Detailed Hand Massage - Unlocking Tension in the Upper Body
Extract from the online Course - Detailed Hand Massage for Upper Body Release (Course Details)
When did you last get a good hand massage?
TASK, stop and reflect: Bring to mind some of your specific clients and the jobs they do – how much do they use their hands and how much hand massage do they get?
Often hand massage is little more than a gentle stroke over the hands.We all know how good our backs and necks will feel after a good massage - that stretching out feeling when it feels like your back is moving properly and you have that increased flexibility and strength – but we don’t accord our hands the same level of detail and treatment.
Now I can hear some people saying that this is because our hands don’t have as much muscle as the back or shoulders and of course, that’s true – but this doesn’t mean we can’t work on them effectively.
I find in my work that detailed hand massage can often be the key to releasing tension elsewhere in the upper body.
If you have a client who has tight shoulders, restriction in their cervical or thoracic spine or at the top of the chest - then detailed hand work can often make a big difference to how their body will be able to release that tension.
If you have a client whose shoulder, chest or back tension you are struggling to release and no matter what you do, the tension comes back within hours after them getting off the massage table – then detailed hand work might be a really useful tool in helping you get longer lasting and quicker results.
Sometimes a client’s health or injury history might mean you can’t work directly where you would normally work to release their tension – and hand massage can again come into its own in these cases.
You might, for example have a client who has a very tight neck stopping them sleeping or getting comfortable but as they had a moderate stroke 2 months ago. You can’t give them any massage to their neck as direct massage is still contraindicated following the stroke – but you will likely be able to help release some of that tension in the neck by working on the hands.
You may be working with someone who has a malignancy close to their neck and you can’t put direct or indirect pressure on that area – but again – you can help them by doing this detailed hand work.
There might be inflammation or injury in a shoulder which means you can’t work directly on that area at the moment – but you can do the handwork that starts to allow the shoulder muscles to relax.
So detailed hand work becomes an important tool to have. I use detailed hand work is the vast majority of my treatments.
If you unlock the tension in the hands, you will begin to unlock the tension in the whole of the upper body. I’ll repeat that bit – if you unlock the tension held in the hands, you will begin to unlock that tension in the whole of the upper body!
Links
Find a Trigger Point Professional in your area
Dry Needling for Trigger Points
Certify as a Trigger Point Therapist
About NAT Courses
As a manual therapist or exercise professional, there is only one way to expand your business - education!
Learning more skills increases the services that you offer and provides more opportunity for specialization.
Every NAT course is designed to build on what you already know, to empower you to treat more clients and grow your practice, with a minimal investment in time and money.
Help Desk
About Niel Asher Education
Niel Asher Education is a leading provider of distance learning and continued education courses.
Established in the United Kingdom in 1999, we provide course and distance learning material for therapists and other healthcare professionals in over 40 countries.
Our courses are accredited by over 90 professional associations and national accreditation institutions including the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).
Full details of all international course accreditations can be found on our website.
Printed course materials and other products offered on our websites are despatched worldwide from our 3 locations in the UK (London), USA (Pennsylvania) and Australia (Melbourne).
More About Us
NAMTPT AWARD
We are honored to have received the 2017 "Excellence in Education" Award from the National Association of Myofascial Trigger Point Therapists.
Since 1999 Niel Asher Education has won numerous awards for education and in particular for education and services provided in the field of trigger point therapy.
Read Full Article
Award Winning Instructors
Niel Asher Healthcare course instructors have won a host of prestigious awards including 2 lifetime achievement honorees - Stuart Hinds, Lifetime Achievement Honoree, AAMT, 2015, and Dr. Jonathan Kuttner, MD, Lifetime Achievement Honoree, NAMTPT, 2014.
Meet the Instructors
NAT Certification
If you are a qualified/licensed manual therapist or exercise/fitness professional you can expand your credentials with NAT certification.
In addition to national accreditation for continued education, each course that we offer includes "NAT Learning Credits". By taking and completing courses you can accumulate NAT credits to qualify for NAT certification.
There are currently 3 levels of NAT certification. Certifying NAT is a valuable way to show your clients that you take continued education seriously, and to promote your skills and qualifications.
About NAT Certification
Niel Asher Technique
Since 1999 the Niel Asher Technique for treating trigger points has been adopted by over 100,000 therapists worldwide, and has been applied to the treatment of a number of common musculoskeletal injuries.
The Niel Asher Technique for treating frozen shoulder was first introduced and published in 1997 and has been widely adopted by therapists and exercise professionals working within elite sports and athletics.
Read More
Worldwide Free Shipping
Most of our courses are available as either "Printed" or 'Download" editions. When you purchase a download edition, you receive immediate lifetime access to all course material. Course texts can be downloaded and printed if required.
When you purchase a "Printed" edition, you will also receive free access to the download edition.
We ship Worldwide from locations in the USA, UK, and Australia. Most items are despatched within 24 hours and shipping is FREE for all orders over US$50.
Shipping
This trigger point therapy blog is intended to be used for information purposes only and is not intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment or to substitute for a medical diagnosis and/or treatment rendered or prescribed by a physician or competent healthcare professional. This information is designed as educational material, but should not be taken as a recommendation for treatment of any particular person or patient. Always consult your physician if you think you need treatment or if you feel unwell.
The Gold Standard in Continuing Education and Online Training
Massage Therapy, Sports Massage, Strength and Conditioning, Stretching, Mobilisation and Manipulation, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, IMS Dry Needling, Acupuncture, Acupressure, Trigger Point Therapy, IASTM, Resistance Training, Bowen Therapy, Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, Podiatry, Oncology Massage, Sports Nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Somatic Therapy, Prenatal Bodywork and Massage, Anatomy, Biomechanics, Clinical Reasoning, Pilates, and Yoga.
Multi-column
Continuing Education
Great courses at inflation-busting prices. You won't find better value anywhere.
NAT Diploma Courses
NAT Self-Paced Diploma courses are designed to help you boost your career.
Membership
Get unlimited access to all online CE/CPD courses, live events, webinars and more.
Best Selling Therapy Tools
Ask a Health Question or Start a Conversation
