Getting a professional hand massage will require you to sit in any comfortable position and place your hands so that the reflexologist can easily work on them. Without using lotions or oils, he will stretch your hands as he applies pressure at specific points in the hand to determine where your hand is most stressed. If you are a senior with dry or sensitive skin, the reflexologist may use an unscented natural lotion to prevent skin irritations.
There are numerous circular pressure techniques that are used in the course of a hand massage. For example, finger joints will be rubbed; the fingers will also get a very gentle pull or tug, but they are not popped); there will be a firm squeezing of each wrist; and the areas located between the bones will get a mild rub. Oftentimes, as pressure is placed on specific reflex points, your reflexologist will be able to let you know where they are finding the most tension so that they can advise you on how to best apply a massage on your own hands. So, in a sense, getting a hand massage will also be a short course on learning about your stress.
Getting relief from daily tension is certainly not the only time people look for a hand massage. There are individuals who suffer from chronic pain or inflammatory diseases such as arthritis or fibromyalgia and these people often choose a hand massage as a very effective form of pain management. There are also many adults who are suffering from ongoing health problems and they can often spend most of their time in pain. In fact, there are statistics that estimate that the age group between 45 and 64 years is most likely to suffer with pain that lasts more than one day. This is certainly applicable for anyone who develops migraines. Most medical professionals will agree that massage therapy has the ability to raise the body's levels of serotonin and help lower the trauma located in the body that is producing the pain.
Because the feet and hands of humans contain the nerve endings associated with all of the vital organs located inside the body, the process of manipulating various pressure points located in the feet and hands can help these internal organs function as naturally as possible. For example, to help relieve a headache, the pressure point that corresponds with the head, located between the thumb and the index finger, should be massaged. While this massage method by itself may not work on everyone, it has certainly been effective in relieving pain for some, even if it is only on a temporary basis.
For the average person, receiving a hand massage could be as simple as heading to the nearest spa. Many spa treatments that include manicures now count hand massage as a key part of the package. If the type of relief that you need is more emotional or spiritual, spa treatment could include palm therapy. This kind of hand massage promotes positive thoughts, changing behavioral for more affirming lifestyles and reaching your fullest potential.
It really makes no difference at all why an individual decides to get a hand massage. Regardless if it is for relaxation, to adjust their attitude, as a preventative health measure or for medical healing, they are all good reasons to seek the benefits of this practice. Therapists who practice this very old art spend countless hours trying to undo the harm people have done to their bodies during the normal course of daily living. They know the secret to wellness in our modern day and it is that good health may just begin and end with the hands.
