Hand Massage Techniques

We take advantage of our hands consistently, since we use them for many tasks on a daily basis. We put constant stress and strain on our hands. One way to relieve the stress is to get a hand massage. Whether you do it yourself or have someone massage your hands for you, you will feel the tension in your hands and body fade away.

Why Get a Hand Massage

• Any massage can help your body and soul, but your hands may be overworked the most, and you may not even know it. Massages are meant to get down into the tissue where knots and pains have formed and gradually have become worse. When worked out properly, the tissues loosen up and increase your blood circulation, which in turn increases the relief you feel.

  Your hands have pressure points that relate to other parts of your body. Reflexology charts show that if you stimulate certain areas on your hands while massaging them, you actually will relieve stress in other parts of your body.

Massage on Your Own

• There are a few simple steps to help give yourself a thorough hand massage and wake up your wrists and fingers. Start by laying your hand palm up on a soft surface, like a pillow. With your thumb on your palm and other fingers underneath, move your thumb in a circular motion to begin loosening the muscles. After about 20 seconds, switch hands and repeat.

  Then, start again on the first hand and place it palm down on a harder surface. Lightly rub up and down on the back of your hand using the fleshy area on the bottom of your other hand where it meets your wrist. This will help stimulate blood flow. Switch hands and repeat.

  Lastly, squeeze each finger at the base where it joins with your hand for about 10 seconds each. This will loosen up your knuckles and relieve tension that builds up between the carpal bones in your fingers.

  Whatever you do, do not crack your knuckles. It can cause swelling and even more tension between your bones. This will defeat the purpose of the hand massage.

Massage from a Professional

• Hand therapists and reflexologists are experts at massaging the pain and tension out of your hands, and can do this better than you can on your own. If someone performs the massage on you, he can apply more pressure and stimulation, since he gets to use both hands at once.

  Hand acupressure is the technique massage therapists use. It causes no pain and has no negative side effects on your muscles and reflexes. They will put pressure on certain points to activate blood flow and release stress. It is the same as what you would do on your own, only they can apply more pressure and know exactly which spots to hit that will give the greatest results. There are three or four points on your hand that result in more relief, but those spots can become "immune" to the pressure after a long period of time. When that occurs, stop getting the hand massages for a few days and then start up again.

  Reflexologists rely on hand reflexology, which involves manipulating the natural reflexes in your hands. It not only increases circulation, but allows your body to release natural endorphins that relax you all over.