Thera Cane Exercises

A Thera Cane is a self-massager tool that lets you give yourself a deep trigger point massage. Massage therapists use their hands, feet and elbows to perform trigger point massage by applying pressure to sensitive areas in the muscles. The Thera Cane has several hard knobs on the cane that are similar to the point of an elbow, so you can apply pressure with the cane to areas of your body you cannot reach with your elbows.

Back

Aching muscles in your back are extremely difficult to reach on your own. The Thera Cane lets you massage anywhere on your back. An example massage exercise is the upper back Thera Cane exercise. Use the knob on the end of the cane's curve for this exercise. Place the curve of the cane over your shoulder and push the knob into your upper back. Either hold the bottom end of the cane and the bottom handle with your hands or hold a handle in each hand to support the cane. Use whatever grip is more comfortable for you and push backwards with your bottom hand and upwards with your top hand to send pressure to the knob in your back.

Legs

Leg muscles become tense from use like every muscle, but whereas most people know how to stretch their quads, hamstrings and calves stretches for the front muscles of the lower legs are not as well known. You can use a Thera Cane to perform the lower legs exercise and release tension on the front of the calves. To do this exercise, hold the ends of the cane with the curved end facing you and place the middle knob against your shin next to your shinbone. Press gently into the muscle and work your way along the length of the shinbone.

Arms

Although the arms are not a large area on your body comparatively, Thera Cane exercises can still release tension in the upper arms and forearms. Unless you work in manual labor or lift weights, your upper arms probably won't have a lot of tension. The forearms however work frequently when working on a computer and tension there leads to carpal tunnel and overuse injuries. To use the Thera Cane on your forearms, rest the cane horizontally on your lap and use the outside of your thighs against the two handles to hold the cane in place. Then, place your forearm against the middle knob and push down to apply pressure to sensitive points on your forearm.

Neck and Shoulders

Tension in the neck and shoulders is a common problem. Typically, tension in one area radiates to the other. An example of a Thera Cane exercise for the neck and shoulders is the rear neck exercise. To perform this exercise, place the middle knob against the back of your neck and bend your chin down toward your chest. Hold each end of the cane with your palms facing forward and pull it forward to put pressure into your muscles.