Where to relax during the holiday?
Cervical self massage often takes the sitting position (the main reason is that the sitting position will not limit the range of activities of our hands and shoulders), and can keep other parts of the body relaxed at the same time.
What is a Relaxation Massage?
Relaxation massage is a full-body treatment with soft music, and aromatherapy essential oils. that will use all kinds of massage techniques, including long strokes, gentle kneading and rolling of skin and muscle, and perhaps some rhythmic rocking from side to side.
What is a relaxation massage beneficial?
- Relieves stress and muscle tension and leaves you exuding a sense of well-being
- Improves your circulation and blood flow and aids with lymphatic drainage
- Ease back pain and neck pain breaking up stubborn knots and tight soft tissue
- Encourages your body to digest its food and gets rid of its toxins to help you to sleep better
- Relieves soothe muscle soreness and sprains and encourages the skin to heal minor abrasions
Key points of acupoint selection and manipulation
- Knead Fengchi acupoint and locate it: it is located under the occipital bones on both sides of the back of the neck and in the depression on the outside of the big tendons on both sides of the hairline. Massage method: use both hands backhand to knead Fengchi acupoint with thumb thread surface for about half a minute, preferably with local acid swelling.
- Knead the sky (Y ǒ u) Location of acupoints: it is located at the lower back of the mastoid process, the posterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and about the mandibular angle. Massage method: press and knead with the thumb thread surface for 3 minutes, which can be carried out on both sides at the same time. The manipulation force is moderate, and it is better to have obvious acid swelling or pain in the local area.
- Knead the shoulder well acupoint and locate it: at the midpoint between the 7th cervical vertebra and the acromion at the root of the posterior neck. Massage method: massage the left side with the right hand and the right side with the left hand, as shown in the following figure. First press the shoulder well acupoint for about 1 minute, and then rub it for about 2 minutes, and it is better to feel local acid swelling.
- Knead Quchi acupoint and locate it: it is located at the lateral head of elbow joint flexion and elbow transverse line. Massage method: bend the elbow and relax, press and knead Quchi acupoint clockwise with the thumb of the other hand for 2 minutes, then press and knead counterclockwise for 2 minutes, alternating left and right hands, and it is better to feel local soreness and swelling.
The above acupoints are the acupoints with strong operability of our self massage, and also the common acupoint compatibility method for the treatment of cervical spondylosis in our traditional Chinese medicine health preservation and rehabilitation. You can try its effect.
Neck stretching exercise
Another self-exercise method introduced today is stretching, which can relieve muscle tension, increase body coordination, prevent sports injury and many other benefits. Generally, the anterior flexion (head down) and posterior extension (head up) of the cervical spine are 45 °, the left and right lateral flexion are 45 ° and the left and right rotation are 75 ° respectively. With the increase of age, the function of bone joints and their surrounding soft tissues degenerates, and the range of motion of these joints also decreases. Therefore, we need to often carry out neck stretching exercises.
- Keep the neutral position of the body when doing neck stretching in the practice of looking at the top. First, do a head up shape, stretching the anterior cervical muscles and soft tissue. As follows:
- Gooseneck exercises jaw retraction and horizontal extension, stretching the muscles and soft tissue behind the neck. As follows:
Note that it is different from the low head movement, which mainly involves the mandible slightly retracting towards the back of the neck and extending backward to stretch the back of the neck muscles.
- Lateral drafting right and left, alternating left and right. Generally, when we stretch to the end position, we feel a slight tension in the muscles, and then keep it for 5 to 6 seconds to avoid pain. It should be specially reminded that we must master the painless and non-invasive operation principle based on the normal range of activity when stretching the neck.
Self massage relaxation method and neck stretching method can alleviate neck fatigue. I hope today’s article can help you spend a happy holiday.