Giving somebody a lower back massage at the end of the day, can greatly help relieve his/her stress and also gain his affection. However, one should give a lower back massage with the right technique and the right amount of pressure.
A hectic lifestyle, excess weight, improper posture, lifting heavy load, jerks to the spine, bad habits, and lack of exercise often cause lower back pain.
Lower back pain is a common complaint among women. The back muscles play a vital role while bending forward and backward; hence, one should take good care of the lower and upper back muscles. One of the easiest ways to relieve tension from the lower back is through a massage.
Tips for a Good Lower Back Massage
Use an oil in case you find difficulty in gliding your hand over the person’s back. Warm sesame or olive oil is best suited for massaging.
- Ask the person you are giving a lower back massage to, to lie down on their stomach, and keep his/her hands at his sides. You can ask the person to lie down on the floor or on a bed.
- Make sure he is comfortable. Ask him to remove his upper body clothing. If he does not feel comfortable, then just ask him to and tuck it up till the chest so that it doesn’t interfere while giving a massage. Ask the person to relax now.
- Turn off the lights and use a soft light or a candle for light. Then apply few drops of oil on your palms and apply it on the lower back.
- Now, start massaging slowly using small circular motions. Start by massaging on the sides of the lower spine, and then work your way towards the sides of the back. Keep using this technique for a few minutes. Ask if the pressure you are applying is right, if not change the pressure.
- Once you are done with the above step, start with another massage technique. Start spreading your finger in an upward and outward direction. Do this step similar to the above technique, first do it around both sides of the spine, and then work towards the sides. Keep doing this for a few minutes.
- Now, work on the hard areas on the lower back. These are the areas where there is too much stress. To relieve these areas and improve blood circulation, perform circular motions with your fingers or thumbs on these regions. Keep doing this for few minutes, till you feel these knots have loosened.
- In this step work on the lower spine of the person, for this use the heel of your hands. Again perform circular motions with the heel of your hand on the spine, but avoid putting too much pressure. Do this slowly for 2 minutes.
- Then use your thumbs and press along the lower spine. Start from top and end by pressing the lowermost spine area a bit harder. Do this 5-6 times.
- Finally, end by light finger tapping of the whole lower back region. Do this a couple of times.
- Then take a tissue, and wipe off the excess oil from the lower back.
Remember, that a back massage is great way to relieve stress and pressure off the back. However, to keep your back in good shape, do some strengthening exercises. You can do them at the gym or do yoga at home.
