Although it is a proven and effective tool against scoliosis, massage sessions must be supplemented by special gymnastics. Using special techniques for scoliosis, you can count only on the overall health effect. This, of course, is also a great benefit, however, in order to seriously combat this disease, as a rule, something more is required. In this case, a differentiated approach will come to the aid, for details, see the article "The features of therapeutic massage in scoliosis".
On the convex side, an active massage is performed, aimed at strengthening the atonic or stretched muscles by increasing their tone. For the concave side, smooth, relaxing techniques are more suitable, which are used to relieve muscle spasms. Do not forget that the force and depth of impact should remain the same throughout the massaged area of the body. Scoliosis deserves special attention shoulders, which are often skewed. To return them to their normal position, massage the anterior surface of the chest. In this case, the shoulder is grasped and pulled in such a way that it becomes symmetrical with respect to the other. Based on these rules, you need to build a massage session as follows.
1. Using stroking and squeezing, we warm up the entire massaged area of the body.
2. We pass to the implementation of a tonic therapeutic massage, actively using such techniques as palm rubbing, shearing, stretching, kneading, vibration, and alternating them with stroking. With the use of percussion techniques should be especially careful: the more pronounced scoliosis, the more cautious they should be. If you are not sure of your knowledge and experience, it is better to give up vibration altogether.
3. Relaxing techniques affect the muscles located on the concave side. In addition to squeezing and stroking, smooth kneading as well as pressing, which lasts approximately 30-60 seconds, can be used.
Sometimes the curvature of the back in scoliosis is S-shaped. Hence, the number of sites with relaxed and strained muscles doubles. Be sure to take this into account when carrying out therapeutic massage. Do not forget about the abdominal muscles, because in scoliosis they are very often weakened. To strengthen the abdominal press, classical techniques are used in the features of massage. Particular attention should also be paid to the paravertebral zones located on both sides of the spine: a rather deep kneading is allowed here. The main thing is that it is not accompanied by pain. The first features in therapeutic massage sessions are usually dedicated to relaxing the muscles of the neck and back. If you notice that the intercostal spaces are narrowed, they should also be dealt with.
Contraindications to the massage
Massage refers to the universal methods and features of treatment that can benefit both patients and healthy people. For this, one should only pay attention to various contraindications, which are related not only to the musculoskeletal system, but also to other systems of the human body. It should be noted, of course, the positive role of the massage, which he plays in the elimination of back pain. When carrying out the massage, one should only take into account the accompanying diseases, as well as the general physical condition and age of the patient. So, the session of a child's massage should not be delayed and carried out too vigorously, as this can lead to excessive excitation of the nervous system. Massage for the elderly is also carried out in a gentle manner. In any case, it is recommended to closely monitor the patient's reaction to the actions of the masseuse, and, if necessary, change the frequency, strength and depth of the techniques. Now we know what are the features of therapeutic massage in scoliosis.