For many, massage may seem like an indulgence. However, hand massage offers a range of physical and psychological benefits, making it a valuable tool for overall well-being. Regular hand massages can improve circulation, relieve pain and stiffness, increase flexibility and mobility, reduce swelling, and promote relaxation. The importance of hand health and wellness cannot be overstated, so it is imperative that we give our hands the attention they deserve. By incorporating hand massages into our self-care routine, we can improve not only the health and functionality of our hands but also our overall well-being.
The Benefits of Hand Massage
Hand massage is a therapeutic technique involving manipulating the hands and fingers to promote relaxation, relieve stress and tension, and improve circulation. Massage therapy for hands can alleviate various symptoms and provide benefits that extend far beyond the hands themselves.
Physical Benefits
Hand massage offers numerous physical advantages:
- Improved Circulation: Massage stimulates blood flow to the hands, delivering essential oxygen and nutrients, promoting healing, and reducing inflammation.
- Pain Relief: Hand massage can effectively alleviate pain and stiffness associated with conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and repetitive strain injuries.
- Increased Flexibility and Mobility: Gentle manipulation of the joints and muscles in the hands can improve range of motion and flexibility, making everyday tasks easier.
- Reduced Swelling: Massage can help reduce swelling in the hands caused by injury, inflammation, or fluid retention.
Psychological Benefits
Beyond the physical benefits, hand massage offers significant psychological advantages:
- Relaxation and Stress Relief: The simple act of having someone touch and massage your hands can create a sense of comfort and even boost your mood. Hand massage is an effective way to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Hand massage decreases cortisol levels, thus reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Anxiety Reduction: Massage therapy has a powerful impact on reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. Moreover, hand massage decreases cortisol levels, thus reducing feelings of stress and anxiety. Lastly, massage therapy can also provide a much-needed break from daily stressors and a sense of escape from life’s worries.
- Stress Management: Massage therapy can help individuals manage stress and maintain overall well-being by creating a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Just like with anxiety, massage can also help with stress by reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation.
Hand Massage for Specific Conditions
Hand massage can be particularly beneficial for various health conditions:
Read also: Massage and Facial Spa in Phoenix, AZ
Arthritis
Arthritis in the hands can be painful and debilitating. Simple tasks like opening a door or unscrewing a jar can be daunting or even impossible. The gentle pressure and manipulation of the massage can help loosen stiff joints and relieve tension in the hand muscles, reducing the pain and discomfort associated with arthritis. Regular hand massages may help improve hand strength and reduce symptom pain from rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that results in joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness. Regular massage can stimulate blood flow and increase circulation, reducing inflammation and pain. Hand massage is generally safe for people with arthritis and can help relieve pain and stiffness by improving circulation and reducing inflammation.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain, numbness, and weakness in the wrist. This condition affects the wrist and hand, provoking numbness, tingling, and weakness. Massage therapy may help reduce carpal tunnel pain, as reported in a 2016 review. The review found that people with carpal tunnel syndrome who had regular massages reported lower levels of pain, anxiety, and depressed mood, as well as improved grip strength. Massage for carpal tunnel relief focuses on the wrist, but it may also include the arm, shoulder, neck, and hand. Yes, hand massage can help relieve the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome by reducing inflammation and pressure on the median nerve.
Repetitive Strain Injuries
Massage therapy can help manage the symptoms of repetitive strain injuries. It relieves tension in the affected muscles and improves circulation, reducing pain and promoting healing. It can also enhance the range of motion and flexibility, helping to prevent further injury.
Neuropathy
Neuropathy is nerve damage that can cause pain in your hands and feet. It can also cause numbness, tingling, and other abnormal sensations. Common causes of neuropathy include diabetes and chemotherapy/ A 2016 study of people undergoing chemotherapy reported that after one massage session, 50% of the participants reported an improvement in symptoms. The symptom that improved the most after the 10-week study was overall weakness. A 2017 study focused on people with diabetic neuropathy who had massages with essential oils. The participants had three massages a week for four weeks. After four weeks, their pain was significantly decreased, and their quality of life scores were greatly improved.
Hand Massage Techniques
You don’t need any special equipment for an at-home hand massage. You can do the massage with or without applying oil, essential oils, or lotion. To get the most benefits from a hand massage, it’s best to do it every day for at least 15 minutes. Try to use moderate pressure instead of light pressure, especially if you have hand pain. A hand massage before bedtime may improve the quality of your sleep, but a massage can be relaxing and beneficial at any time of day.
Read also: Explore the therapeutic advantages of Hot Stone Massage at Hand and Stone spas.
You may want to apply some heat to your hands and arms before you start to help your muscles relax. Then, take the following steps:
- Warm-up:
- Sit in a comfortable position. To apply moderate pressure, it may be easier to have one hand on a table while you use your other hand to do the massage strokes.
- Use your palm to stroke your forearm from the wrist to the elbow and back again on both sides. If you want to, you can extend the stroking to your shoulder. Do this at least three times on both sides of your forearm. The idea here is to warm up your muscles.
- Use your palm to stroke from your wrist to your fingertips on both sides of your hand. Do this at least three times. Use moderate pressure.
- Pinching:
- Cup your hand around your forearm with your thumb underneath. Pinch your skin starting at the wrist, and work slowly up to the elbow and back down again. Do this on both sides of the forearm at least three times using moderate pressure.
- Circular Motion:
- Use your thumb and forefinger - or your thumb and all your fingers - to press in a circular or back-and-forth motion, slowly moving up your hand and forearm. Do this on both sides of your arm and hand at least three times using moderate pressure.
- Thumb Pressure:
- Press your thumb in a circular motion with moderate pressure all around the back of your hand and then your palm. Continue pressure with your thumb along both sides of each finger.
- Use your thumb to massage the area between your thumb and forefinger.
Depending on your condition, your doctor, physical therapist, or massage therapist may suggest specific massage techniques. If you have serious pain, you may want to check with your doctor about starting self-massage.
Forearm Massage
Grip your fingers on the top of your forearm with your thumb on the underside.
Hand Massage
The same technique can be used on your hand by placing your thumb on the top of your hand at your wrist and your index finger underneath. Apply moderate pressure and pull from your wrist and palm to the end of each finger. Give an extra massage to the webbing between your thumb and forefinger - an important acupuncture point for strengthening the immune system.
Professional Hand Massage
Getting a professional hand massage can provide added benefits, especially if you have a condition that massage has been shown to help. To find a certified professional massage therapist who is right for you, you can:
Read also: Unlocking Wellness: Hand Massage
- Ask your doctor to recommend a massage therapist for your type of condition.
- Check the American Massage Therapy Association’s locator service. You’re likely to find at least a few therapists in your area. Look for someone who has experience in hand massage.
- You can also check with the American Society of Hand Therapists for member therapists in your area.
- If you’re getting treatment for a particular condition, the association of specialists who treat that condition may also have a referral service.
- If there’s a local massage chain in your area, check with them about the qualifications and experience of their therapists, especially with regard to hand massage.
Some types of health insurance may cover massage, especially if your doctor refers you to a massage therapist for treatment. If you pay out-of-pocket, the cost can vary from $50 to $175 per session. It’s best to shop around, as prices can vary greatly.
Massage Guns
Massage guns have become widely popular and easy to obtain. Many swear by these small handheld devices, which operate differently than the old vibrating massage guns. The new wave of massage guns, such as the Theragun percussion gun, pulse in and out, percussing the tissue (and stimulating deeper).
Therapeutic Mechanism
Primarily, the nerve pathways travel from our brain into our spinal cords, exiting the spinal cord through nerve roots and ultimately reaching a “target organ.” A target organ can be muscles, blood vessels, digestive and hormone-producing organs. This is called the efferent pathway with a primary function of directly facilitating or inhibiting skeletal muscles or smooth muscles in target organs. The sensory pathway travels from the target organs back through the nerve roots into the spinal cord and usually all the way up to the brain. Massage guns reduce muscle tension by bombarding the afferent or sensory pathway with a high-intensity stimulus. There are many forms of therapeutic high-intensity afferent stimulus. Moist heat, Ice, tape, massage, jacuzzi, foam rollers, joint manipulation, and percussion massagers essentially work the same way.
Benefits of Massage Guns
- Improved Circulation: An equally important advantage of massage gun therapy is the improvement of circulation. Better blood circulation means better nutrients and oxygen supply within the body. Massage guns, when used correctly, have demonstrated the ability to improve blood flow within a section of your body. One mechanism is a reflexive relation of the smooth muscles in the arterial blood system as well as a relaxation of the muscles allowing for decreased resistance to circulation.
- Lymphatic Stimulation: Lymphatic stimulation may also improve from using a massage gun. The lymphatics is the third leg of your circulatory system. Your lymphatic system includes several lymph nodes that are placed throughout various areas of the human body. Lymph nodes are tucked away deep within the body or sometimes underneath the skin. The primary weapons these lymph nodes carry are known as lymphocyte.
- Reduced DOMS: Massage gun therapy can greatly reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). This study from 2014 showed vibration therapy is an effective treatment for prevention and management of DOMS. Both compression and vibration therapies use the same mechanism for muscle recovery. However, percussive therapy works directly over muscle tissue and has the potential to provide much stronger, specific results. The current research on vibration therapy is a good indicator that percussive therapy may be a much more effective treatment option.
- Improved Muscle Mass and Strength: Both whole body and localized massage gun therapy have been shown to improve muscle mass and strength in older adults. The effects include decreased pain, improved muscle tone, range of motion, and circulation. Efficient blood circulation and soft tissue mobility enhancements offered by percussive therapy may help the body perform at a higher level.
- Rehabilitation Treatment: Percussion massagers are recommended for rehabilitation treatment. Massage gun therapy is highly recommended for rehabilitation treatment because it not only hastens recovery but can also prevent re-injury. Massage gun use during rehabilitation is supplementary to the standard methods of rehabilitation therapy. The percussion gun can also help in acute injuries where muscles are guarding an injured area as well as with chronic pain syndromes. This technique is a natural way to decrease the use of pain medication, injections, and other more invasive treatments.
- Nerve Function: Nerve function is crucial if you want to lead a long and healthy life. One potential effect of percussive therapy is simulating production or release of the feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.
- Lactic Acid Dispersion: Every athlete or gym enthusiast will tell you how frustrating it can be when you are working out and suddenly you feel tired, nauseated, and cramped. This intra- or post-workout unpleasantness occurs when there isn’t enough oxygen in the body’s muscles, which is essential to convert newly formed lactate into energy. A massage gun can help dispel the extra lactic acid into the circulatory system and get you going again.
- Improved Tissue Metabolism: Deep tissue massage provided by massage guns can help push out waste, improve blood circulation, and release tension. This, in turn, helps improve tissue metabolism. Improved tissue health will support more regular exercise, which will typically leads to improved flexibility.
- Injury Prevention: Massage guns can be used to prevent injury by increasing muscle temperature which increases pliability and flexibility. They can be used before a workout to wake up the muscles as a warm-up.
- Scar Tissue Reduction: There are accounts, though not backed up by scientific research, that massage gun therapy can be effective in reducing scar tissue. More importantly, percussive therapy has been reported to ease the pain around these tissues.
- Convenience: You can use a massage gun at home for self-care. Sometimes leaving home for a massage can be a hassle especially when you are not feeling like it or are simply tired.
- Direct Feedback: You get direct feedback when massaging yourself. You get to learn about your body as your self-massage.
Downsides to Massage Guns
There are downsides to massage guns, including the risk of aggravating injuries or other chronic injuries. This risk is increased if the individual is using the massage gun incorrectly. You’ll notice that we have insisted on knowing what you are doing with a massage gun. A massage gun is a tool, and that means it’s only as good as the user. You run the risk of injuring yourself or not getting the desired results. Also, don’t forget to read the instructional manual on how to use the device.
- Areas to Avoid: Always stay on areas of soft tissue. Apart from the injuries we have listed above, it’s not recommended to use a percussion massager on injuries like sprains, broken bones, or large areas of swelling or bruising. Chronic pain conditions like hypertension, varicose veins, rheumatoid arthritis, and others could become worse if you use a massage gun.
- Size and Cost: Some massage guns can be rather bulky and make using them a tough task. However, there are some that are compact and light. This was a problem when these devices had just hit the market, and some of them are still quite expensive. However, we can confirm that with many devices now flooding the market, the prices have gone down quite significantly.
- Pain: Massage guns can cause pain. New onset of pain usually means you are applying too much pressure, or the speed is too high. Avoid touching nerves. Only use them on muscles for complete assured safety. Do not use a massage gun on an area that has impaired sensation. If you feel you’re not getting precise sensorial feedback, don’t continue massaging that area.
- Individual Needs: Just like with any other home therapy equipment choice, it goes without saying that different people have different needs.
- Battery Life: As with any electronic device, battery life is always a concern.
- Stall Force: This is the amount of pressure it takes to stall the motor of a particular gun. The higher the number, the deeper the massage gun can hit.
As you can see, the number of massage gun benefits vastly outnumber concerns or disadvantages. Sometimes you just don’t have the time to visit a physical therapist, but you need relief immediately. In that case, individualized therapy is your friend. We all get stressed from daily life activities. However, failure to manage this stress properly could hurt your health over time.
Frequency of Hand Massages
The frequency of hand massages can vary depending on individual needs. Generally, getting a hand massage once a week can help maintain hand health and alleviate symptoms of conditions like arthritis or carpal tunnel syndrome.