Massage tools for the in-between times

Massage therapist and massage junkie Jennie Duck shares some of her favourite self-massage tools to use on in between the real deal massages.

With AI swooping in to take over many jobs and roles I feel lucky to be confident that there is nothing that compares – or could compare – to the interpersonal connection and physical contact of a massage. The relationship with your therapist is part of this, a person you share with and ask for help – this can be a vulnerable and fairly intimate action, especially when it is followed by undressing! You place your trust in the therapist and the therapist – good ones anyway – will respond by basing their massage on the information you gave them and the feedback you give them through the treatment, from direct questions about the pressure to intuitive sensing of where you are holding tension that you are not even aware of.

This relationship may be a one off or it may be one that lasts over many weeks, months and years. I have left massage sessions feeling enlivened, enthused, exhausted, delighted, excited, understood, supported, connected, soothed and sometimes pummelled 😊 Sometimes I am sore, sometimes I feel like I’m hungover the next day or two, sometimes I feel like I could run like a gazelle and sometimes like I could sleep for a week. I always get something from the session, often disproportionate to the hour that I spent having it. I learn about my body, I enjoy some rapport with some therapists and rare silence with others.
I will never stop getting massages from a good therapist and I am looking forward to getting back to the privileged position of giving them next year after a long hiatus having children and relocating.

In between massages I crave more and I also sometimes have to go longer periods between them when funds and/or time are tight so I have built up an array of things to see me through. I can do some self massage of course and often do on my forearms especially, but I often just wish it was someone else's hands and prefer to use tools, especially for getting into trickier to reach spots. These are my favourites (and links are just to show where I bought them, no affiliations!):

This portable mini massager is great for getting into more specific spots on shoulders, back and buttocks. I use mine all the time! https://www.homedics.co.uk/homedics-everybody-shiatsu-pillow/

I’m not sure the exact model but I bought something like this bigger chair massager for my husband for Christmas last year since I haven’t given him a massage for so long and thought he might benefit from using it during busy desk months. He cynically thought I was really mostly getting it for myself and took several months to actually use it. I used it once a week or so in the meantime and eventually persuaded him to have a go and he is now a convert. This one is more of a sit back and relax than the above, good for TV watching!
https://www.homedics.co.uk/homedics-shiatsu-experience-body-massager-heat/

Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine technique to work on skin and tissues that is usually done with a special stone like the one on the left in the picture – they are really rather lovely and can be made from all sorts of stone. Our former colleague Veronica who was a facial skincare specialist used to use a jade one a lot and this is a rose quartz one. I also have a whole bunch of Chinese soup spoons which do the job too! I have a few dotted around the house for when I get the urge or a bit of time  😊 This video is specifically about using them for thyroid health but it shows some basic neck massage and there is a more general guasha video there too.
https://www.lovieacupuncture.com/hashiology/2020/4/27/gua-sha-for-thyroid-health

And now in getting the links from this blog I've spotted a foot massager so my birthday money might have a new purpose...that's one for next time!
Happy massaging!