Aches and pains are commonplace, no matter how active you are, and you’re sure to find your body feeling tense or sore at some point, so it can be helpful to know how best to go about addressing your symptoms to help bring you relief, mentally, physically and emotionally.
Of course, one of the best ways to go about sorting out sore muscles is to go for a deep tissue massage, but there isn’t always time to fit this in on a weekly or even monthly basis… so having a few self-massage techniques up your sleeve can be useful, giving you something to tide you over with before your next professional massage appointment.
You can use your hands to work on your muscles and adhesions, or you can invest in some specific massage tools to help you manipulate your tissues to bring you relief.
A foam roller is an excellent tool to have close to hand at home, especially when you’re starting out with self-massage. It’s particularly useful for working on your thighs, glutes, lower back, IT band and calf muscles – and if you’re a runner, you may find it helps your recovery time significantly.
Other tools you could consider investing in include neck and shoulder massagers, massage guns or cryotherapy rollers, but your hands are generally one of the best ways to go about easing your achy muscles.
For neck pain, you can ease your symptoms by straightening your neck and back and lowering your shoulders so they’re away from your ears. Find the sore spot and move your fingers over it gently in circular motions, then repeat in the opposite direction, continuing this for three to five minutes.
For back pain (a very common condition), sit on the floor with legs crossed and your back straight. Find the triangular bone at the bottom of your spine (your sacrum), then move your thumbs up and down over it in small circular motions. If you find any particularly sore spots, apply pressure gently, then release.
If you continue to experience any symptoms or are worried about your physical health, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.
