How to Massage the Joints


Any work on the joints involves passive movements, your partner totally relaxing while you manipulate the limbs. It feels good and it stretches and loosens the surrounding soft tissue, which may become tight when the muscles tense up. It is also, I think, a lovely feature of any massage. The key is to make sure your partner gives you their full body weight, while you provide total support, and perform the movements smoothly. Do not go ahead of your partner. If you feel resistance, release the pressure and if your partner tenses up, slow the movement or stop, until the limbs are relaxed once again. Otherwise, your partner will either be doing the movement for you, or it will feel uncomfortable.

The hip

With your partner lying flat, pick up the leg, supporting it at the heel and at the knee. Now slowly and gently circle the leg, making sure that the hip joint is relaxed. Stop if it is not.  Circle the leg three times in each direction. The movements do not have to be very large, the key is for the hip to stay relaxed.

Massage Joints

The hip

Lift the leg, supporting it at the heel and the knee, and bend it back toward the chest. Press to the point of resistance, then slowly release and repeat once more, this time pushing back a little further. Increase the stretch by pressing below the knee and at the heel. This works the hip joint and stretches the lower back muscles. Lower the leg again slowly.

The wrist

With the forearm upright and resting on the elbow, take hold of the hand firmly. Now circle the wrist very slowly three times in both directions, bending it each time only as far as feels comfortable. The smoother the rotation, the better. Support the arm with your other hand.

The shoulder

With your partner lying flat, lift the arm, supporting it at the wrist and at the elbow. Now circle three times in each direction, guiding the movement with your hands. Make the circles as large as you can, but keep the movement even. Lower the arm afterwards very slowly.

Filed Under: Health & Personal Care

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About the Author: Andrew Reinert is a health care professional who loves to share different tips on health and personal care. He is a regular contributor to MegaHowTo and lives in Canada.

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