Massage - techniques, application and effect

When our partner suffers from a tense back, asks us to massage him and we roughly scratch, hurt or even aggravate the pain, it quickly leads to a quarrel. Although, in general, every woman and every man can massage, but you also need to know how to do it. The cultures of the world developed various massage techniques, all of which have their advantages. Some are easy to learn, others need complex training.

contents

• The Swedish massage
• Swedish massage - application
• Ayurveda massages
• How do Ayurveda massages work??
• Thai massage
• Hot stone massage
• Shiatsu massage
• The Dorn-Breuss massage
• Pantai Luar
• chocolate massage
• Tuina
• Lomi Lomi Nui
• Lingam massage
• reflexology
• facial massages
• masseurs

The Swedish massage

Swedish massage is the most widely used in Germany and is considered the standard in physiotherapy. It is mainly used to correct hardening and tension of the muscles and musculoskeletal disorders. It consists of five handles. First, the masseur strokes both hands towards the heart, then kneads the skin with s-shaped movements, then rubs it with the heels of his hands, taps them with a loose hand and shakes them in the end with the fingertips.

Swedish massage is the most commonly used massage technique. It is used to correct hardening and tension of the muscles and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. (Image: thomsond / fotolia.com)

Swedish massage works against:

• Psychophysical tensions,
• Spring fever,
• stress,
• migraine,
• Back pain, neck pain and muscle pain,
• cramps,
• high blood pressure,
• slow cell metabolism,
• connective tissue,
• Water retention in the tissue,
• lymphatic congestion.

Swedish massage - application

You can apply the Swedish massage yourself:

1. They slide along the spine to the left and right of the spine, from top to bottom. When you slide back up, open your hands.

You exert slight pressure with the palms of your hands and push the spine outwards with both hands to relax the lateral muscles. Then return to the spine with both hands and release the pressure.

2. Now massage the neck. Here you should be careful and exercise little pressure.
3. They knead with open hands towards each other.

Do not go to Scheme F, but pay attention to what your partner says: Such a massage may and must apply pressure, but if it seriously hurts and your partner says "I hate that," then you can not take the pressure back.

Ayurveda massages

Ayurvedic medicine in India covers a huge spectrum of practices and so there is no Ayurveda massage, but various massage techniques that are part of this folk medicine and are tailored to the specific needs of the patient.

At Padabhyanga the feet are massaged, in Shirodhara the head is covered with warm oil or in another variant a gemstone is placed on the forehead. Upanahasveda is a back massage with a special oil, a special herbal paste stimulates the sweat flow. This is to serve the detoxification. The Marma massage exerts pressure on sensitive parts of the body.

In Udvartana, the body is rubbed with oil and then covered with a herbal powder. Garshan refers to a massage of the whole body with silk gloves. Ushnasnahna refers to a massage with soap foam, Pinda Sweda one with hot rice stamps.

In the synchronous massage, two masseurs work at the same time and do the same exercises, unlike the Swara Abhyanga, in which sufferers rub themselves with oil.

In Padabhyanga, a form of Ayurveda massage, the feet are massaged. It has a relaxing and revitalizing effect. (Image: animaflora / fotolia.com)

How do Ayurveda massages work??

In the Indian imagination, these massages are designed to counteract physical decline in old age, reduce stress, improve vision, nourish the skin, promote the development of body cells and help against insomnia.

Thai massage

New in the West, known in Thailand in variants for centuries, is Nuat Phaen Boran, the "massaging by ancient law". The masseur inserts his hands, fingers, knees, elbows and feet along the lines that Thai medicine imagines as "energy lines". This is accompanied by fragrant massage oils that reduce stress. Often afterwards the body is massaged with hot herbs. Here, the body relaxes in addition to the heat, and the vapors cleanse the skin.

Thai massages stimulate blood circulation, relieve migraine, back pain and fatigue, stimulate the cardiovascular system and reduce stress.

Hot stone massage

This massage technique borrows from practices of American Natives. Here, skin and muscles are massaged with hot lava stones, as well as feet, hands and the face. This massage stimulates the circulation of the blood and helps against tension.

Shiatsu massage

Shiatsu is from Japan, and the massage is done by gentle pressure with your fingers. In the Namikoshi variant, especially the nerves are massaged, the masunga technique is supposed to stimulate "energy lines" in the body.

As with all massages, it is about loosening hardenings, relaxing tension, promoting blood circulation and improving the motor apparatus. In addition, the shiatsu massage to promote digestion and the immune system.

The Dorn-Breuss massage

This is an invention of naturopaths Rudolf Breuss and Dieter Dorn. They first stretched the spine through massage and then massaged St. John's wort oil. In contrast to other massages, this is not about muscle tension in general, but about discomfort in the spine and back and damage to the intervertebral discs.

Pantai Luar

Pantai Luar is a massage for the whole body from the far east of Asia, combining massage with oils and herbal stamps. The masseur lubricates the body and then massages it with rapid movements of the hands with the herbal stamp. In addition to the usual areas such as the promotion of blood circulation and release of muscle tension, this massage is designed to inhibit inflammation and tighten the skin.

The Pantai Luar massage is massaged with herbal stamps. This form of massage is also designed to inhibit inflammation and tighten the skin. (Photo: C. Strom / fotolia.com)

chocolate massage

Here, the body is rubbed with chocolate, shea butter and almond oil. The masseur heats the chocolate in a water bath. When the customers are covered with the mass, the masseur envelops them in a foil so that the substances can better enter the body. After a while, the masseur would wash the chocolate off the body and apply a cream containing, for example, almond oil, peanut oil or cocoa butter. This massage is designed to relieve inflammation, especially on the joints and skin, counteract skin aging, nourish the skin and make it shine.

Tuina

Tuina is the Chinese counterpart to shiatsu massage. In Germany, she is rather known as acupressure. The basic idea is, as with acupuncture, that there are certain "lines of force" in the body that can be activated or blocked.

Historically, Chinese doctors came up with this idea because they were forbidden to open the body and so they could only make diagnoses through outside observations. So they saw when and how the body responded to stitches (acupuncture) or pressure (acupressure) and designed a model of what "power lines" could be inside this body. Although there are no such "energy channels", acupressure works for the same reason as other massages: it relaxes muscles and promotes blood circulation. This in turn relieves pain and promotes physical activity and nourishes the skin.

Lomi Lomi Nui

This massage technique comes from Hawaii and means translated "big touch". Here, a specific oil is applied to the body and kneaded into the skin. No part of the body is ignored as a full body massage: the wrists also massage the wrists, hollows of the knees and the insides of the feet with the oil. There are special handles for the spine, the head and the joints.

In Hawaii, such massages are considered a sacred act and are accompanied by shamanic songs. An additional healing effect by self-suggestion is therefore not excluded. This massage is intended to release tension, strengthen the immune system and, in addition, activate the self-healing of the body.

Lingam massage

Some massages focus on one part of the body. The lingam massage comes from Taoism. Here, the male genitals are massaged. In contrast to the "normal" masturbation but a special breathing technique is part of the program, through which people should relax especially. The aim of this massage is to increase the sexual sensitivity and a positive relationship to the libido.

reflexology

Here, reflex zones of the sole of the foot are massaged. Originally, this massage comes from the premodern idea that the individual parts of the foot are related to specific organs. As unscientific as this basic idea was, so useful is the massage. It promotes blood circulation, sensitizes the soles of the feet to stimuli when they occur, making them particularly useful for hikers and runners. It also prevents minor articular inflammation in the foot and ankle.

facial massages

Facial massages on the temples are often the first remedy for headaches. These are often caused by a lack of blood flow, for example, when we sit on the laptop all day with stiffened neck. A tummy massage allows more blood to flow into the scalp and often stops the headache in minutes.
Other massages involve the entire head and face - from the shoulders to the scalp. Common are light pressure, stroking, kneading, stretching and pulling. For example, we take an earlobe between two fingers, press and rub it. Many people even do this without any prior education if they have problems concentrating or are suffering from stress.

A facial massage is no secret science, and occasionally massaging one's temples or simultaneously pressing the upper jaw bones with the fingers of both hands, knocking on the forehead with the fist of the right hand, can easily be accommodated in everyday life. Such methods are not only simple, but also useful for dealing with fatigue, headaches or nervousness - they also help against insomnia. Regular massages of facial skin also prevent wrinkles.

A facial massage on the temples can help with headaches by stimulating the blood circulation to the scalp. (Image: Jeanette Dietl / fotolia.com)

masseurs

There are many other massages that require training as a physiotherapist and / or masseur. Massage therapists determine how long a treatment lasts and how intense it is; They learn the reflex zones in skin, connective tissue and muscles. They also deal with special massage therapies, including electrotherapy, light therapy and radiotherapy, as well as heat and cold treatments. Training includes modules on the cardiovascular system and the nervous system, on the development and progression of diseases and diagnoses, as well as psychological and pedagogical aspects of the work. (Dr. Utz Anhalt)