Self help techniques to relax
Nothing beats a therapeutic massage from a trained professional. Massage keeps your muscles working, your body flexible, and helps you to relax. When you don’t have time to see a massage therapist, self-massage can break up muscle tightness to help reduce stress and keep you moving well.
And a foam roller is one of the best 'do-it-yourself' tools!
What does a foam roller do?
Fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that surrounds your muscles, containing and protecting them. When you injure or overwork your muscles, this fascia contracts to help protect your muscles from further injury. However, this tension in the fascia can remain even after the muscle has healed causing you to feel stiff or tight.
So we use myofascial release techniques, such as dry needling or deep tissue massage, to manipulate and loosen the fascia to help you feel more relaxed. Rolling on a foam roller can also do that!
Foam Roller Exercises
The video below shows a simple routine you can do on your foam roller.
Watch now
DIY massage tool you can make
Here is a simple DIY solution you can make at home to massage your neck using a couple of tennis balls, a sock and a few quiet minutes. Simply place two tennis balls in a sock and tie the end. Make sure the balls are about a hands width apart.
Lie comfortably on your back. Place the BallSock behind the upper neck, so the two balls are below ridge at the base of your skull (right above the hollow spot in the middle of your neck).
Rest for 5 minutes. Breathe slowly. Listen to soothing music.
The balls put pressure on acupuncture points and send messages telling muscles to relax, which can help relax your whole body.
One last thing to remember, all your muscles attach to you skeleton, so if your joints are out of alignment they can be causing the tightness in the muscle, Similarly, if the muscles are tight and pulling on the joints, they could be affecting the positioning of the joint.
So it is always beneficial to treat the joints and muscles together for optimal results. Book your chiropractic session straight after your massage (the 20min follow-up is adequate).
Book Now
86 8th Avenue, Northcliff, South Africa
0828811635
Source: https://posturemonth.org/self-massage-techniques/