Vibration massage is a stroke that encompasses vibration, jostling, and shaking. They can be soothing or stimulating depending on how much pressure and speed is used.
Fine vibrating massage benefits by helping to sedate the nervous system, help alleviate pain, stimulate organs like the intestines when applied to the abdomen or low back, or to relax muscles.
What we're doing here is either one or two-handed (hand over hand) providing static vibration to an area much like a vibrator.
Jostling helps increase circulation by way of its pumping nature. We grasp the muscle with one or both hands and create a shaking motion similar to that of fluffing a pillow.
Shaking helps loosen joint ligaments and stimulate synovial fluid activity in the joints. Helps to lubricate the joints if you will. Shaking is where we lift and support a limb while providing support at say the knee if doing the leg.
We must always be sure that all joints are supported. This is probably something that most at-home users are going to be doing. Most likely shaking will be something a person will do on the torso where we use one or both hands to gently shake the entire body.
Free massage tip: Try and limit the amount of static fine vibration and rely more on on gently rocking and jostling the body. Static or fine vibration can take a lot out of you when first learning.
Always leave something for yourself (energy) at the end of the day.
Contraindications for vibration massage
Contraindications: Do not use vibrating massage over bony areas, muscles that are contracted, spastic, atrophied, flaccid, cramping or sensitive, flaccid or spastic paralysis.
No heavy vibration over the kidneys or over the low back of those menstruating or pregnant. Insomnia, complete exhaustion, or neurasthenia. Remember vibration can travel.
As does movement, so what you do in one area of the body can affect adjacent structures.
Both massage contraindications and massage endangerment should be your first step in the massage learning process. It's important to have a rough guideline as to the safety of massage while considering any health conditions the person you're massaging may have.
Remember as you learn massage online you're absent the benefit of an instructor shadowing your activities, so always err on the side of caution.
If you absolutely don't know if it's safe to do massage then don't do it. Safety is first and foremost.
Any pain or condition that you are unsure of is a massage contraindication. Get a diagnosis before massaging.
The contents on this page are not medical advice. It's purely a guideline for contraindications and not a complete list. For specifics unique to the person you are massaging seek advice from a physician or other qualified professional.
Ideally, the use of anything covered on this website is generally for healthy people.
Also, if you should happen to be massaging a friend whose state of health may not be totally known, be sure to ask if they're being treated by a health care provider. By asking this it may spur them to recall a condition they may have forgotten to tell you.
Trust your instincts. You are touching somebody's body so take great care. If something doesn't feel or seem right to you, then it probably isn't.
A massage contraindication is a treatment or procedure that is inadvisable. Contraindications are either absolute or relative. This means that under some situations massage is absolutely not advised – SHOULDN'T BE DONE AT ALL, while in other situations it may be OK to massage with modification, moderation, special restrictions, approval from a doctor, or otherwise subject to judgment or discretion.
These are called relative or local massage contraindications. It could be that it's ok to get a massage, but you're locally restricted from massaging a particular area. For instance, a recent sprain, skin rash, etc. absolute massage contraindications – are cut and dry.
However, to list all the caveats of your relative contraindications would be quite lengthy and still require some judgment and/or possible assessment skills. Going to a local massage workshop to supplement what you learn online is a good idea.
Medications can be affected by massage, so yet another reason why it's a good idea to communicate what you're doing with a physician. As well, some medications may alter how you do your massage or cause massage not to be indicated such as blood thinners.
By attending a workshop locally you're able to get a first-hand and specific look at any concerns from a trained professional. Many massage schools have a day of massage where people wanting to learn massage can go to get basic instruction and it's often very affordable.
I have often invited friends or loved ones of clients into the therapy room in order to teach what is safe and effective for at-home care. This allows me to address any safety issues with the family member on the spot.
There's not only a convenience or cost savings factor, but strategies for care are better employed on a more short and frequent basis.
I can't emphasize enough for those serious about getting into massage to take an anatomy and physiology course. It makes it so much easier to understand contraindications. Again this isn't a comprehensive list of massage contraindications. There are just too many pathologies to list each and every possible thing that exists.
Vibration Massager Side Effects
Once you get a lot of them all wrong and focus on only a few that fit your paradigm, it will be time to take a look at your relationships with your loved ones, your family, and friends. This is a serious issue that deserves far more serious examination than a so-called review article like this could offer.
Vibration Massage Video
The following link for vibration massage goes on to point out the effectiveness of using deep oscillation massage. Although the study was using a mechanical vibrating massager, it's fair to say that it's probable that some of those benefits might be carried over to vibration supplied by the human hand.
