Self-massage is one of the quickest and most affordable solutions to achieve muscle pain relief. The following massage tips are very simple. Anyone can do them. These recommendations can help prevent injuries, improve mobility and alleviate pain.

Although this is safe advice given by a professional registered massage therapist, please discontinue if you experience any pain or consult with your doctor if you have any specific health condition before you try them.

1. Observe and adjust your postural habits: Are your legs crossed when sitting? Do you sit on your wallet? Must you turn your neck to the side to look at your computer screen? Do you do repetitive movements? Do you tend to carry your child on the same side of your body? If you answered yes to any of these questions, chances are you are creating muscle imbalances, which, even though may seem harmless now, are in fact precursors to injuries. Correcting the source is the best way to eliminate pain.

2. Hydrotherapy: To ice or not to ice? That is the question most often asked when it comes to injuries and muscle pain relief. When in doubt, use ice for a maximum of 10 minutes. Ice is normally used to decrease inflammation (an excessive healing reaction that causes pain, redness, swelling and heat), which usually occurs during a sudden accident like an ankle sprain. Heat is only used once there is no more inflammation. Its job is to improve circulation, which promotes healing. It calms the nervous system and decreases chronic muscle tension. 20 minutes is sufficient.

3. Self-massage: Tennis or golf balls are practical tools when you need instant muscle pain relief. You can roll the ball on your neck and shoulder with the palm of the hand to relieve tight neck muscles. By simply placing the ball on the floor you can lay your upper back (the fleshy area between your spine and your shoulder-blade) or your lower back (avoiding the spine) on top of it. Keep your knees bent as you use your legs to control your body rolling over the ball. Another self-massage tip for sciatica is to sit on the ball on a chair using your hands over the armrest for support and pressure control.

4. Stretching: Think of the muscle as an elastic band. It will most likely stretch further and more smoothly when it is warm rather than if it was cold. The same principle applies for a muscle. To stretch tight neck muscles, look straight ahead and bend your neck so that one ear is leaning towards the shoulder on the same side. You may add the weight of your hand and hold for 2 minutes or 30 seconds repeated 4 times. Do the same for the opposite side. This may seem like a long time but it is necessary for muscle memory. Less than 30 seconds is pointless. Another stretch for the hip/buttock and low back area is to sit straightly on a 90 degree angled chair and to cross the right ankle over the left knee or thigh. Place the right hand on the right bent knee and lean forward gradually applying pressure on the knee to increase the stretch. Feel a painless stretch and hold for 2 minutes or 30 seconds repeating 4 times. Do the same for the opposite leg.

Being your own registered massage therapist is more than just giving yourself a massage; it is also about awareness and listening to your body.

If you have lingering pain after an injury, and it should be gone, or if you have chronic or recurring pain from headaches, sinuses, hips, etc., you know how frustrating it can be to get lasting relief. Many people are taking matters into their own hands, literally by working on their own bodies. Why use self massage for pain? Here are some reasons.

Price

It is much cheaper to get a tool, or a whole arsenal of them, in fact, than to make regular visits to a massage therapist, bodyworker, or chiropractor for help. While I wholeheartedly endorse their services, realistically speaking, most people cannot afford them very often. (How I wish I could!)

Massaging yourself costs very little, yet the benefits are many. You can start with a simple rubber racquetball, which costs about one dollar at any sports equipment store. You cannot argue with that!

Convenience

You do not need to make an appointment, drive in traffic, find a parking space, or wait for an appointment to get help. You can do self massage at any time, and almost any place. (Sometimes this depends on your level of modesty!)

Control

You are the one in control of the experience when you massage your own body. You can pinpoint the area of pain, apply the exact amount of pressure you want, and determine when enough is enough. Even if your therapist or bodyworker has excellent communication with you, they cannot read your mind or feel what you are feeling. Only you can.

Knowledge

When you do self massage, you learn about your body and get in touch with yourself. You find out where you hold tension, what sorts of techniques work best for you, and what feels good.

When you focus on your body, you learn to trust your inner voice, that higher power or intuition. That is always connected to our natural, inborn desire for balance and good health. By working on your own body, you learn to tune into that and follow it.

Effectiveness

Self massaging works, period. It is effective and simple. You figure out where it hurts, find out where on your body to massage and how, and do it. You can repeat it several times throughout the day, if necessary, or use it when pain awakens you in the middle of the night.

Those are some of the reasons to use self massage for pain. If you have suffered with discomfort or muscle tension and are frustrated with your treatment results so far, consider taking charge of your body and working on yourself.