We put our hands and forearms through an awful lot of stress every day. And yet, when I start to massage the hand and forearm, I often hear, "Oh! I had no idea my arms were that sore!" It's a common occurrence, but not a surprise. Here are just a few of the ways we repeatedly use our hands:
Gripping a steering wheel while driving
Texting or gaming
Working a trackpad or mouse, hovering over keyboards
Working in the garden
Cooking, chopping, dicing
Any repetitive motion we do over and over
Hands get sore. And when they get overworked, we end up with carpal tunnel, tendonitis, trigger finger and a whole host of other issues.
But it's pretty easy to massage your own hands and forearms. Here's how:
Start at the top of forearm. Using the opposite hand, gently squeeze the meaty, fleshy areas just below your elbow. Squeeze on the inside of your arm, then on the outside. Gently is the key here, don't be jamming your thumb in there hard and causing pain(unless that's how YOU like it). It should feel good, and if it doesn't, back off a bit.
You can also roll the wrist around and wiggle the fingers as you squeeze. Lightly pressing down to the wrist, do this a few times, up and down the forearm to make sure you get the entire forearm. Active movement during the massage is very beneficial.
Then move to the hand, using a light pincer grip, squeeze that meaty area at the base of your thumb. Lightly squeeze up and down all those finger bones through the palm, and up each finger. When you find a painful spot, hang out there for an extra minute. Then, switch hands and do it again on the other arm! Whatever feels right to you is fine.
You can also use your elbows to work your forearms and hands if you need more pressure than your hands can deliver. Just take it slow and easy. Using your upper body weight to lean in for more pressure. This isn't going to wear your hands out as much.
The BEST way to get those arms and hands worked out is seeing a massage therapist! A focused 30-minute barefoot massage from a trained massage therapist to the arms, forearms, and hands feel AWESOME! And you'll be amazed at how light and free your arms feel and even your neck and shoulders. It's great for dentists, hygienists, doctors, laborers, drivers and massage therapists LOVE it! We ALL could use it with all the techie stuff we do with our hands!
Bull City Soles is a bodywork and massage studio in Durham, NC. Our therapists are all experienced massage therapists and are trained in barefoot massage and other techniques. Check out our online schedule at Bull City Soles and book an appointment. Whether its a 30-minute massage for specific arm and hand work, or 60-minute to include the shoulders and back. We can work on those issues, and teach you more self-care massage techniques to practice at home as well. Be sure to follow Bull City Soles on Instagram or Facebook for last minute availabilities or upcoming events.