Back Massage

• The patient lays face down.
• Cover the inferior part of the body with a sheet. This prevents the body to cool down. Warm up your hands. Apply oil or lotion.
• Start massaging with a very light effleurage of the entire back from sacrum to neck:
• Perform 10-15 long effleurage strokes for familiarization. This is particularly important as it sets up the mood of the following 60 minutes.
• Execute two times a more profound bilateral effleurage of the entire back. Make sure you cover every inch of the back.
• Do shingles toward the neck two times. If the patient is a small person four runs should cover the whole back, otherwise you may need 6 runs. Do each run twice.
• Perform Petrissage, (Milking), on the whole back. The hands are synchronized for this stroke.
• Uncover the Gluteal Area, (the buttocks), cover the rest of the back and keep the legs covered.
• Start with effleurage and do it three times
• Perform Cross Fiber Friction – this will help the fat to burn faster
• Execute Alternating Thumb Friction – this is a very pleasurable stroke, because the muscles in the area are very strong if you want to protect your thumbs you can do a fist friction instead.
  
  
• Pièce de résistance! On the upper part of the buttock cheeks on the median line, (the ilium bones), you will find a notch under the muscle. Do a light circular finger, (or palm) friction of this area. This has strong effect on the vital energy of the patient. Can aid in treatment of impotence and frigidity. It can be very well used in a sensual massage.
   
• Return to Back massage and perform a bilateral effleurage of the entire back for two or three times.
• Execute one time fingertip friction on the whole back: close to spine, median line and the edges of the body. Do not forget to do this from the opposite side of spine… Repeat this on the other side.
• Do the same thing with palm friction but two times. This should be lightly stronger than fingertip friction.
• Perform a peeling two times. The area peeled starts very close to the spine and it ends on the opposite side of the body.
   
• Pièce de résistance! Perform alternate thumb compression alongside the spinal column making sure you cover the whole length from coccyx to neck. This helps relaxing and reinforcing the spinal muscles. Most of us, as products of our modern society, will benefit greatly from this procedure. It is an excellent procedure for pregnant women, but if you are not a professionally trained massage therapist stay away from massaging pregnant women. As an alternative you can do an elbow compression for more muscular bodies, but you have to pay attention to the placement of elbows as you have less control on tiny spaces and you don’t want to press on the spine.
   
• As a transition you can do the shingles again and then cover the back up to the shoulders (under armpit).
• For the complete manual as an eBook, description of the strokes, moves and other massage tips consult the full manual at www.head-massage.net/