Hand massage for adults

When massaging the hands in adults, the focus is on the muscles located inside the shoulder, forearm or hand. The arm is made up of many muscles. The main muscles are flexors and extensors. Flexor muscles include: flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, and flexor thumb. The extensor muscles include: extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi radialis longus, and extensor carpi ulnaris.

Benefits of hand massage for adults

There are many different pathologies for which hand massage can help. Situations in which this type of massage may be indicated include:

• sharp pain;
• postoperative period;
• relaxation in some neuromuscular diseases;
• scarring after injury.

Acute pain can be caused by many things, including muscle overuse and injury. The nerves in the body cause the feeling of pain when they receive a message from the brain about it. Pain receptors in the skin send a signal to the brain to let it know that damage has occurred.

Hand massage aims to reduce acute pain by increasing the temperature of the muscles and disrupting the signal sent from the receptors to the brain. Friction between the skin and fingers increases blood flow. Due to this, the muscles relax, elasticity increases. Muscle relaxation reduces pain as movement restrictions decrease.

Benefits received include:

• voltage reduction;
• acceleration of recovery in various pathologies;
• reduction of edema;
• removal of scar tissue.

Reducing tension is one of the significant benefits of hand massage. Tension is created when the muscles contract and do not relax. If left untreated, tension can restrict hand, shoulder, and elbow movement and cause pain. Hand massage is aimed at relieving tension, relaxing contracted muscles. During hand massage, blood flow and muscle temperature increase, which allows muscle fibers to stretch and increase elasticity.

Hand massage can improve hand function recovery after injury or surgery. Massage aims to improve recovery by improving blood circulation and stimulating the lymphatic system.

During hand massage, blood flow and the lymphatic system are stimulated. This helps remove metabolic waste that can slow down recovery. Metabolic waste is removed through the lymphatic vessels with the lymph flow. Reducing metabolic waste also keeps muscles strong and healthy. Stimulation of the lymphatic system can also reduce swelling. Swelling is caused by a buildup of metabolic waste, most commonly in the wrist area. Increasing the removal of metabolic waste through the lymphatics helps reduce swelling and reduce pain.

Hand massage can help break down scar tissue. Scar tissue is composed of fibrous collagen fibers and forms after an injury, often restricting movement, resulting in muscle tightness and pain. Hand massage aims to loosen scar tissue to reduce discomfort.

Harm of hand massage for adults

For most people, massage therapy is considered a non-invasive, safe, natural treatment. However, there are three levels of contraindications in which hand massage can be harmful.

• regional level – when you can massage, but not on the affected areas;
• local – when massage can be carried out only after obtaining medical permission;
• general – when hand massage should not be performed at all.

Hand massage contraindications for adults

The masseur can massage, but not on the affected areas with varicose veins (if there are no areas on the hands), with tumor processes, during pregnancy.

Massage is prohibited, if there is a fresh tan with burns on the hands, minor abrasions and cuts, bruises easily appear, there is an inflammatory process, including with exacerbation of arthritis. In addition, massage is temporarily prohibited for acute pain syndrome, if its cause is not exactly established.

The issue of hand massage for various diseases is discussed in detail with the doctor, he determines possible contraindications.

How to do hand massage for adults at home

Hand massage uses a wide range of techniques to achieve benefits such as reducing tension and swelling. Massage therapists use hand massage to relieve pain, relax muscles, and reduce scarring, especially in arthrosis.

During hand massage in adults, many techniques are used. The most common manual massage techniques include:

• friction;
• impact on trigger points;
• skin twisting;
• acupressure.

Friction. Various forms of friction can be used during hand massage. The fingers and thumbs are used to apply pressure along the muscle fibers. Friction can be used to reduce the limitation of movement in the hand. It may be the result of an overgrowth of collagen fibers after an injury. The circular motion used during friction increases the temperature of the collagen fibers. Increasing the temperature reduces the stiffness, increasing their elasticity and allowing the fibers to stretch. Reducing the stiffness caused by the growth of collagen fibers also helps reduce pain.

Impact on trigger points. A common technique used in hand massage. Trigger points are located in the center of the muscle fibers and often cause pain if left untreated. Hand massage involves pressure on trigger points to soften muscles and relax. Trigger points are destroyed as the ischemic reaction occurs. This is a condition where blood flow is restricted due to pressure being placed on a trigger point. As pressure is released, blood flow to the area increases, which helps keep muscles strong and healthy by providing them with more oxygen and nutrients.

Skin twisting. Often used during hand massage – the skin is lifted and rolled between the fingers. Skin rolling can be used to reduce pain by reducing the density of the muscles and fascia (the layer of tough connective tissue underneath the skin). Muscles and fasciae often become “stiff” due to reduced elasticity. An increase in blood flow contributes to an increase in the temperature of the muscles and fascia, an improvement in elasticity, which reduces the restriction of mobility and, therefore, pain.

Acupressure (acupressure). This is pressure on certain areas of the hand with the fingertips or thumbs. Acupressure helps increase blood flow to the arm and break up muscle spasms. An ischemic reaction during acupressure occurs when blood flow is restricted to an area when pressure is applied. When pressure is applied to certain areas of the arm, the muscle spasms begin to relax and the limitation of movement may decrease. When pressure is released, blood flow increases, which helps repair damaged cells and keep muscles healthy.

Popular questions and answers

Answered questions about hand massage professional massage therapist Alexander Kholmogorov.