Foot massage for adults

Regular massage improves blood circulation, stimulates muscles, reduces tension, and often relieves pain. Your feet work hard every day. Just like your neck, back, and shoulders, your legs can also benefit from regular rubbing, pressure, and stroking. Foot massage improves circulation, stimulates muscles, reduces tension, and often relieves pain. In addition, foot massage can be part of a special treatment method – reflexology. Impact on certain areas of the foot helps in improving the functions of internal organs.

After a long day of walking or standing, our feet deserve a good rest. Massage is probably the easiest and cheapest way to relax the body. Therefore, it is not surprising that legends have been circulating about foot massage since ancient times. Of course, everyone likes active rubbing of the feet. But is there more to massage than just relaxation and pain relief?

It is important to emphasize that foot reflexology is very beneficial for health. A few minutes of rubbing, kneading, and pressing on the leg can improve circulation, lower blood pressure, fight depression and anxiety disorders. While not all benefits are immediate, just two to three foot reflexology sessions a week can help!

Benefits of foot massage for adults

Foot massage for adults has a range of health benefits.

Reduces blood pressure. Hypertension is a notorious chronic disease that affects both men and women. Foot massage sessions lower blood pressure.

Improves microcirculation. Today’s technology-driven lifestyle has made us sedentary. In the office, we are tied to the desktop. At home we sit on the couch in front of the TV. Our feet get little exercise and are often ruined by tight and uncomfortable shoes. But regular massages help keep our feet healthier by improving circulation to muscles and tissues that become stiffer with a sedentary lifestyle. Diabetics should pay special attention to this very useful information.

Relieves headaches. Headaches are a clear sign of stress. Foot massage helps to escape from a stressful life and find a moment for complete relaxation. Massage can help calm the mind and body by targeting reflex points.

Fight depression. When we’re stressed and need a break, we often think about finding a way to relax. A massage session (or better, a course) can help with this. Imagine a relaxing hour of respite from the hustle and bustle of the day, with health benefits at the same time. Frequent exercise reduces anxiety and suppresses depression. After leaving the massage, you will feel healthier and happier.

Eliminates the effects of foot and ankle injuries. Walking through the mall and tripped? Massaging an injured foot can relieve pain, reduce muscle soreness, and speed up recovery. But when a simple massage is combined with a stretching technique, your legs will become more resilient to future injury. Strengthening the legs and their flexibility will save you from severe pain in moments of future injuries.

Relieves pain from flat feet. Flat feet do not have a significant health impact, but for some people, it can cause pain simply due to light physical activity. This may be due to inflammation, swelling, or deterioration of the plantar fascia (the flat band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes). If you experience pain after walking for a long time, do some regular leg exercises and combine them with a deep massage.

Harm of foot massage for adults

Reflexology is a form of alternative therapy that involves pressure points on the face, ears, arms, legs and feet. It is believed that these points can influence other areas of the body and stimulate healing.

As with any other therapy, it is important to be aware of the contraindications of reflexology and its potential harm if not done by a professional. Not everyone has access to reflexology, it can harm some.

Foot massage contraindications for adults

From a medical point of view, a contraindication is a condition, pathology or cause, certain drugs or medical procedures, in which massage will do more harm than help. Some minor problems with certain areas of the body can be worked around. This will be discussed at the preliminary consultation with the doctor. But there are a number of contraindications:

• internal bleeding that was recent or is present;
• exposure to alcohol or illegal substances;
• varicose veins or similar conditions in history;
• infectious skin diseases;
• athlete’s foot or other fungal diseases;
• viral infections that cause vomiting or diarrhea;
• severe bruising;
• bone fractures and soft tissue bruises;
• gout or swelling, inflammation in and around the joints;
• any cuts, open wounds or sores;
• full stomach – 2 – 3 hours before the massage, you can not eat;
• excess scar tissue (keloid scars);
• sunburn and sunburn;
• internal implants.

How to do foot massage for adults at home

Professional foot massage can be done at home by calling a massage therapist. But there is also an instruction for do-it-yourself foot massage.

Sit in a comfortable chair. Bend your left leg and carefully place your left foot on your right thigh. Pour some skin lotion or oil into your hand. Gently rub it into the foot and massage the entire foot, including the toes, arch and heel.

Do a deeper massage. Press the knuckles of the right hand against the left leg. The leg needs to be kneaded like bread. Or work the skin and muscles by holding the foot with both hands and pressing your thumbs into the skin.

Using your hands, gently pull your toes back and forth or side to side. This stretches the lower muscles.

Repeat with the other leg.

Massage devices at local pharmacies or health stores can also help relax and regenerate foot muscles. Foot rollers are the simplest devices with which you can quickly massage your feet at home or at work. Just take off your shoes and roll your feet on the massager for a quick boost.

Popular questions and answers

For questions about foot massage, we asked professional massage therapist Alexander Kholmogorov.