Posture correction six-finger massage

For the problems of rounded shoulders, forward head extension, high and low shoulders, and anterior pelvic tilt caused by mild to moderate muscle strength imbalance and fascial adhesion, the six-finger massage is about 30% more effective than ordinary relaxation techniques, and the effect lasts 2-3 times longer on average. However, it is completely ineffective for postural problems such as bone deformity, and it cannot replace muscle strength training.

In the first two years when I started working as a rehabilitation therapist, my biggest headache was the posture problem of people in the office - I rubbed my trapezius muscles and tensor fascia lata for a long time. The clients were so happy that they sat in front of the computer for 8 hours the next day and immediately returned to their original shape. It wasn't until I went to Guangzhou to learn Liuzhi Tong from a master who had been doing massage for 20 years that I opened up new ideas. Many people may not have heard of this name. In fact, to put it plainly, when performing the surgery, you do not use the heel of your palms or thumbs. Instead, you use the index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands, which are arranged along the direction of the muscles and fascia. It can simultaneously touch the superficial tense muscles and the deep adhesion fascia. It covers many more layers than the ordinary thumb pressing technique, and the client will not be left with bruises due to the concentrated thumb force.

What impressed me the most was the little girl who was doing UI design last year. She was 25 years old. She had rounded shoulders and stretched her head forward for almost 4 years. Her neck was stretched forward by almost 5 centimeters when taking side photos. She habitually shrank her shoulders even when wearing a suspender skirt. She had done normal relaxation almost 10 times in other places before, but there was no improvement at all. I used six fingers to do it for her, and for the first time I pressed the nodules of her upper trapezius and pectoralis minor muscles. She was so sore that she almost burst into tears. When she finished doing it, she was stunned on the spot and said, "Why did my shoulders open back on their own?" ”When you encounter a nodule that is as hard as a pebble, you don’t have to rub it hard. Just press firmly on that position and let the client exhale slowly. Wait for 30 seconds. You can clearly feel that the hard knot under your fingers softens little by little, and the client’s wrinkled face slowly relaxes. It feels really magical. The little girl did it 4 times in a row, along with the 10-minute Y-shaped lift every day. It has been almost half a year now. The last time she came for a review, the problem of protruding neck improved by almost 80%. She finally dared to raise her head and chest when wearing a strapless dress.

But what’s interesting is that this method is actually quite controversial in the rehabilitation circle. Academic rehabilitation therapists always think that this is a "folks' way". There are no standardized operating instructions, and it all depends on the operator's feel. If a novice cannot feel the direction of the muscles, it is easy to press the nerves or injure the healthy fascia. ； Many people also say that this is the "skin-replaced version" of trigger point therapy, which essentially stimulates multiple trigger points at the same time. There is no need to have a separate "six-finger therapy" title. In fact, these statements are reasonable. When I teach novices, I have to let them practice palpation for three months first, and feel the direction of each muscle and the location of common nodules before I dare to let them start doing it for clients. Otherwise, it is really easy to cause problems.

Many people also have a misunderstanding that the more painful it is, the better. I met a client two months ago. I had this massage done in a massage parlor. The massage massager made her whole back turn purple. He also told her that "the pain is just the pain", which is really nonsense. The appropriate pain level is up to 7 points that you can tolerate, which is mainly acidity and swelling. It hurts a little but is completely bearable. If the pain is so painful that you can't help but clench your fists and hold your breath, then the force is too great, which will cause the muscles to contract. Not only is the exercise in vain, but it may also cause strain.

By the way, there is another pitfall that everyone is most likely to step into. I must make it clear. No matter how useful the six-finger massage is, it can only solve the problem of muscle and fascial tension and adhesion. If you have a bony problem, such as scoliosis of more than 20 degrees, or long and short legs caused by hip dysplasia, don’t expect massage to help you. Go to the rehabilitation department of a regular hospital to take a picture. You should wear a brace and perform an operation. If you press it randomly, it will easily cause problems.

I talked about this technique with Dr. Li from the Sports Rehabilitation Department of the Third Hospital of the City before. I particularly agree with what he said: "Massage is always just an auxiliary. You loosen the tense muscles, just like smoothing out wrinkled paper. If you don't press on it, it will wrinkle again when the wind blows." This is indeed the case. I will now assign 3 very simple home movements to all clients who have completed the Six Fingers. They can be done at home facing the wall without going to the gym. In 10 minutes a day, the effect can be more than doubled.

In fact, after doing this for a long time, I found that many people have very strange expectations for posture correction. They either want to spend thousands of dollars to buy a course and get it done once and for all, or they want to get a massage and become a model. How can there be such a good thing? To put it bluntly, the Six Finger Technique is to give you a chance to "restart" and help you open up the knots and adhesions that have been accumulated for several years. The rest still depends on you spending less time crossing your legs or sitting on the sofa checking your phone, and standing up and stretching after sitting for an hour. Otherwise, no matter how good the master is, he won't be able to support you every day.