Do the neck and shoulders. When you've finished with the shoulders, use the press and release technique to massage along the neck, all the way to the hairline. Remember to keep your hands on either side of the spine.
Does massage therapy “work”? What do massage therapists say that they can do for people and their pain, and is there any scientific evidence to support those claims? Massage is a popular treatment for low back pain, neck pain, and headaches — can it actually treat them, or does it just pleasantly distract patients and maybe take the edge off? In this article, I examine massage therapy in the light of science — not “objectively,” but fairly.1 I go out of my way to be critical of my former profession — I consider it an ethical duty.2 Health professionals must be self-critical and critical of each other: that is how we improve.3 And, alas, massage therapists are guilty of an astonishing amount of bullshit.
- Place a hand on either shoulder in the classic massage position and knead the thumbs deep into the muscles of the shoulders. Use your fingers for grip, but don't press them into the collarbone, as this can be painful.
- Now move around to stand in front of your client/partner's head, so their shoulders are facing you. Make a fist with each hand, then rub the knuckles gently but firmly across the tops of the shoulders, to release any tension,
- Next use your thumbs to press and release along the tops of the shoulders and up the back of the neck.
0 Comments