partner. In the back of the neck you have extensor muscles that hold the head upright. Because of poor posture and extended periods of sitting at computers, these muscles can become very tight, tender and achy.

To massage the neck extensors, stand to the side of your partner. If you are standing on the right side, make a C-shape with your left hand. Drape this hand over the back of the neck. Press gently into the sides of the neck with your fingers and thumbs. While maintaining this gentle pressure, do a large circular kneading action with your hand. The movement may remind you of picking a cat up by the back of the neck. This technique is usually referred to as a C-lift or C-scoop. Do a half-dozen circles in one spot and then move up or down the neck an inch and repeat. Massage along the whole length of the neck. Be careful not to pinch the skin at the back of the neck. Move the skin with the fingers instead of sliding over the skin, so that you don’t burn or irritate the skin. Lastly, you’ll do a little kneading to the base of the skull. This is where the extensor muscles attach into the head. To do this, cup your hand around the base of the skull. Gently rest your free hand on your partner’s forehead to support the head. Now move the fingers in a small circular motion, pressing into the skull as you knead. Do six to eight little circles. Again move the skin and hair with your fingers instead of sliding so that you don’t pull the hair. Lift the fingers and move them a little closer to the center. Repeat the kneading action. Do several sets like this. To do the other side of the skull, move to the opposite side of your partner. Finish off your massage with several gentle stroking actions down the head and back. These techniques should take about five minutes to perform. If you want to massage longer, simply do more sets of each technique.

If you have any questions or would like more tips on how to give a simple massage, ask your massage therapist or

visit my website at www.zensoulspa.com

to book an appointment for the "Pamper Your Partner" Massage where you and a partner will receive and learn to give a full massage.

The Pain-Free Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a joyous time for a mother-to-be. However, the changes in a woman's body and natural fears and anxiety can also be very stressful, both physically and emotionally. Massage has a profound ability to decrease stress as well as prevent or minimize many of the common symptoms and discomforts of pregnancy. Regular massage therapy sessions can mean the difference between a comfortable, relaxed pregnancy and one defined by miserable aches and pains. Massage is especially useful because pregnant women are often unable to take many medications that are normally used to manage common problems. Massage can help manage these aches and pains and is completely safe for both the mother and fetus. According to a recent study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, the benefits extend beyond just making mom feel good. Researchers found that for women who received regular massage, there were fewer complications both during pregnancy and afterwards, including fewer premature births. How can massage help? Massage can have a beneficial impact on a whole range of problems associated with pregnancy, not just muscle aches. Morning sickness is the nausea and vomiting that many women experience early in the pregnancy. Although it is called morning sickness, it can occur any time during the day or night. As with many other problems, hormones are largely to blame. However, stress also appears to play a very significant role. By using regular massage to relax, the incidence of nausea and vomiting can actually be reduced. Hormones can also cause constipation as they cause the muscles of the digestive tract to relax. Gentle massage to the abdomen can help relieve constipation by activating a reflex that stimulates movement in the intestines. Massage therapists can also use rocking and passive range of motion techniques to get things moving. Deeper abdominal massage that is often used to relieve constipation in non-pregnant clients is never used, so there is no risk to the fetus. Headaches are another common problem in pregnancy. A non-drug approach is by far the best way to treat them. Massage has been proven to be extremely useful in dealing with headaches and should be considered the preferred treatment choice. Research shows that headaches become shorter and less frequent with regular massage. In the second trimester more pronounced physical changes take place. As the abdomen and breasts grow larger, a woman's posture starts to change. Typically most women develop an increased curve in their lower back or sway back to compensate for the extra weight at the front of their bodies. It's no surprise that about half of all pregnant women develop back pain. Massage can help through this period by minimizing muscle imbalances, relaxing tense muscles and improving their blood flow. Many women avoid massage during pregnancy because they don’t think it’s possible to lie properly on the table. Lying prone (face down) will likely be comfortable until the fourth or fifth month. After that the therapist will work on your back as you lie in a semi-prone or sidelying position.


A massage therapist can help minimize episodes of back pain by developing a simple home exercise program to stretch and strengthen various muscles. Another distressing problem that massage can assist is swelling in the ankles and hands. It's common. About 75% of all pregnant women will experience ankle swelling during pregnancy. The increased fluid in the hands can cause carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful wrist condition. Massage has proven to be extremely effective in relieving this type of swelling as the broad sweeping massage movements help push the fluid out of the limbs. Massage therapists are flexible in their approach and can do massage to the back, legs and gluteals even when it is no longer possible to lie face down. By about month four or five in the pregnancy, your therapist will likely have you lie on your side for the massage. Lying on the back is usually fine until late in the third trimester. Throughout your pregnancy your massage therapist will always ensure that you are safe and comfortable.

DURING and AFTER LABOR

Massage is invaluable through a woman's pregnancy. It can be equally beneficial both through childbirth and afterwards. Labor is tough on a woman's body. It's painful, exhausting and stressful. Massage can be a wonderful way of helping the mother through the process. Massage helps the muscles relax between contractions, reduces pain and anxiety, increases self-assurance and also demonstrates loving encouragement and support. Your massage therapist may be willing to be present for support throughout labor. At the very least, they can teach the woman's partner or support team a variety of simple, effective techniques that can be used to give the mother some relief and support. After the birth, the focus falls on the newborn. Unfortunately, in all the excitement, the new mother's needs are often forgotten. However, this is a time when she could probably use massage the most. The massage can help greatly with her recovery process. For a number of weeks immediately after a vaginal birth, regular abdominal massage will help the uterus contract and shrink back to a normal size. It will relieve muscle aches and pains as well as help the woman deal with her fatigue. Mild depression is common after birth. About 60% of new mothers experience what is referred to as "postpartum blues". Massage can have a positive impact on a woman's emotional state and is a great way to lift her spirits. So if you are expecting a child or have recently become a new mom, make sure to get some regular massage. Your body will thank you. If you know someone who is pregnant, think of giving her a gift certificate for massage. It will be needed and appreciated. Although everyone's attention is on the mother and baby, it's important to remember that the new father could use massage too. New roles and responsibilities can produce a fair amount of stress and anxiety. Without a doubt the father will appreciate the opportunity to unwind and relax. A simple compression to the sacrum (a large bone at the back of the pelvis) during contractions can reduce back pain considerably. Massage can help you tremendously through labor. Ask your massage therapist if they do labor support. Alternatively, book an appointment where your massage therapist can teach your partner and support team some simple techniques to help you through the process.


To contact a qualified licensed massage therapist for an appointment or gift certificate, please

visit my website at
http://www.zensoulspa.com for more details.