How To Work The Back In Sports Massage Video

Working the back is an important part of all massages. Get expert tips and advice on massage and other treatments in this video.

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Ask about comfort
Apply pressure
Place arms at the side
Apply pressure to the meaty part of the back
Do not massage the bones

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Malu works for Retreat Massage Therapy as a massage therapist. She is well versed in techniques that are particularly helpful for athletes.

MALU LUJAN: Okay. So we are going to be massaging the lower back now. Chris here has some lower back discomfort, and it is actually connected to some muscles that will go from the lower back into the abdominal area. They go diagonally from the back into the abdominal area and into the front of the body where the quads are. They go into the upper quads. Right now, we are going to do some massaging and then some stretching that will help that. So you get a little oil in your hand and just put some pressure on either side of the spine. You can go into the butt. That feels really great when you go and work in those butt muscles. That really helps to relax the pressure in the lower back. Now, I will just show you what I am doing, because you probably cannot see under there. So I am just putting my hands, the palms of my hands, and I am just leaning. I am not even applying too much, I am not taking effort. I am just leaning into the meat of his buttocks. Okay. So we are going to be stretching Chris' leg to actually alleviate pressure in his lower back, because we are trying to massage and relax the lower back right now. So what we are going to do is you are going to put your hand under the shin and reach under the knee to the quads. And, Chris, I am going to ask you to take a nice deep breath and exhale everything, and you are going to bring the leg up to the side and try not to strain your own back when you are doing this. Okay. This really stretches these muscles and relaxes them, and it feels really great for that person. So I am going to go around the table. Now, it is even easier to work on his lower back. I am going to use my forearms, and I am just going to take a nice deep breath and relax into his back. I am not working on his spine at all. I am just working on the muscles right next to the spine. How is that pressure, Chris? CHRIS: It is good. MALU LUJAN: Yeah. That is good, huh? Okay. And those were some great techniques for the lower back. You can also use thumb pressure on the base of the spine, which is called the sacrum, and so I will show you that thumb pressure. Again, you just put your thumbs in between the vertebrae, like so. And because of the way he is leaning, it is very easy to get in there. So that is massaging the lower back.

How to Work the Back in Sports Massage Video

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