Massage and Massage Tools

Massage can help you in a variety of ways. It can relieve lower back pain and increase your range of motion, stimulate your body's lymphatic flow and help your natural defense system, and stretch and exercise tight, weak or atrophied muscles.

It can also help your body prepare for and recover from workouts, improve skin condition, increase flexibility in the joints, help tame depression and anxiety, reduce scar tissue and stretch marks, improve circulation to tissues and vital organs, reduce swelling, spasms and cramping, relax tired, injured and overused muscles, release amino acids that act as a natural painkiller and relieve migraines.

Add those benefits to general stress relief and you get something that could be an integral part of truly enjoying your life.

Massage can benefit every part of the body. Here are some tips on various types of massage. These are not intended to be a complete education - this is a good basic place to start. Later we'll give you some resources to learn more.

Massaging the feet and legs

Our feet and legs take quite a pounding throughout the day. Even without high heels and hard soles, our legs and feet are worked more than many other parts of the body. Using straight upward motions from the ankle to the leg, gentle ankle rotations, and circular massaging of the bottom of the feet are good places to start.

Massaging the back

Humans naturally have structural problems. Our skeletal system isn't perfect and adding in bad posture, jobs that require a lot of sitting, lack of exercise or any number of other factors can make our backs one of the most painful regions on the body.

The spine, shoulder blades and hip bones benefit the most from massage. Sliding the hands straight down the spine, and using circular presses on the shoulder blades and hip bones are a good place to start.

Massaging the hands and arms

Gentle arm rotations, smooth strokes along the arm and very gentle massaging of the hands can be very helpful. Massaging the hands with force can cause extra pain - always use gentle motions.

Massaging the neck

Our necks take a beating from bad posture, sitting at computers and not getting enough exercise. There are several good basic massages for the neck. Using your fingers or palms, you can use circular motions where the neck meets the back, make smooth strokes from below the ear to the shoulders with your fingers, and gently rub the base the skull with your thumbs.

Massaging the head

Circular motions on the temples (not too hard and not too soft), circular motions on the cheekbones and using your thumbs to make circular motions across the forehead are a good start.

Not everyone can afford to go to a massage therapist. There are ways to use self massage to get many of the same benefits. Later on we'll show you some home massage tools you can use in addition to (or instead of) these techniques.

You can use circular motions to massage your hands. A good gentle rubbing is good. You can gently massage the top and palm and each finger. You can then use two fingers to make circular motions, starting at the wrist, and working your way up the forearm. This can increase circulation and reduce the chances of tendinitis in computer jobs.

You can rotate your shoulders, gently turn your neck from side to side, and knead your shoulders. Any body part you can reach is game. Even if all you do is apply circular motions along the extremity, you will get some benefit.

Massages during pregnancy can have a lot of benefits for the expectant mother, which can lead to benefits for the baby.

You can stabilize hormone levels, get better sleep, increase flexibility, increase oxygen and nutrient flow, relieve headaches and stiff muscles and joints, relax cramps, tension and tightness, increase circulation, realign your pelvis after birth, increase milk production, have an easier childbirth, relieve sinuses, speed up healing, reduce heart stress, help with posture and more.

More and more massage therapists are offering the tools and ability to help with prenatal massage. Ask your local therapists if they have specially made pillows for pregnant woman and experience in the form.

Infant massage seems to have many benefits as well. It can stimulate the child's system, relax the child, and enhance child-parent bonding.

Pressure point massage is the technique of pressing specific acupressure points. In China, acupressure therapy is extremely important.

For acupressure to be effective, you have to know how each point on the body will benefit you, or consult a skilled practitioner. For some people it can provide instant pain relief and relaxation if done correctly.

You can use massage with Reiki, aromatherapy oils and Shiatsu techniques. You can even massage your pet. It's relatively easy to learn and learning the basics can help you spot practitioners who aren't very studious. You can even massage yourself in your own home using your hands or various massage tools. We'll take a look at some of them now.

Hydrotherapy helps with physical therapy and increases circulation in extremities by shooting a jet stream of water against the legs and/or body, creating a massage action and improving blood flow. It is widely used as a beneficial therapy to increase one's circulation, relax one's muscles and reduce stress.

The Heavenly Therapeutic Whirlpool is a professional grade whirlpool you can use with your existing bathtub. These are used in medical facilities around the country. These units offer relief from diabetes (poor circulation), wound care, burn therapy, injuries to bones, headaches, work related pain, arthritis, post surgery rehab, back pain, joints and sports injuries, lymphatic system circulation, pain from connective tissue disorders, chronic pain management, foot and leg pain, amputated limb care, and can be used as preventative health care.

The Heavenly comes with a powerful 1 hp motor, Hoses and "T" connection. Just connect the included clear hose with suction cups and air holes to the motor air hose. This allows you to easily place the suction cup hose in your bathtub, or any large tub, to any configuration based on your pain relief or circulation needs. You can also cut the hose to your desired length. If you like, you can also move the hose to different locations while in the middle of a treatment. For more information, visit our Heavenly Whirlpool page.

There are several other units available and you can see them all at this link.

Personal massagers are a great way to massage yourself or others, in a cost effective way and in a convenient place. Many can be taken on the road so you're never without a massage.

There are massagers for the back, the scalp, the neck and shoulders, the legs and any other part of the body. From the Pro Massager to the Thumper Mini Pro, the Reflex Roller II and Jeanie Rub Professional Massagers, we've got a massager for just about anybody.

We have massage enhancement tools, the Ting Ting Scalp Massager, the Theracane, a dynamic massager with far infrared heat and a lot more.

You can see everything we have to offer at our Personal Massagers page.

G5 Medical Percussion Massage units are widely used by professionals and individuals for:

* Respiratory Therapy
* Physical Therapy
* Chiropractic
* Sports Medicine
* Spas & Salons

They are ideal for stress reduction, myofascial release, sports rehabilitation, deep muscle therapy, trigger point reduction, treatment of muscle spasms, pain relief by mobilizing lactic acid, and postural drainage. Widely use in hospitals, by physical therapists and even for in home self-care, these massagers are designed to work and effectively relieve symptoms due to the above listed issues. G5 Massagers are high quality and made in USA. Their heavy duty professional grade motors will last you for years.

We carry all of the G5 percussion massagers. To compare them, visit our Percussion Massagers page.

Portable massage chairs from OAKWORKS featuring unparalleled quality, durability, portability and strength.

These massage chairs allow you new positions for massage, and can be easily moved to any location where you want to provide massage. They're very popular with massage therapists who set up booths at fairs or trade shows, make house calls, or participate in traveling training seminars.

The PortalPro 3 Massage Chair is the undisputed industry favorite seated massage chair. The PortalPro:

• provides exceptional comfort for any size client, with very little adjustment necessary
  
• has proven to be the most stable, strong, and supportive chair on the market
  
• is gracefully designed with curving, sleek lines
  
• holds its value more than any other chair
  
• offers an optional sternum pad for maximum client comfort
  
• comes with a lifetime warranty
  
• allows for quick and easy adjustments to the arm rests, knee pads, chest pad, face rest, and seat

We also have the Desktop Portal and Carry Case. You can expand your practice to include everyone, even clients who are bed-ridden, desk-bound or just really busy. Corporate offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and hotels are all within your reach. Thanks to the Desktop Portal's light weight and superior ergonomics, the opportunities are endless with this portable desktop massage product.

For more information on both, visit the Massage Chairs page.

At Promolife, we carry a wide range of Oakworks massage tables, from student table packages to portable tables to professional spa tables and more.

Oakworks is the premier US manufacturer of massage tables, electric lift spa tables, medical tables, physical therapy tables, athletic training tables and accessories since 1977. Now you can get these great products from Promolife.

These high quality tables come with a plethora of options and colors for anyone from students to professionals.You can browse our massage table selection below.

Details that make the difference:

* Plush Padding
* TerraTouch upholstery
* Inter-Lock Legs
* Integra-Hinge
* Easy Adjustment Knobs
* UniLock Closure System
* Finger-jointed frame
* Nylon Leg Blocks
* Access End panel
* OAKWORKS® Lifetime Limited Warranty

The One table package is great for students. It comes under $300 with several accessories designed with massage students in mind.

There are taping tables for coaches, storable mats for ultra portable massage, adjustable tables, wood base tables, spa tables, life tables, clinician tables, electric lift tables, wet treatment tables and more. All come in a variety of colors and those with wood bases come in several different stains.

For a look at our portable tables, see our Portable Massage Tables page. For our stationary, spa and clinic tables, view our Stationary Tables page. You can also see the Accessories we have to offer, from bolsters to table pads.

We also carry a line of frequency healing tools, far infrared therapy tools and saunas, magnetic therapy tools, oxygen therapy and ozone therapy tools, sunlamps and other useful products to help you feel your best.

Visit us online at Promolife.com, email us at info@promolife.com, or call toll free at 888-742-3404 for more information.