13/03/2025
Back Massage: How to Resolve One of the Most Common Ailments of the Third Millennium
A back massage is one of the most suitable solutions for surviving daily life.
Because of poor posture and increasingly sedentary lifestyles, back pain is the most common and also one of the most troublesome ailments.
Back Massage: The Dynamics of Pain
For many people, back pain is a nightmare.
But why do we tend to experience the same symptoms?
The dynamics of pain play out similarly whenever the back pain has the same underlying cause.
In every case, the first muscle to feel the tension—and almost immediately—is the trapezius, the muscle located at the base of the skull.
The trapezius is the most affected muscle and, besides being the one that suffers the most, it’s also the first to benefit significantly once it undergoes massage treatment.
Back pain is characterized by a continuous, sharp ache that often radiates toward the buttock. The most effective solution to this complaint is surely a back massage, although it’s worth noting that the treatment isn’t localized to one spot; rather, it involves the whole body with the aim of decontracting the muscles of the cervical, dorsal, lumbar, and sacral regions.
Back Massage: How to Perform It Perfectly
A back massage must be performed professionally; therefore, it’s essential to rely on someone who has certain training and has studied…
No to improvised manipulations!
Only through proper study can one ascertain which methods will alleviate discomfort caused by one or more sources and, more importantly, learn which areas to address for maximum benefit. Let’s go step by step.
The first consideration is where to perform the massage. The best option remains a massage table, a tool that lets you work thoroughly on the entire back and—importantly—is very comfortable.
If you don’t have a massage table, a mat on the floor might be useful, effectively creating an “amateur massage table.”
Both the table and/or mat should be covered with a sheet that ensures safety and maintains proper hygiene.
After warming up the room and creating the most relaxing conditions possible, you’ll need to attend to the client, helping them feel at ease and allowing them to relax.
Back Massage: The Basic Techniques to Use
Once the preliminary tasks are done, it’s time to focus on the back massage, a treatment characterized by slow, enveloping movements that stimulate energy in various points of the body.
Generally, the keyword describing how this manipulation is carried out is graduality.
A back massage should be done gradually, beginning with gentle maneuvers and progressively increasing both force and intensity, thereby alternating between toning effects and pain relief.
Typically, the massage begins with the basic techniques used in massage and manipulation:
Sfioramento or Effleurage
A back massage starts and ends with stroking (sfioramento)—a light gliding of the professional’s hands, applying gentle pressure on the client’s skin.
Sfregamento or Petrissage
Similar to stroking, rubbing (sfregamento) is generally used to improve lymphatic and venous circulation, stimulating venous return. The main difference between the two techniques lies in the intensity and force applied during treatment.
Frizione (Friction)
Friction aims to loosen scar adhesions from the skin. This massage is carried out by rubbing the hands on the client’s body, keeping the hands in place while moving the skin and subcutaneous layers together.
Impastamento (Kneading)
“Kneading” involves lifting and moving the muscle transversely, applying opposing pressure among the fingers where there is muscle mass.
Two types of kneading are recognized:
Pizzicottamento (Pinching): Kneading applied to small areas.
Deep Kneading: Used on wider areas, typically performed with both hands.
Percussione or Tapotement
Percussion is usually performed with a series of brief taps made with the edge of the hand or with cupped hands.
The intensity of the massage varies according to the force applied and the client’s needs. Using fingertips produces a sedative effect; conversely, using the hand’s edge offers a stimulating effect.
Vibrazione (Vibration)
Vibration is characterized by rapid movements that shift the subcutaneous tissue, shaking the body according to the force applied.
It can be performed with the fingertips or the entire hand, and its application varies based on the body part being massaged. The vibratory movement is used for massaging muscle masses, and its effects differ depending on how it’s executed.
The Back-Release Technique (Scollamento)
Back release (lo scollamento) is a crucial type of massage that ensures the back massage brings relief to the client.
Through this treatment, it’s possible to work on all the nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which in turn innervate the body’s various organs.
This technique is generally painful and is carried out using a palper-rouler motion from the spine outward, freeing the more strained areas of tissue.
Vertebral Channeling (Scanalatura delle Vertebre)
Channeling the paravertebral muscles gives the spinal area more room to breathe and increases mobility.
Back Massage: The Perfect Procedure
A back massage involves several phases, each carried out using different types of massages:
Initial Phase: Typically begins with stroking (effleurage), performed manually with oil or cream. Starting at the neck, move to the shoulders, then downward using slow movements.
Increase Intensity Gradually: Continue by using kneading, sliding your hands back and forth—first over the upper back and then over the rest of the area.
Deep Muscle Massage: The kneading technique is also useful for deeply massaging the muscles with rotating movements.
Next Phase: Includes another basic technique—rubbing (sfregamento)—on the back, applying gentle pressure along the spine. Pressure on the spine is administered using both thumbs, placing them between the shoulder blades and the spine. Afterward, slide both thumbs along the back, one on each side, from the shoulders to the hips.
Concluding Phase: Just as important as the initial phase.
To finish, glide your hands gently over the lower region of the back on both sides, massaging without pressing on the spine. Repeat this movement three times, gradually slowing your pace.
Back Massage: Some Tips You Shouldn’t Forget
Here are a few tips to enhance your clients’ experience and turn them into regulars:
Warm the Oil in Your Hands before starting the actual massage.
Open Up the Tissues by moving slowly and deeply from the spine outward toward the hips, allowing the muscles to relax.
Knead the Back Muscles from the hips up to the neck. Adjust speed and intensity according to the client’s needs.
Focus on Muscle Bundles, which are responsible for keeping the spine upright. Improperly cared for, they can even lead to disc hernias, so it’s crucial to stretch these muscle bundles.
Don’t Forget the Trapezius and Dorsal Muscles: Work with your forearms, performing stretches during exhalation up to the neck. This approach improves the spaces between vertebrae.
Back Massage: Understanding the Client
There are several questions you can ask to create a real “back pain profile” for your clients.
“How long have you had back pain?”
Knowing how long the client has been experiencing pain offers a good indication of how to proceed. Persistent pain may be handled differently from pain of shorter duration.
“Is it back pain or back inflammation?”
Differentiating these symptoms is crucial for deciding how to resolve the issue:
Inflammation of the back usually presents as acute pain that worsens when movement is static.
Back fatigue, on the other hand, is characterized by milder pain that improves with rest, allowing muscles to relax.
Once you identify the true cause of the pain, you can address it effectively and as quickly as possible:
In the case of back inflammation, lymphatic drainage on the back can help eliminate toxins.
For back fatigue, a series of interventions can improve the situation, relieving pain.
“Do you have any herniated discs in your back?”
Knowing whether a client has a herniated disc can completely change your massage approach. Often, hernias are located 90% of the time in the lumbar or lumbosacral region, about 10% in the cervical region, and are almost nonexistent in the dorsal area.
“Does your back hurt even while you’re sleeping?”
This question helps determine the type of pain:
If the client wakes up with significant back pain, you can attribute it to back inflammation.
If they wake up without pain but begin to feel it once they start moving, the pain likely results from muscle tension, which can usually be resolved with a back massage and lymphatic drainage.
Back Massage: The Benefits
A back massage is an excellent way to comprehensively improve a client’s well-being, even though the manipulation focuses only on the back. This type of massage can:
Eliminate pain from the very first session
Prevent more acute lower back pain
Stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation
Strengthen the immune system
Reactivate the functions of various vital organs
Additionally, practicing certain sports activities—like Pilates—can greatly reduce back pain in the long run, preventing its return.
