Useful and healing properties of kneading

Physiological influence. Mening works more strongly than all other techniques on the neuromuscular apparatus. The masseur must have a good grasp of this technique. It is not by chance that they say: "Massing means kneading."This statement is especially true for sports and hygienic massage.

Under the influence of kneading in the muscles, lympho- and blood circulation significantly increases, which activates redox processes, and also improves the nutrition of tissues. That's why kneading is fairly compared with the action of nonspecific oxygen therapy( oxygen treatment).Indeed, after massage, oxygen consumption sometimes increases to 135% or more. Rapid recovery of muscle performance is also facilitated by the fact that, by squeezing, shifting and stretching the muscle, the masseur mechanically loosens and crushes the hardening in it. Therefore, kneading can be considered as a kind of passive gymnastics for muscles and effectively used with preventive purposes to eliminate muscle atrophy.

Mening promotes the excitation of receptors of muscle tissue, tendons, articular bags, fascia and periosteum, due to which conditions are created that change one state of the central nervous system and the neuromuscular system. The direction of these changes depends on the nature of carrying out the kneading: the tempo, strength and duration of reception. If the tempo is slow, strong( deep) and prolonged kneading, the excitability of the cerebral cortex and muscle tone usually decrease, and vice versa, with a faster pace, superficial and short-time kneading, there is an increase in the excitatory processes and muscle tone. Thus, by changing the nature of kneading, it is possible to affect the functional state of the neuromuscular system in different ways.

Types of reception: 1) kneading with one hand( ordinary);2) kneading with both hands;3) kneading with your fingers.

Technique of execution. Mash with one hand ( ordinary).The technique of performing this type of reception is the basis for both kneading with both hands. Therefore, to properly do kneading with both hands, you need to master this technique separately with your right and left hand.

The mashing can be conditionally divided into three phases. I

1.Position of the arm on the muscle and pushing it with the palm to the side II-V of the fingers of the massaging hand. A brush with the maximum retracted finger is superimposed across the course of the muscle fibers so that the finger is located on one side of the muscles, and the rest( closed) on the other. After that, the pressure of the palm is performed by pushing the muscle toward the II-V fingers of the massaging hand( Figure 22, a, b)

2. Capture and squeezing the muscle between the fingers, then shifting it towards the first finger of the massage therapist. The grip and lifting of the muscle from the bone is carried out by flexing the fingers only in the metacarpophalangeal joints. At the same time the hand of the masseur does not separate from the surface of the skin being massaged and does not slip over it, and the pressure is carried out evenly with the entire palmar surface of the fingers. Then, the elevated muscle is maximally displaced under the pressure of the palmar surface of the II-V fingers in the direction of the first finger( Figure 22, c).

Fig.22. Mashing with one hand.

and - the first phase: the imposition of the arm on the muscles in the region of the shin;b - continuation of the first phase: squeezing the muscles with the palm to the side of 2-5 fingers;c - the second phase: squeezing the muscles and then shifting them towards the I finger;d - the third phase: pressing muscles to the bone bed and returning to the push-up position of the first phase.

3. Pressing the muscle to the bone bed with the base of the palm and returning it to its place. At the transition to the third phase, the fingers relax somewhat, and the muscle is subsequently pressed to the bones first with the fingers and palm, then with the base of the palm. The brush makes a roll from the fingers to the base of the palm, reminding the mixing movement of the dough, and returns the muscle to the push-up position of the first phase. Fingers at this moment relax, rest and quietly move on the muscle in any direction( Figure 22, d).To do this it is necessary, "not losing" the muscle from the hand( it must "fill" the masseur's brush all the time).

This phase is the main one, because in the first 2 phases the massage therapist works with a soft, half-relaxed brush. The degree of pressure depends on the purpose of the massage. After each of these phases, do not pause - the transition from one phase to another should be imperceptible.

The typical errors of when performing mashing are as follows:

1) Inadequate removal of the first finger from the others in the first phase of the procedure, as a result of which only the skin is captured in the second phase;

2) flexion of fingers in the interphalangeal joints - the masseur "pinches" the muscles of the massaged;

3) sliding fingers on the skin( unpleasant or painful), when between the surface of the body massaged and the palm of the masseur a lumen is formed and the masseur almost "loses" muscles, unable to reproduce the full-kneading;

4) strong pressing with fingertips or a finger pad, causing soreness;

5) excessive tension of the hand and fingers, which is unpleasant and painful for the massaged and quickly tires the masseur;

6) insufficient displacement of the muscle to the first finger;

7) early( before pressing) or insufficient relaxation of the fingers;

8) sharp( jerking) performance of all phases of kneading instead of smooth, inconspicuous movements.

Mash with both hands. This technique has a number of varieties.

Transverse kneading. The masseur puts both brushes side by side, across the path of the muscle fibers, at an angle of 45 ° to each other, with the II and I fingers touching each other. I fingers at the same time are on one side of the muscles, and all the others on the other, the elbows of the massage therapist are diluted as much as possible in the sides. It is also possible to distinguish the phases described above: the imposition of the hand and the pushing of the muscle, the gripping, squeezing and displacement of the muscle, pressing it to the bone bed. In turn, this variety can be performed in two versions.

With unidirectional performing cross-kneading( Figure 23), the muscle is maximally displaced by the masseur towards the first finger( resembling the process of kneading the dough with both hands).

With a multidirectional transverse kneading, one arm moves the muscle toward itself, the other from itself. The hands of the massage therapist in both versions do not stay in one place, but move( side by side) gradually throughout the entire muscle( Figure 24).

Fig.24. Multidirectional transverse kneading in the shoulder area.

Fig.23. Unidirectional transverse kneading in the thigh area.

Fig.25. Long kneading of the front and back of the thigh.

Long kneading. It is performed by two hands, which wrap around the massaged area on both sides. I fingers are superimposed on top of the muscle so that one of them is ahead of the other by 2-3 cm. The technique of kneading is described above. All phases during the reception( hand placement and push-up, grip, squeezing and displacement, pinching and returning the muscle) should be carried out by hand alternately. In general, the hands produce helical movements, each in its own direction, so that one hand follows the other. Hands, if possible, should be bent in the elbow joints, which allows you to increase the force of pressure by using the mass of the body of the massage therapist through the straight arms. The movement of the arms along the length of the muscle is carried out smoothly, without jerking( Figure 25).

Mashing with burdening ( double fingerboard): the palm surface of one hand is placed across the muscle fibers, as with ordinary kneading: I finger - on one side, the rest - on the other. The other hand is applied to the back side of the massage hand, helping the lower to squeeze, grasp and squeeze the muscle, and then increases the pressure force when the muscle is pressed against the bone bed. The hands work synchronously( Figure 26).

kneading fingers. The reception is performed in two versions. When kneading the with the finger pads of the , each finger of both hands squeezes the muscle in its rhythm, which is similar to playing the piano. The movement of the arms along the muscle is smooth, and the method itself resembles movements for softening plasticine. Used most often to determine the hardening( painful areas) and muscle tone( Figure 27).When kneading the I with a finger along with its elevation , the other four fingers support the muscle from behind or from the side and are the support for the finger, which, as if in a circular motion, crushes the underlying muscle. This option is used to massage flat muscles, that is, those that are not grasped by the hand( Figure 28).

Fig.26. Kneading with weights in the calf region

Fig.27. Mashing with your fingers.