Rules for Self-Massage

Rules for self-massage

1. Massage movements should not cause pain, discomfort, or leave bruises on the body, but the massage should be carried out quite vigorously until a feeling of warmth appears in the massaged area.

2. When self-massaging, the muscles should be as relaxed as possible; for this you need to choose the most comfortable position.

3. The skin must be clean. Damaged areas of the skin (abrasions, scratches, cuts) should be treated or covered with an adhesive plaster before the procedure, and should be walked around during self-massage. If you have thick hair, self-massage is carried out through thin underwear - cotton or wool.

4. All self-massage techniques are performed along the lymphatic vessels, towards the nearest lymph nodes. The lymphatic vessels of the upper half of the anterior abdominal wall carry lymph to the axillary nodes, and the lower half - to the inguinal nodes. The direction of massage movements in the abdominal area is shown in Figure 5. It should be remembered that the lymph nodes cannot be massaged.

5. Self-massage should be performed with clean, warm hands. In this case, you can use products that promote better gliding, for example, massage cream or baby cream.

6. The duration of self-massage depends on its purpose and ranges from 3 to 25 minutes, which is decided in each specific case. The frequency of the procedure is determined depending on the condition, on average 1-6 times a week.

7. It is advisable to do self-massage before therapeutic exercises - in the morning on an empty stomach, 20-30 minutes before breakfast, or in the afternoon before meals or 1.5-2 hours after meals. Before self-massage, you should empty your bowels and bladder, ventilate the room, and wash your hands thoroughly. During the procedure you need to breathe evenly, without delay. Self-massage, like performing a complex of therapeutic exercises, should not cause severe fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, increased pain and other unpleasant sensations.