Physical Therapy: How to give a great back massage
- Put the person on a comfortable surface.
- Warm up the back with thumb pressure by putting your hands on both sides of the spine simultaneously. Start from the lower back and move up all the way to neck.
- Gently knead the neck and shoulder area with your thumbs.
- Start on both sides of the spine and slide your palms in opposite directions outward to the sides of the back. Start at the lower back area and move up to the shoulders.
- Knead the fleshy muscular areas at the top of the shoulders, mid-back area and above the hips to loosen the tight muscles for relaxation and stress relief.
- Use your thumbs to put pressure on the hard or tight areas, often called knots.
- Move your fingers in semi circles on the back while applying a little bit of pressure along the muscles that are close to the spine and around the shoulder blades.
- To warm down and commence the end of the massage, start by putting your hands on both sides of the spine simultaneously and apply some pressure. Begin to decrease pressure after a minute or two.
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