When you don’t have time for a massage appointment, here are some tips you can do at home!

Self massage are techniques that you can do yourself to get rid of muscle tightness and tension throughout your body.

These techniques can be performed with your fingers, hands, and elbows. Others techniques may require simple items such as a ball (massage, golf, lacrosse, or tennis), or a foam roller.

^{So, why Self Massage?}

1. It’s something that only takes a few minutes to do at home.
2. You can massage the area at least twice a day.
3. Target the areas where you feel tension and/or pain.
4. Start with applying light pressure and work your way up to what feels comfortable.
5. If you experience pain afterwards, apply heat or topical pain relievers.
6. Gently stretch out the area afterwards!

Let’s go over techniques for specific body parts!

Head: Great for those who stare at a computer screen all day or suffer from tension headaches.

• Place your first two fingers high on your cheekbones on both sides, by your ears.
• Gently apply pressure in small circular motions with your fingertips moving up towards your temples.
• Continue making small circular motions as your move along your hairline, until your fingertips meet in the middle of your forehead.

Neck: Sitting at a computer all day can make your neck stiff and sore.

• Place two to three fingertips on the back of your neck where your neck meets your shoulders.
• Apply firm pressure and hold the area. Release when the muscles feels more relaxed.
• Work your way up your neck to the bottom of your head. Focus on where your neck muscles attach to your skull.
• Do gentle neck rolls in slow circles. Switch directions.
• Repeat two to three times.

Shoulders: Poor posture and hunching at a desk all day can lead to rounded shoulders, shoulder tension and pain.

• Position the fingers of your left hand over your right shoulder, your upper trapezius will be underneath your palm.
• Squeeze your upper trapezius three times. Then roll your fingers over the muscle starting from the outside and moving towards the base of your neck.
• Repeat on your left side with your right hand.
• Roll both of your shoulders forward and back slowly.

Chest and Pectoralis Muscles: If you have rounded shoulders from sitting at a computer all day or from poor posture, you likely have tension in your pectoralis muscles.

• Starting in the center of your chest, just below your collar bone use small circular motions with your fingertips. Move outward towards your shoulders.
• Move lower and repeat the process.

Low Back: Lower back pain is a very common complaint with massage clients. Everyday activities such as cleaning and gardening can make your lower back pain worsen.

• Position a massage or tennis ball between your lower back and a sturdy wall.
• Bending at your knees, move your entire body up and down, or side to side to find areas of tension.
• Holding the ball in place, apply a stronger pressure in the tender spots to help release the tension.

Legs and IT Bands: Prolonged sitting, walking, or running can cause a lot of tightness in your Iliotibial (IT) band, the band of tissue that runs from your hip joint to just past your knee joint. I recommend using a foam roller for this technique.

• Begin by lying on your right side with the foam roller positioned under your hip joint.
• Using your hands to brace yourself, slowly roll down from your hip to your knee while rotating your body towards the ground as you move down.
• Slowly roll back to the starting position.
• Repeat this exercise on the left side

Glute and Hips: This area of the body can feel tender. I recommend using a lacrosse ball for this technique.

• Start in a seated position on the ground with your knees bent.
• Position the ball under your right glutes and rest your hands on the ground behind your back.
• Lift your right leg off the ground rolling in small circles on the ball. Place more attention on areas that are tender.
• Repeat this exercise on the left side.

Foot: Lots of massage clients have tight muscles in their feet. I recommend using a golf ball for this technique.

• Sit in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor.
• Position the ball under your right foot.
• Roll back and forth from your heel to your toe using firm pressure.
• If you come across a painful or tender area, work the knot out by rolling the ball in small circles.
• Repeat this exercise with your left feet.
• To add more pressure, try this technique while standing.

Hands: Typing on a computer all day or doing a job that involves using your hands repetitively, can make your hands feel tight and achy.

• Placing the fingers of your left hand over your right wrist, apply a side to side pressure across your wrist.
• Move to the heel of your palm. Start applying pressure in small circular motions, working your way from the outer portion of your hand and moving towards your thumb side.
• Grasp the tissue that connects your thumb to the rest of your fingers and gently move it up and down.
• Then apply pressure by using small circular motions to the muscles at the base of your fingers.
• Move up each finger using small circular motions.
• Once you reach your fingertip, gently pull your finger to stretch the joint.
• Repeat this exercise with your left hand.

Remember to gently stretch out the area afterwards! Let us know how the self massage tips worked for you!

Melissa Ballew LMT OR #023113