DIY Massage Tips for Smartphone Users
Cell phone use is resulting in a myriad of health conditions causing chronic pain in users worldwide. From holding your smartphone and scrolling to the effects of radiation and looking down at the screen, it’s safe to say we’re out of alignment. While today’s use of smartphones may be necessary for most, there are ways to mitigate the toll using them takes on our bodies. From massages to stretches — utilize these tips to help make this tool work smarter for us, not harder.
My latest massage at BODY changed the way I view self-care. Typically massages are my way to unwind and soothe my muscles or any cramps from my workout routine. One of the many lessons I’ve learned from the master therapists here is how much the body is connected to absolutely everything we do, even, and especially the small movements we do all day long. From my forearms and hands to my shoulders and neck, I learned the result of daily smartphone and computer use on my body.
When I felt my therapist working on my forearms, I was shocked at how tender they were. I don’t feel pain in them daily, so this was an eye-opening service that led me to realize how much I use my hands and forearms for menial daily fixations. My therapist taught me some movements I could perform on myself to treat the tender areas in between services, as often as daily.
Symptoms you may feel from smart phone and computer use could be tenderness or soreness of the forearms, tightness and cramping in the hands, and carpal tunnel. Massaging the areas can alleviate sensitivities and some of the chronic pain this results in. I was given homework from my BODY therapist and I'm sharing it with you so you can take their pro tip for daily tension relief in between massage services.
Forearm massage. Cradling your forearm in one hand, with your thumb on the inside of your forearm, apply pressure with your thumb slowly, moving it from the top to the bottom. You can use lotion to make the thumb glide easier, performing this action for a few minutes on each forearm.
Hand massage. The same action can be taken on your hands to alleviate tension and stiffness. You can also do this with your fingers. End by applying light pressure on each finger tip with your other hand, and gently wiggle each finger.
Neck and shoulder massage. On your neck, use your fingers to apply small circular motions moving up and down the neck. Then, performing the same up and down motion, use your index and middle fingers to apply pressure up and down the neck. Use the same motion on each shoulder.
While these actions may seem light, relieving the body with massage a couple of times a day is a fabulous way to mitigate the bodily effects of modernity. This of course doesn’t replace your message therapist, but it rather helps you show up in the best way possible so you can focus on the bigger stuff. Just like our diet maintains our body, movement is also medicine. Exercise is paramount, but movement can also mean moving actual energy and stress in the body to create flow and rejuvenation. The power of massage is more than relaxation!