How to Give a Healing Massage

Massage therapy can be powerful medicine for many people and many health conditions. A University of Illinois meta-analysis of 37 research studies showed that massage decreases anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate and pain. A major study at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center found significant improvement in symptoms of pain, nausea, fatigue, stress and depression for cancer patients receiving massage, with the benefits persisting for several days after the massage. You can give friends and family effective healing massages by following a few simple procedures. First, make sure the patient is comfortable. Massage is best performed on a massage table, but a firm couch, futon or bed can also work. The floor is fine, too, with a few pillows and blankets for comfort. Ask your patient for help in uncovering only as much as necessary to work on the parts of the body that need work, and cover the area after you've worked on it. Have the patient wear loose-fitting clothing that they won't mind if the massage oil stains. Explain to your patient what you're going to do to avoid surprising them. Ask them about the areas that need work, and find out how tender the area is. Good communication is vital to giving a good massage. Always respect the patient's boundaries and honor his wishes. Never massage over an open wound. Use a small amount of non-allergenic massage lotion or oil directly on the skin. If you don't have any, you can use any food-grade oil. Almond oil works best, though coconut and olive oil work as well. Start at the head and work toward the patient's feet, using broad strokes with open hands. Start with gentle, even pressure, and build up slowly. Don't address any injured areas directly at first. As you identify knots and areas of tension in the muscles, work in slowly toward the center of the area, using your fingertips to gently knead the area. If you can feel the striations in the muscle tissue, you can gently strum across them to help break up the tension and increase blood flow. Generally the massage will feel better if one hand remains in contact with the patient at all times, giving the massage continuity. Proceed working down the body, and when you are at the feet, after massaging them thoroughly, have the patient turn over so you can massage the other side. It may be difficult for the patient to lie face-down without a face cradle, so your massage on the back may be brief. Remember also to massage the arms, palms and fingers on your way back up to the head. Gently kneading the entire scalp and ears with the fingertips will deeply relax the patient, creating a very healing and tranquil finish. Above all, approaching the massage with kindness, compassion,and without expectation will generate ideal conditions for healing, opening the door for further and deeper work.