Relaxing foot massage: feet and lower legs
Foot massage is one of the best anti-stress treatments: both in a specialist’s office and at home. This article will teach you the technique of relaxing foot massage and author’s massage techniques for the shins and feet. It will allow you to add such sessions to the main procedure or conduct as an independent methodology.
The procedure can last from 10-15 minutes to 1 hour depending on your goals.
Relaxing shin massage
Relaxing massage of the lower legs: technique of execution
Preparation for the procedure of massage of the lower legs
Before starting the procedure, it is necessary to lay the client so that he was as comfortable and convenient as possible.
Face the client’s legs from the side of the leg that will be massaged first.
Take the oil in the palms of your hands and apply it to the shins.
We apply the oil with stroking movements and assess the condition of the client’s tendons. Stress tends to accumulate in the cervical-collar area and in the ankle area.
Warming up the calf muscles
Gently use the whole palm of the hand to make warming movements on the desired area.
Place special emphasis on the area where the calf muscle is attached, as well as the Achilles tendon. You can warm up with one hand, or two – as you like.
Periodically do a squeeze with a half hand grip.
You can warm up with the back of the palms. In this case, the hands “look” at each other or “herringbone”.
Then repeat the squeeze.
Working out the muscles
With the brush of your hand you need to fully embrace the calf muscle and begin to make a movement with your fingers, as if trying to tear the muscle from the bone. Deeply work the muscle. If this exercise is done correctly, you will see that the client’s foot is moving – this is a good sign.
After that, we make stroking movements. Raise the leg in the area of the foot and make a shaking movement. Then we repeat everything again. We work with our fingers as if lifting the muscle. If the client’s leg is tense during these movements, you can take hold of the heel and shake it slightly.
Knead the calf muscle and Achilles tendon well. We perform concentric stroking: four fingers of both hands are placed on one side of the muscle, and thumbs on the other, and then perform twisting movements in the form of a figure eight. This is not just stroking: the movements resemble stretching. We massage the heel with one hand and the Achilles with the other.
Next, we work on the area around the ankles. Work this area with four fingers of both hands. Make the movements slowly and calmly. It is good if you play relaxing music during the massage session.
Let’s move on to the front surface of the lower leg. To relax this muscle, you need to perform stroking movements alternately with each hand on the front surface of the shin. One hand alternates with the other. The leg is relaxed and lies on your hands. For a few minutes do a light stroking, then slowly begin to squeeze your fingers and work on the fibers to stretch the muscles. This technique is called “oriental”.
Relaxing foot massage
Relaxing foot massage: technique of execution
To begin with, we perform stroking with the use of oil.
We work without taking our hands off the client. You can perform a classic stroking, or you can circle the foot from the big toe on the inner arch, then the heel and return on the outside of the foot. Then again perform concentric stroking so that one hand alternates with the other. Gradually the client’s foot will become softer: this is due to the relaxation of muscles, as these movements relieve tension.
Next, we work on each part of the foot separately.
First work with the heel bone, then the middle of the foot and finish with the phalanges of the toes.
It is important to start with the heel, because if you work well in this area, then relaxation will go to the Achilles tendon, and this improves the blood supply to the brain.
So, one hand is placed under the ankle, the second hand is applied in the form of a cap. We begin to perform movements resembling displacement. We do these movements with closed fingers, tightly squeezing the heel. We perform four rotations to one side, then four rotations to the other side. Even if we only work with the heel, the whole foot is still moving.