Giving a back massage is a nice way to help a friend or family member and show you care. There are many ways to make it more enjoyable and productive. It's important to get feedback from the other person, and to set aside enough time for both parties to be able to relax.
Preparation
Before beginning a back massage, make sure the room is comfortable--not too warm or too cold. If possible, music is a nice touch, and the room shouldn't be so bright as to be distracting. Ask the person who is going to be massaged to remove any jewelry so that it doesn't get in the way or become damaged during the massage. Find out before the massage begins if the other person has any medical issues or any sensitive areas to avoid. Have the person who will be massaged lay on their stomach on a comfortable surface. If this is not possible, sitting backwards in a chair and leaning forward is another way to allow access to the back.
Oil
A back massage can be given over the clothes if necessary, but it's more comfortable and effective if the back is exposed and the person massaging can use cream, oil or lotion for the massage. This allows for smoother strokes and is especially helpful if the person being massaged has any back hair, as the oil will keep the hair from being pulled.
Maintain Contact
Once the massage has started, it's important to keep contact with the massage recipient, so the person is not surprised by sudden starting and stopping of touch, according to The McKinley Health Center. Ask frequently about the appropriateness of pressure, making sure to avoid going too deep for the receivers' comfort level.
Avoid the Spine
Massage should never be performed directly over the spine, as the spinous processes, which are the small bones that can be felt when running hands over the spine, are quite delicate and can be injured with pressure. Massaging along the sides of spine is fine, however, and is often a tense area.
Effluerage and Petrissage
To begin a massage, rub oil or lotion between the hands for a moment to warm it, then slowly rub hands lightly over the back in long, smooth strokes. This massage technique is called effleurage. These lighter strokes can continue if that's how the massage receiver prefers the pressure, or you can move on to petrissage. This entails using deeper pressure, and you can also gently squeeze muscles and lift them slowly away from the underlying bones. This is a wonderful technique for releasing muscle tension.
Tapotement and Friction
To expand the range of massage techniques more, friction and tapotement may be used. Tapotement entails using the fingertips, or cupped hands to tap on tense areas. Fingertip tapotement is useful for small areas, such as the smaller muscles along the top of the shoulder, or on the sides of neck. Tapotement with cupped hands can be performed on larger areas, such as on the large muscles of the upper and mid back. Friction entails using the fingers to rub more deeply into small, tense areas of the back.
Be Thorough
Ask about any problem areas before the massage gets started, for instance, the shoulders and lower back are two areas where people commonly complain of stiffness. Start with whatever area causes the recipient the most trouble, and work from there. Make sure to cover the entire back, but focus on trouble spots. Use a variety of techniques and apply more oil as it gets rubbed into skin. Make sure to give attention to tense areas, such as along the inside of the shoulder blades and the lower back right where the natural waist begins.
