We all know love can't be bought, and while it's lovely to receive a special pressie every now and then, let's face it, spending $200 on roses and chocolates isn't
a) in everyone's budget
b) isn't a great idea if your partner is on a diet or allergic to flowers
or c) isn't always the best way to show you care if your person is a teenager, older parent or aunty.

So, with Valentine's Day out of the way and the danger of this blog interfering with our February Gross National Profit figures, it's time to learn a very special and useful skill that I bet your mumma never taught you...

Welcome to foot massage 101 - learning to treat the tootsies of the one you love. (And no, we're not talking foot fetish or toe sucking people... this is purely about touch with a loving, caring intention - to make someone feel special. Nothing else. Got it?)

On that note, you can think of this as romance made practical, or as a caring, loving nurturing touch to share with any loved one or family member.... Foot massage is a perfect way to relax a stressed out teen, pamper an older parent or show love and kindness to your partner.

(Just a word of caution here - if you plan to use essential oils, be aware they should always be diluted in a carrier oil. Not all oils are suited to all people or medical conditions, so please do your homework here. Also, foot massage on a pregnant person is not advisable - check with a health professional before proceeding.)

Having said all that, most people would agree that a generous foot massage is a pretty nice way to finish a long, hard day. Even super ticklish people can often relax under a firm touch, but if there's just no getting near their feet, you could try a neck and shoulder massage with a relaxing scalp massage to finish.

Just remember it's about massaging with loving intention and taking your time.
Don't be rough, jerky or massage for two minutes and ask 'is that enough?' Think about slow, flowing hand movements, taking your time and giving all of your attention to the person you are pampering.

Ok, so, let's get started.

In my mind, there are four main steps to giving the perfect foot massage... and three of them don't involve massage.

1 - set the scene. Create a quiet space, set the mood and minimise the chance of interruptions. Burn some essential oils or incense. If it is an attempt to romance your partner, add some quiet background music, turn off the phones and maybe in this case, wait til the kids are in bed.

2 - explain what you are doing. Tell your person you would like to make them feel special and help them to relax. If it's a teenager, they might take some convincing... some love it, some don't - you'll know what yours is like! Littlies under about 8 or 9 tend to love a foot rub, bubbas even more so, especially just before bed time.

Special note here for the romancers: If the victim is your partner, you might want to emphasise the point that you AREN'T EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. This is more important than you may think... your intention is what matters here. Most women I have asked say they know when their partner offers them a massage, they usually mean 'special massage' not just a relaxing foot rub. It will mean more if you don't expect it to 'mean more'... so, in case you hadn't got the message yet...all you are doing here is helping them to relax with a loving foot or shoulder massage.

3- technique & timing  (I'll help you with that in a moment)

4 - clean up and caring. After all, there's no point relaxing your partner, teen, or Aunty Mary, making them feel loved and cared for, then walking off with a 'job done' attitude leaving them to clean up a mess. Total waste of time.

Setting the scene.
Now this will vary, depending on who you are massaging.
If you want to go full on relax mode, you can try dimming the lights, lighting the candles, burning some essential oils in a diffuser, having quiet music playing and maybe a glass of wine or tea and a comfy chair. Grab some massage oil or body lotion, a cushion, covered by a towel for their tootsies and make sure you are showered, clean and relaxed. Oh and if possible, the pets are elsewhere and the phones and TV are definitely off.

Explain what you are doing
Tell your person you'd like to treat them to a lovely foot massage and maybe suggest they have a nice long shower while you set up. (This also makes sure their feet are clean in case you are feeling a little foot phobic.)

Technique and timing
A rushed or careless massage is no fun for anyone.
Take your time. I'm talking at least 15minutes per foot. We need a smooth and flowing motion and a firm pressure... but we aren't talking deep tissue massage here, just firm enough not to be ticklish.
No chatting, no grabbing, pulling or poking. Just firm, relaxed pressure.
And please people, watch for their reaction. Don't get so focussed in what you are doing that you forget there is a person attached to that foot. If they are squirming, jumpy or doing anything other than relaxing, foot massage might not be for them, so ask the question and be ready to bail if need be - don't be offended if this happens - foot massage isn't for everyone and they will love the fact that you bothered to try at all :)

Here's how
Sit yourself on the lounge or bed, facing your person, at their feet. Have the oil or lotion within reach. Place the cushion on your lap, with the towel on top and carefully take your partner's foot by cradling the heel gently and place it on the towel.
While there's no right or wrong to the actual massage techniques you use, you may feel more comfortable with some basics to retreat back to if you get stuck for what to do. So, let's dive in.

Massage move 1 - relax the arch.
Start by using the thumbs of both hands to work up the arch of the foot from the heel end of the arch to the base of the big toe. Use slow, deliberate waves of firm pressure. Move across the arch of the foot as you continue with slow waves of upward pressure, to cover the whole mid-section of the foot. Ask your person if the pressure is OK and adjust accordingly.

Massage move two - thumbprints on the heel.
Alternating thumbs, press into the heel of the foot ... pretend you are texting in slow, deliberate presses, all over the heel. Cup your hands under the heel to support the foot while massaging around both sides of the heel with the thumbs in small circular movements. Don't forget to keep the pressure firm enough to avoid the tickle-factor.

Massage move three - outward pull, ball of the foot.
With the thumbs together in the centre of the ball of the foot, and the finger wrapped around the top of the foot, slowly apply pressure and drag your thumbs in opposite directions in an outward motion to the edges of the foot. Repeat this slowly 5-8 times.

Massage move four - top of the foot.
Gently bend the foot down (without hurting your partner or reefing their foot downward) position your fingers under the foot on either side and thumbs together in the middle top of the foot and again, drag outwards across the top of the foot. Repeat this slowly, several times before alternating thumbs dragging upwards gently between the tendons at the top of the foot towards the base of the toes. The top of the foot often gets left out, so take some time here.

Massage move five - finish with the lower legs
Work your hands around the ankles with your fingertips circling the ankle bones on either side and outside of the foot simultaneously. Five or six slow, deliberate circles will work well here. From there, using your thumbs, drag them up the lower legs in either side of the shin. Work half way up the calves, with your thumbs, drag your fingers down and repeat. Slowly and deliberately.

Repeat all this until you've spent around 15 minutes on the first foot, then use the towel to gently pat the foot dry and lift it gently off the cushion, replacing it with the second foot. Repeat all of the steps to make the second foot feel lovely and relaxed.

Finish by patting the second foot down with the towel. Ask your partner if you can get them anything, tell them you love/appreciate them, return their feet to the bed or lounge, grab the towel, cushion and oil/lotion and leave the room quietly.

Now, here's the big trick - leave them alone. They are probably nice and relaxed, they feel loved and cared for and you need to let them enjoy this bliss for a little moment, without chattering, clanging plates in the kitchen breaking the mood by switching the lights or to on.

And there you have it..
Foot massage for absolute beginners - a perfect way to show you care to anyone of any age. Good luck!
I'd love to hear how you go...

See you in the clinic,

Trish :)

Most people cop the question when they come into the clinic - do you stretch? Do you use a foam roller? Guess what folks... (drumroll) they’re NOT the same thing!

Often when I ask ‘Do you use a foam roller?’ people respond with “Oh yeah, I stretch every day” - stretching and rolling are two different things. While lying on a foam roller does provide an element of stretching of the muscle fibers, the primary function of rolling is to simulate massage - that is, to stimulate the deep levels of muscle tissue, to encourage blood flow into the muscle and to allow for the release of tension and trigger points through the application of pressure. And as such, it’s a great thing to do between massages to help make the floaty feeling of supple relaxed muscles last longer.

Most runners, triathletes, weightlifters and gym-goers are fairly familiar with a foam roller. It’s usually an innocent-looking little blue torture device sitting in the corner of the room - the naughty corner. It’s clearly there because it has hurt you in the past and you know it will offend again. It’s designed to make things feel better after first making them feel a whole lot worse. Especially if you use your muscles in a mildly athletic way, foam rolling can be quite painful - but it’s pain with a purpose and usually the body responds with a sigh of relief at the cellular level.

Sometimes in the clinic, it goes like this:
Me:  ‘Do you use a foam roller?’
Them: ‘I have one’... end of comment.

It’s kinda like having a treadmill, an exercise bike or an Ab circle pro... it’s not going to help you sitting in the corner of the lounge room, people! It doesn’t magically send calming vibes to the calf muscle that’s been bugging you for the last three weeks, or the hamstring that’s so twangy it’s about to snap the next time you bound upstairs.

So here’s a hot tip -  when you fiiiinally buy a foam roller because your PT, massage therapist or coach has hounded you into submission, they are expecting that you actually use it. That you get on the floor, stick it under your leg, hoist your body weight up and you roll on that baby, backwards and forwards until either your wrists give out, or your leg feels as light and fluffy as a cloud drifting on a summer breeze.

... and with regards to buying your first foam roller... yes Kmart/Big W/Rebel or Amart will do. No, a pool noodle won’t do and yes, the bumps hurt as much as you think they will.

Often when I discuss foam rolling, clients will be in the category of “Oh, I’ve got a foam roller but I don’t use it as much as I should” (which actually means never, or at a stretch, only when I am completely broken)’.

Sometimes, they admit their lack of maintenance upfront. They come clean and confess.
They acknowledge that their soreness/injury/insanely tight calf muscles could possibly (do ya think?) have been prevented or minimised, had they acquainted themselves with the roller much sooner and more frequently than that one time, at band camp AND they vow to (no, not use it...) PUT IT IN THE LOUNGE ROOM, BESIDE THE TELE (presumably so it can have a clearer path to send healing, calming vibes telepathically to the aching, tired muscles in their lower limbs.) It’s funny. Very rarely does someone say “I know, I know, I’ll use it more...’  Nope. They pretty-much always promise solemnly to put it next to the tele in the lounge room.

One client has banished her foam roller to the top of the wardrobe after her kids thought it a great weapon for head whacking. I have been known to use mine propped vertically to sit the TV remotes on - like a sport-deco side table of sorts. It works, but doesn’t help prevent injury that way.

Some believe hard core is the only way to go and like to roll around the lounge room floor with a piece of PVC pipe under their ITB (iliotibial band - the painful bit down the side of your upper leg that runs from the hip to the knee.) It can be done. PVC pipe can also shatter into really sharp shards. Hint: thats why foam rollers are made of foam!

We even know a super hard-core ultra marathoner (is there any other kind?) who finds the greatest relief when he sticks the bulbous end of a butter knife into his calf muscles - I’m not joking - he swears by it - don’t try this at home, kids.

Using a foam roller provides relief. It eases soreness out of the muscles and promotes healing. It’s good thing to do - all the time, not just when recovering from an injury and the doc has told you you cant run/lift/train until you can do 20 heel raises on the stairs without pain... There’s nothing like a ban on activity to get people rolling like they’ve never rolled before. And chances are, they haven’t (rolled before) because if they had, its possible they wouldn’t be injured.

So, if there is a foam-roller shaped hole next to your tele - fill it. And then each night when you settle down after dinner with the ones you love, grab the roller, put it on the floor, sit on your butt and roll away the soreness, roll away the tension and roll away the guilt you feel for not looking after those muscles of yours. Just a few minutes each night, calves, hamstrings, quads (the front bit) and if you’re feeling adventurous, your ITB and adductors (yep, that’s right, folks..theres no b in adductors)...


If you start out with a $20 basic model of roller, no doubt the spending urge that shadows even the simplest of sports these days (running... it’s such a cheap sport!) will take hold and you’ll be upgrading with one with all the lumps and bumps and bells and whistles in no time - and soon you may even have a little foam roller family living beside your tele. They’ll give birth to a few physio balls, a physio-band or two and the torture chamber will be complete.

Incidentally, tennis/golf or balls of the ‘spiky’ nature seem to get better results in releasing the glutes than your garden-variety foam roller which tends to glide over the top of this meaty area. A ball is far more targeted, when placed between you and a hard surface, like the floor or a wooden dining chair, and you’ll find it easier than a foam roller to manoeuvre onto the sore spots, like the pesky piriformis, smack bang in the middle of your buttock.

So, don’t be lulled by the two main reasons people frequently give, for not using their foam roller more often. 1: It’s so boring
2: It hurts my wrists/I can’t lift my body weight.

In addressing 2, if you have a bench/buffet/bed, stick the roller on it. Place the buttock closest to the bench/buffet/bed on said bench/buffet/bed and stick the roller under your leg keeping the other leg planted firmly on the floor taking the bulk of your bodyweight. Proceed to roll.

In addressing 1, here’s s song to help make it more interesting...
“Roll, roll, roll your (insert body part) till it’s not so sore,
It’s a fun thing that we do,
rolling on the floor”

See you in the clinic,

Trish

Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and are of a generalised nature and should not be interpreted as advice.  Always check with your health professional to ensure techniques and suggestions are right for you, before starting something new.

Communication is key in everything we do - our relationships, our work, our business and even in the sports we play and our social life. Often in the clinic, topics are discussed, questions come up and sometimes the problems of the world are solved, but a big part of the role of a massage therapist is to listen. And an important part of the job is to communicate clearly.

People who come to the clinic expect that the issues they are facing, physical or otherwise, are acknowledged, respected and treated, where possible. After all, this isn't some one-size-fits-all routine - if people are sore, injured, frazzled or vulnerable, they need to be listened to - clear communication is king.

Often, as therapists, we are asked the same questions time and again - 'Is that a knot?' or 'What's the difference between a remedial or a deep tissue massage?' To help answer your questions and touch on topics from foot massage to Facebook and everything in between,  I'm going to delve into my years spent as a newspaper journalist and blog about it, baby. 

I'm going to try for a weekly forum - let's see how that goes - after all, communication is key, right?

So, in an effort to keep the lines of communication open, I welcome any massagy/clinicy/wellbeingish/businessy questions or suggested topics for discussion - lay them on me people - send them through via email (limeandmyrtle@outlook.com) or as a Facebook pm and I'll address any that I can.
In the meantime, some of the upcoming blogs to look out for include:

• De-stress & revive
• Is that a knot?
• Learn to give a great foot massage
• Sports massage &  your training schedule
• Meditate to manifest
• Exploring the ITB

That's just for starters.  I'll also be bringing you some interviews from time to time - some pretty amazing people tend to cross my path!
So tune in folks, I'm planning on sending some helpful hints, info and discussions your way.
See you in the clinic,





PS: As I write this, I am a living, breathing advertisement for the benefits of sports massage - it's holding me together as my poor tired body moves into the final phase of training before my second 70.3 long-course triathlon - a paddle (1.9k), a leisurely bike ride (90k) and a little run to finish off (21.1k) As training reaches its peak, it's going to be a busy few weeks!