Mountain Project Logo

self-massage tips?

Original Post
kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608

I've gotten into doing lots of massage after hard training and climbing. But without scientific guidance. Just making guesses about general principles and refining what feels like is helping.

I bought a book, but most of it didn't seem relevant to self-massage for climbing, and didn't have much scientific basis.
So I have questions ...

  • Rub across the muscles, or along their length?
. . . If along the length, better to emphasize a particular direction?

Pain a reliable guide?

  • When working a spot, is it more useful to dig deeper and press harder and probe for the most painful points?
. . ("useful" in the sense of quicker better recovery for the next hard workout)

  • Searching ... To find "trigger points" to be worked on, is a quicker light rub an effective search method, or is it more useful to dig deeper already in the general search phase to find painful spots which a lighter rub might miss?
  • Rub things without pain anyway?
Is it useful to give vigorous massage to muscles which are tired but don't feel obviously hurt from the workout (though might feel some pain when rubbing them hard).

Time versus reaults ...
  • Does spending lots of time in massage really make recovery and growth very much quicker or better?
Or does a little bit (hitting the obvious painful spots) give most of the benefit?

? Books ? Websites ?
  • some info better than what I looked at so far ?

Thanks a lot,

Ken
M Mobley · · Bar Harbor, ME · Joined Mar 2006 · Points: 911

In my experience a good therapist can help recovery immensely and a bad one can put a serious hurting on you. I've had super painful massages by good therapists that I though would leave me wrecked the next day and I actually felt fine and ready to go. I've had bad massages that wreck me for days and didnt help.

I've always found self massage(yeah, its funny typing it), unless using a tool like the thera-cane or a roller, is too hard on the part of my body that is doing the work. Mostly I use massage to avoid tendonitis flare ups, mainly cause I am too lazy to stretch enough and once the tendonitis is there stretching makes it worse. This guy nails it and I will be buying this roller-
youtube.com/watch?v=we4UoiK…

marty funkhouser · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 20

Clear your browser history afterwards.

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
Miike wrote:I've always found self massage, unless using a tool like the thera-cane or a roller, is too hard on the part of my body that is doing the work.
Yes at first I used that first tool in that video, but then I did massage so often that the other muscles grew stronger, so now I can get a more intense deeper focus without it.

And thanks for the warning that some massage experiences can have a bad outcome.

Ken
mtc · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2014 · Points: 15

I'm a massage therapist, so I'll try to help you out here.

1. Both cross fiber (across the grain) and stripping (along the length of the muscle) are good, but they affect the tissue somewhat differently. In general, cross fiber massage helps damaged muscle tissue heal faster and reduces scar tissue. Stripping (or deep stroking) relaxes the muscle tissue and breaks up adhesions, areas where the fascia surrounding groups of muscle fibers sticks to itself. Direction of stripping strokes isn't that important, at least in the context of self massage.

2. Pain is absolutely a reliable guide. It's your body's way of preventing injury! Furthermore, if during a massage you are experiencing pain that goes beyond the gentle "hurts but it feels nice" type, your body will tense up and prevent the massage from having the desired effect. Listen to your body and be gentle with yourself.

3. Regarding depth and pressure, let your body be your guide as to how much is best. Yes, deep tissue massage works, but you must first relax the more superficial tissue before you can palpate the deepest layers. A word of caution: If you are using your bare hands for self massage (that is, you're not using a thera cane or thumby or other tool) there is a very good chance that you will strain the ligaments and tendons in your hands. It doesn't take much to overwork your hands, especially when performing deep tissue massage.

4. You'll find all the sore spots and trigger points during a normal deepish massage. Of course you'll miss some during a self massage; that's why massage therapists exist.

5. It's very useful to vigorously massage tired muscles. Try a lufa in the shower or percussive techniques during a sauna. Heck yes it feels good!

6. A little bit of massage can go a long way, and if that's all you have time for then your muscles (and bones and joints and ligaments and nerve tissue and digestive system and endocrine system and heart and everything else) will appreciate it. Just don't strain your hands!

7. As far as books go, I have no problem recommending "The Trail Guide to the Body" and "Job's Body" to anyone interested in massage. "Job's Body" is really good but you sorta have to have a solid interest in massage. The Trail Guide will help you learn all about your own body. Furthermore, I highly recommend at least reading a physiology text and taking an anatomy course. Try coursera.org or some other online university. Be well -

Ian Stewart · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2010 · Points: 155
marty funkhouser wrote:Clear your browser history afterwards.
That's so 2010. Incognito windows, brah.
kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
mtc wrote:I'm a massage therapist, so I'll try to help you out here.
Wow - thanks - that sure was a great "try to help".
Answered every question.
I'll get the books, go to work,
come back with more (smaller) questions.

Where do you practice?

Ken
Charles Ryan · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2015 · Points: 0

As by climbing, the body pains a lot and at that time massage is really very helpful to get relief from the pain. As in the starting we are not habitual and our body is not flexible, so it pains a lot. There are various massage palper-rouler techniques and tips.

Chad Namolik · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 2,905

Get the Theracane

It's awesome. You can self massage just about any muscle on the body, and it's easy to use, won't pump out your already sore, tired hands and arms.

Highly recommend it.

kenr · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 16,608
Chad Namolik wrote:Get the Theracane
Yes since I posted my original questions, I did get a Thera-Cane, and it is very helpful. But for many of my frequent pain spots on my back and the back of my shoulders, maybe I like even better a similar device "the Crook", which though less fancy than the Thera-Cane, seems to be shaped somehow right to hit those spots -- and has a smaller-diameter tip which enables me to get more intense focused pressure into the places I select.

I also like the Thera-Cane Plus better than the Thera-Cane because it has smaller-diameter tips. (I've actually filed the key tip on my old non-Plus T-C to make it "sharper").

And because the Thera-Cane somehow to me looks like a weapon, so I feel funny carrying it round fully assembled in public places (like airports) -- so I like that the T-C "Plus" can be disassembled.

But for most of my climbing-specific pains in fingers + forearms + upper arms, by favorite massage tool is the ultra-simple (and cheaper) Bodo .

Ken
Thomas Stryker · · Chatham, NH · Joined Aug 2014 · Points: 250

1) Buy a table

2) Get a girlfriend

Will S · · Joshua Tree · Joined Nov 2006 · Points: 1,061

Lacrosse ball, foam roller, hand held perscussion massager, homedics rotating back massager w/heat. $100 combined for all that. Sorted.

Chris Rice · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2013 · Points: 55

Armaid

armaid.com/

ruseford · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2016 · Points: 0

Hi

Muscle knots or “trigger points” are small patches of super-contracted muscle fibres that cause aching and stiffness. They can affect performance of the whole muscle, spread pain to adjacent areas, and even cause other trigger points.

You can often get more relief from self-massage. Professional help can be nice — probably essential sometimes — but it can also be cost-effective to learn to save you from trigger points. It is a safe, cheap, and reasonable approach to self-help for many common pain problems. If you want to learn the self massaging techniques then you can visit instituteofeastwestwellness…

David Rivers 1 · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2015 · Points: 0

Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies along with Will's suggested tools.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Training Forum
Post a Reply to "self-massage tips?"

Log In to Reply

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.