How to Give an Upper Body Massage
A trained massage therapist usually gives a massage, but with the right environment, some oil and a comfortable place to stretch out, you can learn to give a basic massage to a friend. Use these steps to guide you through the most common hand techniques and the sequence of movements for an upper body massage. Read on to learn more.
Back Upper Body
1
Ask your friend to lie face down with the back exposed to the waist. Always start a massage by warming the oil in your hands before touching the skin. Place your hands flat against the lower back, one on each side of the spine, and your fingers pointing towards the neck. Slowly and softly, start to spread the oil up the back, without massaging the spine itself. Continue with your hands flat and gently effleurage going up to the neck, out to the shoulders and down the sides. Repeat this sequence three times to warm the muscles up.
2
Place both hands at the lower back, on either side of the spine, and start to make small circles using only your thumbs. Work your way up the back, continuing to avoid the bony prominence of the spine. Using a little more pressure with this technique is a good way to work out tension knots in the back, but shouldn't be painful at any time. Repeat this step several times.
3
Knead the muscles of the neck with gentle pressure. Use both hands that are well oiled, and then alternately squeeze and roll the area. The process is much like kneading bread. Pay attention to the neck area because this is where you may find a lot of tension.
4
Put one hand on top of the other and place them at the top of the neck. Using a figure-eight motion and the weight of your body, circle one shoulder, move across to the other shoulder, return to the center, then back to the first shoulder. Repeat this several times to relieve tension in the back.
5
Position yourself at your friend's head and place a hand on each side of the spine, with your fingers towards the back. Using the weight of your body, make a long full stoke down the back. As you reach the base of spine, begin to move your hands across the top of the buttocks, along the sides and back to the shoulders. Repeat this step three times, decreasing the pressure each time.
6
Start again at the base of the spine and perform effleurage along the full length of the back and up to the neck. Repeat three times, to cool the muscles down, decreasing the pressure each time until it's almost nonexistent.
Front Upper Body
1
Have your friend lie on her back, having the neck and shoulder area exposed. Warm the oil in your hands and start with a hand on either side of the upper chest. Use long, firm movements and stroke down to the center of the chest and out towards the sides.
2
Continue to take the long continuous stroke under the shoulders, back to the neck and pull the muscles gently as you move your hands along.
3
Beginning below the collarbone, use your thumbs to work across the upper chest and move out and away from the center, moving down slowly. Repeat this several times.
4
Lay your hands on the upper chest and point the fingertips down. Move your hands, gently across the upper chest, over the arms, up across the shoulders and then back to the chest. This is the last step of your massage and should be done gently and slowly to relax and cool down the muscles.
Tips & Warnings
Effleurage is a massage stroke used to warm the muscles at the beginning of the massage and cool them down at the end. Open your hands and with gentle pressure, allowing them to mold to the shape of the underlying muscle, move them slowly and continuously over the massage area. The general idea is to push as you effleurage up the body and pull as you come back down with gentle, long strokes.
Don't give a massage to someone with a heart condition, infections of the skin, varicose veins or swollen arthritic joints.
The spine itself should never be massaged.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2092146_give-upper-body-massage.html
A trained massage therapist usually gives a massage, but with the right environment, some oil and a comfortable place to stretch out, you can learn to give a basic massage to a friend. Use these steps to guide you through the most common hand techniques and the sequence of movements for an upper body massage. Read on to learn more.
Back Upper Body
1
Ask your friend to lie face down with the back exposed to the waist. Always start a massage by warming the oil in your hands before touching the skin. Place your hands flat against the lower back, one on each side of the spine, and your fingers pointing towards the neck. Slowly and softly, start to spread the oil up the back, without massaging the spine itself. Continue with your hands flat and gently effleurage going up to the neck, out to the shoulders and down the sides. Repeat this sequence three times to warm the muscles up.
2
Place both hands at the lower back, on either side of the spine, and start to make small circles using only your thumbs. Work your way up the back, continuing to avoid the bony prominence of the spine. Using a little more pressure with this technique is a good way to work out tension knots in the back, but shouldn't be painful at any time. Repeat this step several times.
3
Knead the muscles of the neck with gentle pressure. Use both hands that are well oiled, and then alternately squeeze and roll the area. The process is much like kneading bread. Pay attention to the neck area because this is where you may find a lot of tension.
4
Put one hand on top of the other and place them at the top of the neck. Using a figure-eight motion and the weight of your body, circle one shoulder, move across to the other shoulder, return to the center, then back to the first shoulder. Repeat this several times to relieve tension in the back.
5
Position yourself at your friend's head and place a hand on each side of the spine, with your fingers towards the back. Using the weight of your body, make a long full stoke down the back. As you reach the base of spine, begin to move your hands across the top of the buttocks, along the sides and back to the shoulders. Repeat this step three times, decreasing the pressure each time.
6
Start again at the base of the spine and perform effleurage along the full length of the back and up to the neck. Repeat three times, to cool the muscles down, decreasing the pressure each time until it's almost nonexistent.
Front Upper Body
1
Have your friend lie on her back, having the neck and shoulder area exposed. Warm the oil in your hands and start with a hand on either side of the upper chest. Use long, firm movements and stroke down to the center of the chest and out towards the sides.
2
Continue to take the long continuous stroke under the shoulders, back to the neck and pull the muscles gently as you move your hands along.
3
Beginning below the collarbone, use your thumbs to work across the upper chest and move out and away from the center, moving down slowly. Repeat this several times.
4
Lay your hands on the upper chest and point the fingertips down. Move your hands, gently across the upper chest, over the arms, up across the shoulders and then back to the chest. This is the last step of your massage and should be done gently and slowly to relax and cool down the muscles.
Tips & Warnings
Effleurage is a massage stroke used to warm the muscles at the beginning of the massage and cool them down at the end. Open your hands and with gentle pressure, allowing them to mold to the shape of the underlying muscle, move them slowly and continuously over the massage area. The general idea is to push as you effleurage up the body and pull as you come back down with gentle, long strokes.
Don't give a massage to someone with a heart condition, infections of the skin, varicose veins or swollen arthritic joints.
The spine itself should never be massaged.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2092146_give-upper-body-massage.html
