8 Self-Massage Routines to Soothe Pain All Over Your Body

A good massage can help the whole body relax and revive your energy. A study has shown that it can increase the percentage of regenerating muscle fibers, while it helps improve your mood. Massage therapy is used as a relief for depression, as an additional help. There are several easy and safe ways to use self-massage to loosen up your muscles from everyday stress.

1. Massage your gums with your finger for pain relief and to break up bacteria.

How to do it:

• With a clean pointer finger start massaging your gums from bottom to top. Make circular movements and apply slight pressure.
• Instead of using your finger, you can also try a water flosser. In that case, the water should be warm in order to soften the gum tissue and avoid discomfort. Turn it on and apply on your gums with normal pressure.
• In both cases, you should feel the tension. If you start to feel pain, you should stop.

2. A foot massage with a tennis ball for pain relief

How to do it:

• Sit comfortably in a chair with your bare feet on the floor. Place a tennis or a massage ball under your foot and start rolling it back and forth from heel to toe. Repeat for a few minutes and then try the other foot.
• If you experience pain in a specific area, try rolling the ball in small circles on that spot.
• You can also repeat the massage in a standing position to apply more pressure.

3. Give your back a self-massage using a tennis ball for lower and upper back pain.

How to do it:

• Stand with your back against the wall and put a tennis ball or a massage ball between the wall and your lower back. Start moving your body from side to side and then up and down to release any tension in the area.
• Don’t be afraid to apply more pressure, if you feel comfortable.
• For back pain, you can try lying down on 2 tennis balls tied in a sock to apply pressure on your spine and back. Instead of moving your body, move the balls to a different point and just stay relaxed on top of them.

4. Lymphatic drainage massage to reduce swelling and pressure on the neck and head

How to do it:

• First, cross your hands and place your middle fingers on the inside of your collarbone. Smoothly slide your hands across the collarbone and tap for 50 to 100 times slowly. Try one tap every 2 seconds.
• Another move is placing your palms on each side of your neck — pinky finger just behind your ear and pulling gently down in slow motion. Try 50 times and then move to the back of your neck and do the same.
• Finally, you can also try one last position. Close each ear between your ring and middle finger so that your fingers make V sign. Pull lightly downward 50 times.

5. Gently massage your belly after eating, for better digestion.

How to do it:

• Take some time after you’re done with your meal and lie down. Rub your belly with one palm at first and then use both hands.
• Do clockwise circular movements on your stomach. This helps the digestion process.
• You can also try it on your baby’s tummy with warm hands. It will help with belly pains and gas.

6. Try a hand and wrist self-massage to relieve the constant tension.

How to do it:

• Touch your left wrist with your right hand as if you’re about to take your pulse. Start applying pressure first from side to side, then from the bottom to the top of your palm. And finally, do circles inside your palm.
• Move to the fingers. Try massaging each finger from the base to the fingertips. Repeat a few times and then softly pull each finger to stretch the joint.
• Repeat on the other hand.

7. Open your sinuses by massaging your nose with your fingers.

How to do it:

• Use your fingers to release the pressure in the area just above your nose. Start rubbing from the pressure point over the brow line. Repeat a few times.
• Next, continue the rubbing on the area from the top of your nose to your eyes.
• As a final massage technique, you can try making circles on your cheekbones using your thumbs.

8. Train chewing muscles using a stick or a pen and feel relief from jaw pain.

How to do it:

• Take a stick or a pencil or a pen. Grab it with your teeth and start moving your jaw from one side to the other. Repeat a few times until it feels too easy. Then you can replace it with a larger stick or pen, like for example, a marker.
• Another exercise is instead of moving sideways, move your jaw forward until your upper teeth are behind your lower teeth.

What do you do to relax after a long day? Share with us your ways of relieving pain and releasing tightness.