How to give a good foot massage. We often overlook our feet which on of the most important body member that support while we walk. We put on our feet to much burden when we are overweight, walking to far, running a lot or even just standing for several hours. High heels also put additional tension on our feet muscle. That is why we feel the tension in our feet muscle at night. Out feet feels so heavy and fatigue.

A good foot massage in the evening will ease the pain and can be a relaxing experience. You don’t have to be a professional massage therapist to give your self or your partner a good foot massage, since practical foot massage can be learned easily. I will give you some basic step on how you can give a good relaxing foot massage. This step-by-step foot massage instruction will certainly relieve  a sore foot and get rid of foot fatigue. The foot massage techniques explained below is very easy to learn.

How can you give a good foot massage? First thing first, make sure that the atmosphere is cozy and appropriate for the foot massage. Use a comfortable reclining chair with arm rest and foot support. Don’t forget to play some relaxing instrumental music to calm the mind. Also Prepare some clean towels.

Equip yourself with a bottle of massage oil and essential oil. You can find the lubricant you need for massage, such as lotions, creams or oils that are specially designed for massage at a health store or massage supply house. According to my experience, the scent of eucalyptus or mint will give a great effect for refreshing tired and sore feet. You also can add some ti tree oil, which is a natural disinfectant.

Prepare a gallon of lukewarm water. Add some drop of essential oil in the water and a cup of Epsom salts. Let your partner immerse his or her tired foot in the basin for about ten minutes. Tell her to close her eyes, relax, enjoy the music and feel the warm water soften her foot.

After that, take your partner’s foot, dry it with a clean towel, then place it on your lap. Gently massage on foot at a time. Drop some massage oil in your hands and rub them together. With your warm and oiled hand, wrap the foot to make it warm.

Using your thumb, rub the sole of the foot in a circular pattern, from the heel, and going up to the base of the toes. Put your both hands around your partner’s feet with your thumbs on the top and your fingers on the bottom. Firmly press your thumb and move it between the tendons, start from the ankle toward the toes. Make along strokes and make sure the pressure is enough so the movement doesn’t feel ticklish

For the next step, use the fist of your hand to press the knuckles on the sole of your partner’s foot. Start from the heel going up to the arch and then to the base of the toes.

Pay some attention to your partner’s toes. Pull and tug at each toe carefully. After that, hold the foot on your lap, press the soles of the foot using your thumb. Start from the heel to the base of the toe.

As final stroke, gently squeeze the top of the foot, apply some light pressure on to it. Finish by applying the gentle foot squeeze you do before the foot massage. And then put the foot back in the water basin. Repeat the foot massage on the other foot.

After the relaxing foot massage session, make sure you wipe dry the feet with a clean towel, prevent it from being slippery. A good foot massage will make your partner say thank you to you.

There is some important things to remember when you do a back massage. The back is large and variable area to massage and you will need to keep in mind as you give back massage, the kind of pressure on the shoulders, lower back and upper back needs to be different. You may find quit a lot of tension has collected in the shoulders, especially in the ‘trapezius’ muscle that runs across the shoulder, neck and upper back. Pressure here should be sensitive and only slightly firm. With tight muscles, it is tempting to use hard pressure, but if you press to hard the muscles will fight back.

Once you have massaged the shoulders, move down to the lower back. The lower back can be a particularly vulnerable or strained area, therefore you have to pay special attention to this tight area.

Important things to remember when you come to massaging the spine and neck, you should be particularly careful. Both areas are very sensitive and require more gentle pressure. Keeping an inch out from the spine, press evenly along the muscle bands, paying attention where you feel raised areas of muscles.

Use the sensitivity of your fingers to feel the texture and tightness, and as you press correspond you movements to your partner’s exhalation. As nerves branch out from the spine connecting to the whole body, this will be a highly sensitive and releasing movement for your partner. As you reach the top of the neck, bring your hands once more to your partner’s lower back to draw awareness away from the head, and fully connect the back.

Of all the areas of the body, the back appreciates massage most. You will find that you have to change position several times as you massage the back. So, make sure you have enough room to maneuver.

Back Injuries
While back injuries should receive medical treatment, you can ease problems as you massage. Do not massage directly over an injury, but work the surrounding area gently. Muscles around an injury often go into spasm to protect it. Massage can help relieve the stiffness caused by this, allowing the injury to heal. The body will often compensate to protect a painful area, so when the right shoulder hurts, you should also massage the left shoulder. If the problem is caused by tension, massage on and around the shoulder, easing the muscles outwards from the spine. Start lightly, the move in deeper, spreading and moving the shoulder frequently. For problems in the shoulders always include the lower back. For neck problems massage the upper back, then massage on the neck from underneath. For the lower back, ease with sacral circling, then massage the buttocks and middle back, spreading outwards from the spine.

Back massage can relieve back pain. With the right back massage techniques you can ease back pain, the most common reason why people see a massage therapist. Many therapies even focus them self to back pain and treat a back problem. Actually, you do not have to see a massage therapist just to get a relaxing simple back massage. Back massage is easy to learn, you and your partner can learn this simple back massage step to treat each other whenever it is needed.

We will give you some simple techniques on how to give a back massage for your partner. Remember one thing before you step further to the back massage techniques, make sure that the environment, the room where you do the massage is appropriate to relaxation.

Make sure you use a clean relaxing room. Change the atmosphere by playing a relaxing music and light aromatic candles. Don’t forget to clean your self, take a warm shower to warm your body and especially your hands before giving massage. Remember that you have to be relax so that your partner can feel the warm of your magic touch. Relax your mind to give an relaxing effective back massage.

Prepare some aromatic massage oil using an essential oils. If you have no idea what is massage oil, I suggest to read the article about How To Prepare Massage Oil and The Most Used Essential Oils and Their Benefits.

The back massage techniques explained below is using effleurage, a long and sweeping massage stroke. To use other back massage methods, please read the article about how to apply massage techniques. Applying effleurage will relax and loosen the back muscles tension.

- Let your partner lay on a comfortable massage table, if you do not have a massage table, you can tell your partner to lay on the bed or on the couch. Tell your partner, to lay on his or her stomach. Make sure you have some room to move around. Prepare some tissue or a warm towel.

- Pour some massage oil and warm it up by rubbing in you hands. Apply massage oil to the back of your partner and make a gentle pressure from lower back to the neck. Make some circular motion on his or her back with your hands when going to return to lower back.

- Bend your wrist and press your partner lower back using the heels of your hand on both side of the spine. Press upward starting from the lower back to the center of the back and then return to the lower back in a circular path. Move both hands upward again to the shoulders.

- Use your thumb and with a adequate pressure, move your thumbs side by side along the spine, toward the shoulders, and then back to the first position. Pay special attention to the lower back while doing massage, use your thumb to gently press that area with a circle motion, that will ease back pain.

- Use your finger to press unto the muscles of the back which is the opposite side with one hand moving on top of the other. If you are at your partners right side then press your partner’s left side back. After that, move slowly to the shoulders and then start with the other side of the back.

- You will find some knots and bunched up area on his or her back. Your partner will tell some specific painful area on the back. Press each knots or spots gently with your thumb. Carefully press each  painful spot on her/his back until the pain disappears.

- Repeat the steps as necessary, until your partner’s back muscle relax and become soft. Big chance that your partner will fall a sleep during back massage, it is normal, just cover his/her body to keep it warm.

Please also read Some Important Things About Back Massage.

Relaxation Massage is important for us. Here is the reason why a relaxing massage is important.

In a nature state of health, we deal with stress and tension. After tensing up, we would then let go. In a sedentary, restricted lifestyle, with increasing demands and pressure, the tendency is for the stress to buildup. This has a negative effect on us. We become neurotic, agitated, anxious, our minds constantly overactive and unable to switch off. Sleeping or eating badly, using drugs or alcohol, we lose touch with ourselves and damage our relationships. Physically, we become tense, our muscles can harden and tighten. We may suffer from headaches, back problems and restricted movement.

The beauty of relaxing massage is that it is a natural relaxation treatment, it feels good and can have a profound effect on us. Massaging the muscles frees up any congestion. Loosening contracted muscle fibers, it aids the elimination of waste products via the blood and lymph. Relaxation massage stimulates the circulation, can lower blood pressure, and has a tonic effect on the nerves. The nerves relate directly to our organs, so it is often the case that massage can regulate the body, helping it function more efficiently. The energy that was diverted to maintaining a state of tension is now released, and the feeling is more vibrant. Through the effect on the nervous system, the mind can gradually relaxed, producing an all-over feeling of well-being.

The skin in the largest organ of the body. Sensory receptors lie just below its surface, relaying massages to the central nervous system. The sense receptors responding to touch are very sensitive, and can be stimulated by extremely light pressure. Some respond to a firm pressure, while others alert the body to pain. As you get a relaxation massages, a lighter pressure will generally relaxing, while a heavier pressure will relax and release the body tension.

Essential oil which is extracted from plant have a very unique healing properties. These oil is very volatile by nature, easy to evaporate, and easily absorbed through the skin and penetrates into body tissue and bloodstream and stimulates hormones and creates many positive effect. The aromatic stimulate the nerve through the nasal cavity and give relaxing massage experience. The use of essential oils in massage oil mixture increase the massage benefit to our mind and spirit.

Below is most used essential oils in massage oil mixture and their health-giving properties and qualities.

BASIL
Antiseptic. Nerve tonic. Uplifts. (Avoid during pregnancy)

BERGAMOT
Antiseptic. Good for skin and respiratory infections. Sedative. Uplifting. (Avoid using neat on skin or in direct sunlight)

CHAMOMILE
Soothers inflammation. Relieves aches and pains and dry skin. Sedative. Anti-depressant.

CLARY SAGE
Nerve tonic. Sedative. Good for nervous depression. Helps ease painful periods. Promotes childbirth.

FRANKINCENSE
Astringent. Relieves catarrh. Soothing. Rejuvenating.

GERANIUM
Skin cleanser and tonic. Mild diuretic. Sedative. Uplifting.

JASMINE
Sedative. Anti-depressant. Anti-spasmodic. Relieves period pains. Promotes childbirth. Euphoric.

JUNIPER
Nerve tonic. Astringent and skin tonic. Diuretic. Relieves indigestion. Sedative.

LAVENDER
Antiseptic. Relieves skin inflammation and burns. Relieves stomach complaints. Sedative. Relaxing. The most useful all-round oil.

MARJORAM
Nerve tonic. Aids digestions. Relieves muscle spasm. Lowers blood pressure. (Avoid during pregnancy)

MELISSA
Tonic. Anti-depressant. Relieves hysteria and palpitations. Regulates menstrual cycle. Uplifting.

NEROLI
Regenerates the skin. Relieves diarrhea. Sedative. Anti-depressant. Calming.

PATCHOULI
Stimulant. Astringent. Aids mental clarity.

ROSE
Antiseptic. Cleansing. Soothing. Promotes circulation. Strengthens digestive system. Relieves stress. Good for mature, dry skin.

ROSEMARY
Antiseptic. Stimulant. Aids mental clarity. Heart tonic. Clears dandruff. Cleansing. Relieves headaches as well as general aches and pains.

SAGE
Nerve tonic. Diuretic. Relieves general aches and pains.

SANDALWOOD
Relieves dry, inflamed skin, sore throats and coughs. Sedative.

THYME
Antiseptic. Nerve tonic. Relieves headaches and general aches and pains. Stimulates Circulation. Invigorating.

YLANG YLANG
Lowers blood pressure. Good for oily skin. Sedative. Euphoric. (Use only in small quantities)

Prepare massage oil is important as the massage it self. You have to carefully prepare the massage base oil and add some essential oil for the aromatic effect. Preparing oil for massage can be a delighting experience in itself. It sets the mood, and the care and thought put into it will increase the massage experience.

Mixing and preparing the oils can be very delighting. There are various oils that you can use, and finding a combination that suits you is often just a matter of experimentation. The ‘carrier’ or ‘base’ oil is the basic oil used to allow the hands to glide freely over the skin. Grapeseed, a light vegetable oil without a heavy smell, is a very good carrier oil. Almond oil, a slightly sweeter, thicker oil, feels more luxurious on the skin. Oils of avocado and apricot are rich, nourishing oils, which may be added to make a mixture fuller. Oil of jojoba is a beautiful, more expensive oil, which is particularly good for massaging the face.

Another group of oils, essential oils, are added to the carrier oil to enhance the effect of massage. Containing the essential nature of a plant, they can give an aromatherapy effect that is extremely important. Remember that you need only use a few drops of essential oil for each amount of base oil and they should not be used directly on the skin.

Traditionally essential oils’ aromatherapy value are used for the treatment of various conditions. For example, for relaxation, use lavender, a particularly useful, fresh, healing oil, or chamomile, which has a calming, relaxing effect.

In order to get to know them, try them separately at first, mixing a couple of drops into some base oil. For heightening the calming effect, try these oils – sandalwood, a woody, eastern scent; patchouli, a more stimulating, sweet, dark odor; or ylang ylang, which has euphoric, sweet, floral smell.

Experiment with these oils and see which ones suits you best. Perhaps the most beautiful of oils, and also the most expensive, are delicate neroli (orange blossom), which uplift;  exotic jasmine, which uplifts; and luxurious, soothing oil of rose. Also reputed to have uplifting properties, these are evocative, irresistibly heady scents. Although mixing can be extremely satisfying, you can if you prefer, buy ready mixed oils.

There are various oils that you can use, finding a combination that suits you is often just a matter of experimentation. You can make up as much as you like. If you start with 1 fl oz (29ml) of base oil, you will make enough oil for about four massages. The ratio you should remember is use up to, but not more than, 12 drops of essential oil per 1 fl oz (29ml) of base oil. For the massage you can use a shallow dish in which to put some oil, or use a small bottle with stopper. If you are planning to massage frequently, you could prepare a mixture by filling 1 or 2 fl oz (29 or 58ml) glass bottles. If you add an optional teaspoon of wheat germ oil the mixture is preserved for a longer period.

Below is some formulation that you can use to prepare the oil for massage:

Massage Oil Preparation: Base Oil formula
(recipes for 1 fl oz (28ml) of base oil)
- Fill a 1 fl oz (28ml) bottle three quarters full with grapeseed oil.
- Add five percent almond oil.
- Add half a teaspoon of wheat germ oil for preservation (optional).
- Add 12 drops of essential oil.
- Fill up the remainder of the bottle with grapeseed oil.
- Use a screw-top bottle and store in a cool place.

Massage Oil Preparation: Relaxing Massage Oil
Mix seven drops of lavender and five drops of chamomile to the base massage oil or simply 12 drops of lavender

Massage is about touch, and touch is communication. Thought and feelings can be communicated through our hands. How we touch can reflex our feelings. The quality of our touch can transform a massage into a relaxing an healing experience. That is why we should know how to apply each massage techniques at different area of patient’s body.

The basic types of touch, which are used regularly are effleurage, petrissage and friction. Effleurage is an oiling stroke, good for getting to know your patient’s body. Petrissage uses a pumping, kneading motion, which is wonderful for releasing tension. Friction presses into specific problems, and, best used for small areas, gives a feeling of deep release.

Below you can find some helpful tips how to apply different techniques of massage on a certain area of body. These tips are only for manual techniques of massage using hands and fingers.

Effleurage
This is the first stroke of any massage, and is used to spread the oil, as well as to make contact and explore you patient’s body. Starting with your hands flat, fingers relaxed, glide lightly down the body, feeling for knots or tension. Allow your fingers to spread as you sweep round to return. Gradually trailing off with the fingertips. Generally, you should increase the pressure as you stroke towards the heart. This stroke relaxes, affecting the nerves beneath the skin, and helps return the blood flow to the heart.

Petrissage
A deeper stoke, good for fleshy areas. Kneading is the most useful example. Grasp the flesh, pushing your thumb in and away from you. Use your fingers to roll the flesh back towards you. Like kneading dough, move your hands alternately, with a squeezing, rolling, lifting action. Kneading frees the muscle fibers, increasing circulation.

Friction
Here, the thumbs are used to apply specific pressure to joints, deep tissue and muscle over bone. Press down using the pad of your thumb, circling slightly on the spot for penetration. Friction brings release and stimulates circulation.

Fingertips
The surface of skin contains billions of nerve endings stimulated by the lightest touch. Using featherlight strokes you can increase its sensitivity. Using the pads of your fingers, lightly trail down your patient’s skin. ‘Walk’ your fingers down his back for light sensations. When stroking with your fingers, keep your wrists relaxed and flexible and break any contact gently. Brush stroke will make the transition softly from one area of the body to another.

Flat of hand
The flat of the hand can be used for introductory strokes and to ‘iron out’ across the back, moving outwards from beside the spine. The movement can also be used where stronger pressure is needed, for example along the thigh. The flat of the hand used softly gives a warm sense of contact. You can use it to circle, or put one hand on top of the other, increasing the pressure in the center. For a slight variation, you can also tilt your hand, increasing the pressure either at the edge or the forefinger joint. This is useful when working round the shoulder blade.

Rolling thumbs
As well as using the pads of the thumbs to press, the thumbs can also be used in a rolling movement. Tilting your thumbs very slightly, use the whole length of your thumb to push the muscle away from you. In a rolling movement, one thumb continues whew the other stopped. Keep the rolls reasonably short, and by using your thumbs alternately, you create a feeling of one continuous flow. Rolling can be used to work down alongside the spine, on the soles of the feet, palms, or gently down the nose. The fingers can be curled or spread, but press only with the thumbs.

Knuckles
Curl your fingers into a fist, with your thumb tucked in or protruding and bend your wrist over so your knuckles are exposed. Now press down into the flesh, using a circling, twisting motion, being attentive to your partner’s pressure needs. The knuckles are only used for fleshy, resistant areas, particularly the back, with care, the soles of the feet. By rippling your fingers as you ‘knuckle’, an intriguing sensation is produced, altering the intensity of the pressure. Keep your wrist straight while knuckling, as this gives strength to the movement.

Heel
Bend your wrist back, lift your palm and fingers slightly and push away from you, along the muscle, with the heel. This gives the stroke added strength, penetrates the muscle deeply, and gives a satisfying sensation. The heel can be used where added strength is needed, such as the thigh muscles. It is used for deep circling, especially over firm, fleshy areas, like the thigh. It can be used to probe and press into muscular areas, while not losing any sensitivity from your touch. Keep your elbow slightly bent to create an angle between your shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Tiger’s mouth
So called to describe the shape of the hands when the thumb and fore finger are spread, this position, also known as a ‘V’, is used to squeeze along muscles after effleurage. Place your thumb and forefinger on either side, adjusting the angle to comfortably fit around the muscles. Push upwards, away from you, adjusting the angle of your hand to accommodate the muscles’ increased bulk. Push as far as you can with a firm pressure, but not too hard, until you reach along the muscles’ length. You may prefer to use both hands, one behind the other, to give the movement extra strength.

Massage oils applied to the skin to reduce the friction to the skin. Oil will make therapist’s hand move smoother on the massaged surface. Aromatherapy means that essential oils added to the massage oil to impact on the mind and body.

Pure essential oils often used in the mixture to create both physical and emotional effect. It is absorbed trough the skin and distributed through blood, stimulates toxin release, and supply more oxygen to the blood, comfort blood pressure and even lowering cholesterol level.

On the surface level, essential oils relax the muscles, soothe back problem, loosen muscle up during leg cramps, strengthen and relief joints problems and help maintain skin moisture level.  Many evidence proved that Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) that worsening in the evening or night and causing sleep problem can be also soothed using essential oils.

Emotional effect produced when the aromatic stimulate the nerve through the nasal cavity, its create relaxed feeling, affect stress level, memory, blood pressure and immune system.

Thus,  the effect of Aromatherapy massage is obvious. It have beneficial effect to the whole body and mind. Relaxing the muscles through the massage and relax the mind through the nasal and nerve system.

Aromatherapy massage that performed at night, can improve the quality of sleep. You will feel very relax and comfortable during sleeping, and wake up will full energy the next morning.

The physiologic effects of massage can be described by the changes it produces in the skin and fatty tissues, the muscles, the circulation of blood and lymph, and the nervous system. Effleurage acts directly on the skin surface, removing excessive secretions and superficial deposits. The skin temperature can be elevated from 2 to 3 degree Celcius by the direct mechanical effects of massage, as well as by reflex dilatation of the underlying small blood vessels. Although it is frequently thought that massage can remove undesirable fat deposits in various regions of the body, there is no positive clinical or experimental evidence that adipose tissue can be altered by even vigorous local massage.

It is believed that message affects muscles by both direct and reflex changes, increasing the circulation in these deeper tissues. It has been demonstrated, however, that the production of lactic acid is not increased by message, as does occur following muscular exercise. It is generally agreed that massage does not increase muscular strength, as this can be accomplished only through exercise. Certain abnormal states of muscular activity, such as cramping, spasm, or twitching, can be significantly relieved by properly applied massage. This relief is effected by both direct action upon the muscles and reflex action mediated through the nervous and circulatory systems. Massage may also alter intra-muscular connective-tissue adhesion formed by disease or injury. The adhesion are stretched and proper function is restored by the mechanical effect of massage.

Swelling of the extremities may occur when muscular activity is reduced by disease, injury, or immobilization, and is due to the inefficient circulation in the veins or lymphatic. This swelling may be prevented or minimized by the proper application of massage, which increase the circulation of blood and lymph. Aside from the direct effect of pressure on the blood and lymphatic vessels, massage can produce changes in the contraction or relaxation of the muscular walls of the blood vessels by means of nerve reflexes that are initiated by stimulation of the skin.

In addition to the reflex effect on muscle and blood vessels, massage may exert a beneficial effect on the central nervous system of the body. In the case of most individuals, massage acts as a sedative when it is applied, reducing anxiety and tension. This relief is accomplished through a variety of complicated nerve reflexes, whose nature is not well understood. Thus, in addition to the purely physical effects of massage, it may have a most desirable though temporary psychotherapeutic value.

The techniques of massage vary widely among its practitioners. In general they can be divided into two groups: manual and mechanical massage. Most medical massage is performed manually, requiring the skilled hands of a trained physical therapist or nurse.

There are several techniques of manual massage:

1. Effleurage consist of long, rhythmical stroking movements of the therapist’s hands applied with varying pressure over the part to be treated.
2. Petrissage, is kneading or compression of the underlying muscle tissues.
3. Friction, is a deep, circular rolling motion of the therapist’s finger, especially around bony prominences or joints.
4. Tapotement, is a striking or percussion movement of varying intensity over muscle and other soft tissue.
5. Vibration, is a vibratory, or trembling, movement administered through the therapist’s fingers or whole hand to the part to be treated.

Mechanical massage can be administered by a wide variety of devices consisting of motor-driven vibrators, rollers, and belts. These devices, which vary much in their design and effectiveness, are more tribute to the mechanical ingeniousness of their inventors than to their therapeutic value. It is unlikely that any mechanical apparatus will never approach the usefulness of manual massage administered by skilled therapist.

The term automassage is sometimes applied to rhythmic alternation of pressure produced by the contraction of skeletal muscles and respiratory motions during normal physical activity. This type of physiologic massage is important adjunct in aiding circulation in the veins and lymphatic channels.

Each massage techniques produced different result. But one can not always apply the same technique for all area of the body. Each area of the body must be treated with the appropriate techniques.