Massage

Massage can find Trigger Points, as they can be felt as hard knots and are painful to the touch. Massage can also treat the trigger points, by applying pressure to them until the muscle relaxes. The pressure can be continuous or repeated pulses. There are other treatments for trigger points, such as ultrasound, lasers, injections, etc., none of which I've tried.

1 Types of Massage

Massage can be provided by another person, or you can do self-massage. Self-massage can use your hands, or in limited situations, another body part, such as using a knee on the opposite calf. Using The Stick or Foam Roller is often more effective however.

2 Fellrnr's Massage Preferences

These are my preferences on how to massage different parts of the body.

• Feet. I use a trigger wheel to massage the underside of my feet.
• Calves. The Stick works well on the calves, but requires a lot of force to get deep enough. (I have disproportionately larger claves than arms.) Using your knee to massage your other leg's calf works surprisingly well. Cross your legs so you calf rests on your knee and then rub the calf up and down the knee. The Thumper also works well on the calves.
• Hamstrings and hip adductors. The Stick works best here, but make sure the knee is bent and the foot supported so that the hamstring is relaxed.
• The quads. Use the Foam Roller, but take time to go deep enough to work the full muscle. The Stick can help, but it's hard to go deep enough.
• The Glutes. A softball is the best approach I've found for the glutes. I use a 16 inch circumference softball. (Thanks to Charles W for this tip!).
  • Be careful near the Piriformis. The Piriformis lies over the sciatic nerve, so massage in this area can be quite painful. Problems in the Piriformis muscle can cause Piriformis Syndrome.
• ITB and Tensor Fascia Latae. This is a classic use of the Foam Roller, but remember to massage high enough to reach the TFL. I find The Stick works better on the TFL itself. See Iliotibial band syndrome for more details.
• Back. The Foam Roller can help stretch the back, and provides some level of massage.
• Hip Flexors. The hip flexors are always hard to massage as they are very deep. I have learned to lie on my back with my knees up and use my hands to massage my hip flexors. I have to relax the abdominal muscles and follow the hip flexor from the iliac (hip) crest down towards the spine. Raising my knee slightly will use the hip flexors so I can check that I am on the muscle. You really need someone with training to teach this technique to you, as you are getting to muscles near the spine from the front; there's lots of important bits you have to bypass to get there ;}
• Back. I have a Panasonic massage chair that does a good job on my back. Far from cheap, but it's proved its worth over the years I've had it. If I need more than the chair, I get my wife to use the Thumper or I use my Teeter Inversion Table. (I had Back Surgery so looking after my back is critical to me.)

3 See Also

• Trigger Points
• The Stick
• Foam Roller
• Thumper
• Teeter Inversion Table