Tools of the Trade
Here is a picture of all self massage tools I use. Each one has a particular application, they range from big – small: foam roller, medicine ball, soft ball, tennis ball, pinky ball and hard blue ball (squash?). The foam roller is the softest and has a broad contact point which is good for sensitive bodies and large muscle regions like the glutes, hamstrings and calf. The medicine ball works the same larger muscle groups but it is harder and a more pointed contact area. The soft ball is ideal for folks with a larger body mass, it’s also hard so it is good for deep, firm pressure.
Examples of self massage
Self massage using hands and elbows
There are situations when the best tool for self massage is our own hands (or elbows). Touching the part of our body that hurts or is injured is one of the most natural responses to the pain experience. In my experience many people have a profound sense of disconnection to their own body and the experience of body sensation and the emotional states of feeling. Self massage can be used to reconnect, repair and restore the mind/body relationship. Pain is both a physical and psycho-emotional experience. The self directed therapeutic process of self massage can foster a feeling of proactive self control.
Deep calf, medial collateral ligament and pectoral muscle w/nerve glide
