Doing a palm massage before bedtime helps in improving your sleep quality, but it can be done at any time of the day as well. If you are looking to massage your palms at home you can get an electronic hand-held palm massager and apply some oil or lotions to get started with.
For best benefits, it is advisable to do it every day for at least 10-15 minutes, and choose moderate pressure if you have pain in your hands. Depending on your condition, you can either consult a doctor or physical/massage therapist to know the best technique to perform while at home. Consult a doctor if you think the pain is unbearable or your situation is serious.
In case of mild pain, you can start by applying some heat to your hands and arms to make the muscle relax, then sit in a comfortable position and start with moderate pressure massage. Stroke your forearm using your palm, from wrist to elbow and shoulder, repeat the process three times, making your muscles warm and relaxed.
Repeat the same process using your palm, but this time around put the moderate pressure from your wrist to fingertips. Now press the thumbs in a circular motion again continuing the moderate pressure all around the backside of your hand and palm. Use your thumb to massage the area of your palm and between all the fingers.
You have to perform this massage technique daily at home for at least 10-15 minutes to provide help with the pain.
Four conditions in which palm massage is very beneficial:
1. Arthritis:
Researches show that people who are suffering or was facing the problem in the past have their strength in hands dropped down by almost 70-80 per cent. The pain that comes with arthritis is very painful and unbearable. What seems to be a simple everyday task for us like opening a door or tightly closed box can be a monstrous or in some cases impossible to perform. A hand and palm massage in these conditions helped them a lot.
As per the study by Medical Department of the country, it’s been found that individuals who were at home and getting a palm massage themselves felt comparatively low pain and had a strong grip strength, and this was the result of being regular from week one itself.
The same study also showed the results which say that these individuals became happier, less anxious and depressed and started sleeping time with a better quality of goodnight sleep.
One more thing that we got to know from this is applying essential oils or lotion during and after the hand-massage further increased the conditions of pain, grip-strength, mood swings, sleep pattern and depressed behaviours.
Hence it shows the importance of palm massage in helping with the case of arthritis.
2. Rheumatoid Arthritis:
Earlier we talked about arthritis, how palm massage helped in that case and what was the results of the study conducted over the individuals.
During the study, there was a subdivision formed in which the study was solely focused on the effects on upper limbs and the difference created by applying moderate pressure in comparison to the light pressure in the case of individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.
And it has been found that just after a week of palm massage therapy, the individuals who opted for a moderate pressure massage was feeling more relieved due to low pain, grip strength and range of motion compared to the ones with light pressure.
However, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis, it is better to consult your doctor or therapist first before starting at home and avoid the joints which are involved in triggering it up.
3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome:
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common nerve disorder affecting up to 12 million average Americans. This syndrome makes the individual suffer through unbearable pain, weakness and numbness in the wrist or fingers.
It has been found recently only that massaging help in putting down the pain, anxiety, depression and mood swings up to some extent, as well as improved grip strength, so, having an electric hand-held palm massager at home is not a bad idea.
Massage for this syndrome focuses on the wrist, palm, fingers and hand but can also be extended to your neck and shoulders, varying upon the pain rate.
4. Neuropathy:
A feeling of numbness, tingling and other alien sensations are the signs of neuropathy, nerve damage that cause pain in your hands and feet. Palm-massage helps the blood flow circulation with oxygen richness in it with an increased flow.
Few common causes of this is diabetes (peripheral neuropathy) and cancer hemotherapy in which the drugs used damages thee nerve of hand and feet.
Almost 50 per cent symptoms of which occurred after chemotherapy can be improved with just one session of palm-massage and overall weakness within 3 months.
