Hip massage for adults

The thigh massage targets the hamstrings and quadriceps muscles located at the front and back of the upper leg. Hip massage includes a number of different techniques that help reduce muscle tension, relieve pain, and improve blood circulation.

Benefits of thigh massage for adults

There are many situations in which thigh massage can help. These include:

• overwork;
• preparation for competitions;
• consequences of injury;
• sharp pain;
• muscle spasm.

Hip massage is effective after various competitions and training against the background of overwork. Intense exercise can cause muscle tightness and tension. Massaging the thighs helps to relax tense muscles.

When muscles are damaged from exercise, scar tissue forms to help repair the damage. Scar tissue restricts the muscles and causes them to tighten. Massaging the thighs increases muscle temperature, which helps loosen scar tissue. This allows the fibers to realign and increase range of motion, which reduces pain.

Pre-competition thigh massage can also help to improve performance. It helps to stimulate the muscles so that they are ready for activity. Before a workout, muscles may be tight and have a shorter range of motion. Increasing your range of motion also reduces the risk of injury during competition. If the range of motion is small, there is an increased risk of muscle strain, strain, or tear.

Hip massage can help after injuries – sprains and ruptures of muscles and tendons. Hip massage can help relieve pain, tension, stress, and tightness.

Massaging the thighs also stimulates the lymphatic system, a network of lymphatic vessels that help carry waste products back into the bloodstream so they can be removed from the body. The lymphatic system also helps fight inflammation.

Benefits of thigh massage:

• accelerated recovery;
• pain reduction;
• improvement of blood circulation;
• injury prevention.

Harm of thigh massage

There are injuries and conditions in which the use of massage can be harmful or dangerous. Your therapist should always check if massage sessions are right for you before starting treatment.

Open wounds, any cuts or abrasions will limit the use of massage. You should wait until the scar has formed properly. This usually takes one to two weeks.

Massage can be harmful when muscles are torn in the acute stage, when bleeding can continue. Massage will increase bleeding and tissue damage, and prolong recovery. After the first 48-72 hours, massage is possible, but this will depend on the extent of the injury.

The above also applies to tendon injuries. Complete tears are contraindications to massage and require surgery rather than massage. With partial ruptures of muscles and tendons, massage can be done after at least 48 hours, and with more serious injuries, the period increases.

With bruises, massage can also do harm – cause even more damage and lead to bone tissue inside the muscle.

Burns, frostbite and bone fractures are also a temporary contraindication to massage.

Massage is also harmful for periostitis – inflammation of the membrane surrounding the bone. Massage directly near the bone can cause irritation. You can massage the surrounding muscles, but away from the bone.

Massage contraindications

Rheumatoid arthritis and gout – inflammatory conditions are a contraindication to massage. The same rules apply here as for acute injuries. Massage can cause further inflammation.

Bursitis Inflammation of the bursa, a small sac of fluid that helps the tendons connect to the bones at the joints. If pain, swelling and redness appear on the skin, massage should be avoided.

Myositis ossificans – a severe bruise or rupture of the muscle may begin to calcify (bone begins to grow in the soft tissue). Massage will only exacerbate the damage.

Skin and soft tissue infections – bacterial, viral and fungal infections can be transmitted during massage to other parts of the body. Pain can also be the result of an infection rather than an injury, so massage won’t help.

Thrombosis is a rare but potentially fatal blood clot in a vein. Often found in the calf muscles and thighs. Deep painful pain deep in the muscle may be a thrombosis. If it is massaged, it can move, disperse through the veins and damage the heart.

Blood clotting disorderssuch as hemophilia are clear contraindications for massage. The use of massage can cause tissue damage and lead to bleeding.

Tumors – if you are not sure about any bumps and formations in the muscles or skin, leave them alone.

How to massage the thighs for adults at home

Massage of the thighs at home is no less useful – it improves recovery, blood circulation, providing muscles with nutrients and oxygen. Massaging the thighs also improves lymph circulation. Improved lymphatic circulation helps remove waste products and toxins from the muscles. The oxygen and nutrients delivered to the muscles by massaging the thighs help speed up the natural healing process.

Various techniques are used during thigh massage. Common techniques used during thigh massage include:

• efleurage;
• divergence;
• friction;
• squeezing.

Efleurage. This is a light massage performed with flat hands and fingers using pressure, tapping, and is used to raise the temperature of the muscles and stimulate increased blood flow around them. Increasing the temperature of the muscle fibers improves the elasticity and flexibility of the tissues around the joints, reduces tension and spasm in the muscles and therefore reduces pain. Efleurage also improves lymphatic circulation, helping to remove waste products and toxins that are contained in the muscles.

Discrepancy. A common technique used during thigh massage. It is applied in areas containing soft tissues. When kneading, the muscles contract and slowly stretch, which helps improve blood circulation as the muscles heat up. As the temperature rises, blood vessels dilate and blood flow improves. The technique helps to remove waste products and toxins by stimulating lymphatic circulation. Improving blood and lymphatic circulation helps keep muscles healthy.

Friction. It is done with the fingertips. Friction is used in those places where muscle knots and spasms are found along the muscle fibers. Friction is used to increase muscle temperature and soften collagen fibers.

Squeezing. It is carried out with the palms and fingers. Muscle tissues are captured from both sides of the thigh and retracted towards the middle in opposite directions. The pressure varies from light to firm from the starting point to the middle of the thigh, where the muscle tissues are concentrated. Reception helps to relax and stretch the muscles, relieving muscle tension in the thigh. Pushing can be relaxing, but also a very effective method of relieving pain.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about thigh massage with professional massage therapist Alexander Kholmogorov.