When are back rubs generally given?

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What Does a Massage Do?
Possible Health Benefits of A Massage
Possible Risks of Massage
Tips for How to Give a Good Back Massage
Create a pleasant massage environment
Massage oils
Let the massage recipient decide what to wear for the back massage
Step-By-Step Guide to Giving a Back Massage
1. Begin the back massage.
2. Move on to using gliding strokes.
3. Use your body weight.
4. Apply more pressure to the muscles along each side of the spine.
5. Finish up the massage by returning to the initial figure-eight stroke.
Consider a Career in Massage Therapy
Equipment Needed
Movements Used

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The perfect way to bring joy to someone in your life is to offer them a soothing back massage. While you can give a gift certificate for a professional massage from a trained massage therapist, you can also do it yourself. Watch this video from a trained professional to learn the key beginner back massage techniques that can help you give a relaxing, memorable massage. Then, follow along below to learn more about massage and some proper techniques for massaging the back.

What Does a Massage Do?

Let’s delve a little into what massage is. Massage involves light stroking or deep pressure through rubbing, pressing and manipulating parts of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic. The act of massage directly involves the:1

Skin
Muscles
Tendons
Ligaments

Massage is a pleasurable activity that has possible health benefits.

Possible Health Benefits of A Massage

Massages are considered a segment of integrative medicine that can be used in combination with conventional medicine. Possible health benefits for someone receiving a massage, the Mayo Clinic has said, include:1

Reduction of stress
Increased relaxation
Improvement in circulation and feeling more alert and energetic
Lowered heart rate and blood pressure
Improvement in immune function.

Massage may also prove beneficial to those suffering from other disorders such as headaches and pain experienced in the neck and upper back, to name a few. However, more research is needed to confirm these claims, the Mayo Clinic says, and notes that massage should never be used in place of regular medical care.

Beyond those possible health benefits of massage, people receiving a massage often find it pleasurable because it may promote feelings of care, comfort and help form connections.

Receiving a massage may also help to improve the quality of sleep, according to the Cleveland Clinic. That’s because it may decrease levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.2

Possible Risks of Massage

While most may benefit from receiving a massage and are likely to enjoy it, it may not be good for people with certain conditions, the Mayo Clinic says. These include:1

Taking blood-thinning meds or if you have a bleeding disorder
Healing wounds or burns
Fractures or broken bones
Infections
Severe osteoporosis
Severe thrombocytopenia
Deep vein thrombosis

If you’re unsure if it is safe to receive a massage or perform one on someone, it may be wise for the person who will receive it to first consult their medical provider.

Tips for How to Give a Good Back Massage

Here are some tips for giving a memorable back massage.

Create a pleasant massage environment

Find a stable, hard surface in your home and have your loved one lay down with their face towards the floor. You don’t necessarily need a professional massage table—any sturdy surface will do.

Lay towels, blankets, or other types of soft material on the surface to increase the comfort of the lucky person to whom you will give a massage.
You may wish to create a peaceful environment for the massage by including soft music, scented candles or flowers or herbs, and low lighting to make it more memorable. Have any massage oils or lotions you plan to use on the skin close by.

Massage oils

Only use high-quality massage oil for the back massage. Recommended oils include:

Olive oil
Grape seed oil
Blended oils

Tip: Avoid strong fragrances for the best results.

Let the massage recipient decide what to wear for the back massage

The person to whom you will give the back massage can wear light clothing or be shirtless, whichever they prefer. On that note, you may also want to ensure that the person feels comfortable with what you plan to wear while giving the massage.

Step-By-Step Guide to Giving a Back Massage

These instructions are for massages you will be giving to a person who has opted not to wear a shirt or other clothing covering the back during the massage.
Tip: Because the point of a massage is to deliver a pleasurable experience to the recipient, encourage them to let you know if something hurts or feels good as you move through these steps.

1. Begin the back massage.

Begin by rubbing a bit of massage oil into your hands and lightly and evenly spreading the oil across the back.

Spreading the oil in a figure-eight motion can help ensure that you’re covering the entire area. Gradually increase the amount of pressure that you’re applying as you continue with the back rub.

Tip: Moving your body while you apply pressure on a person’s back during a massage can help you maintain your stamina. It can also help prevent you from accidentally injuring yourself.

2. Move on to using gliding strokes.

Move into your next gliding stroke by firmly moving your hands up the back to the shoulder and then down the back again.

3. Use your body weight.

Use your body weight to create additional pressure. Do this in a fluid motion without removing your hands from the person’s back.

If you want to go deeper with each gliding stroke, using your knuckles can help.

Important tip: Take care not to press too hard on bony structures, such as the spine or shoulder blades.

4. Apply more pressure to the muscles along each side of the spine.

Also be sure to apply pressure to the shoulders. Shoulders are an area of the body where a large amount of tension tends to be held.

Hold the upper shoulder muscle in your hands and apply varying amounts of pressure, depending on the comfort level of the person you’re massaging.

5. Finish up the massage by returning to the initial figure-eight stroke.

Consider a Career in Massage Therapy

If you love the idea of bringing joy to others through the art of massage, you may want to consider becoming a licensed massage therapist. Carrington College has an excellent massage therapy training program. Request information today to take the first step towards your new career path.

Sources

What is a Back Massage?

Put simply, a Back Massage is any type of massage that is performed on the back of an individual. The back is the posterior side of the human torso and starts just above the buttocks and ends just below the neck. The vertebral column runs all the way through the centre of the back from the 5th Lumbar vertebrae (L5), all the way up to 1st Thoracic Vertebrae (T1). The vertebral column then continues through the neck into the cervical part of the spine.

Why have a Back Massage?

Lots of people opt for a back massage as a form of relaxation, stress relief, or even pain relief. The reason for that is that the back is often a part of the body that carries a lot of stress and tension and, as a result, there are many different types of massage that can help with this. Some of these include: Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Remedial Massage, Relaxation massage, Swedish massage and more.

A back massage can provide many benefits, including:

Reducing tightness
Relaxing the back muscles
Improving circulation
Reducing back pain
Realigning the back muscles
Relieving headaches
Soothing anxiety and depression
Counteracting poor sitting posture

Which type of Back Massage is right for me?

Massage performed on the back can be a good way to end the day, or a long week, and is also known to help improve the quality of sleep. A Deep Tissue Massage is particularly good if you like firm pressure and your muscles tend to ache. It can also prove to be very relaxing if you’re comfortable with the firmer pressure of the therapist.

Sports and Remedial Massage are both great at targeting specific areas that cause pain or discomfort. Sports Massage is generally for those who participate in sport or exercise, but it’s also suitable for anyone suffering with back pain or discomfort. Remedial Massage is a great option for anyone suffering with aches, pains or discomfort.

Relaxation and Swedish massage are recommended for those seeking a more relaxing, slow and stress relieving massage. These types of massage don’t typically apply masses of pressure, but are a great way to relax the body.

Another way of providing relaxation to patients is by initiating back care and giving them a massage. Learn on how you can be a pro-masseur and a nurse at the same time.

Purpose

To stimulate the circulation and give general relief.
To prevent bedsore
To give comfort to the patient.

Equipment Needed

Alcohol 25%
Talcum powder
Bath towel

Procedure

Help the patient to turn on his abdomen or on his side with his back toward the nurse and his body near the edge of the bed so that he is as near the operator as possible. If the supine position is used and the patient is a woman, pillow under the abdomen removes pressure from the breasts and favor relaxation.
Raise the gown.
Apply to back rubbing lotion or talcum powder to reduce friction. In rubbing the back use firm long strokes and kneading motions (see below). The amount of pressure to exert depends upon the patient’s condition. Begin from neck and shoulders then proceed over the entire back.
Massage with both hands working with a strong stroke. In upward then in downward motions. Give particular attention to pressure areas in rubbing (Alcohol 25%) to 50% is generally used for its refreshing effect, but rubbing lotion may be used.
Powder again the area at the completion of the rubbing process which should consume from 3-5 minutes.
Turn patient on his back and put on the gown.
Fix and make patient comfortable.

Movements Used

Effleurage Techniques

Effleurage (stroking) —is a long sweeping movement with palm of hand conforming to the contour of the surface treated, over small surface (on the neck) the thumb and fingers are used. Strokes should be slow, rhythmical and gentle with pressure constant and in the direction of venous stream.
Kneading—performed with the ulnar side palm resting on the surface and the fingers, and thumb grasping the skin and subcutaneous tissues which move with the hand of the operator.
Friction—is performed with the whole palmar surface of the hand or fingers and thumbs over limited areas. This movement is a circular form of kneading with pressure against the underlying part of tissue which cannot be grasped.