Precautions for Adult Massage
1. Keep warm when massaging yourself. The indoor air should be circulated and the room temperature should be suitable, but do not open windows or use fans. In winter, warm your palms before massaging to prevent muscle tension and affect the therapeutic effect.
2. Choose a suitable position before massaging. The place where you lie down should be padded with soft things as much as possible, and the massage area should be fully exposed.
3. Before massaging, the practitioner should trim their nails, preferably with smooth and rounded nails that are level with the fingertips. Wash hands with hot water to keep them clean. At the same time, remove any items that may hinder operation (such as watches, rings, etc.) in advance.
4. Pay attention to protecting the skin. The massage area should be covered with a treatment towel to prevent damage to the skin. Alternatively, you can choose to use a lubricant (such as massage cream) appropriately, but do not dry rub with your hands.
5. Before doing abdominal massage or kidney area massage, the patient should empty their bladder. Loosen the waistband before massaging the waist and abdomen.
6. During the massage, adjust the force and technique at any time to achieve even, gentle, long-lasting, and moderate strength.
Precautions for Child Massage
1. Children under 9 years old are suitable for massage.
2. Before massaging, the child should be placed in a certain position according to their condition, the selected acupoints, and the needs of the massager. Generally, children under 3 years old can be massaged while being held by someone else, while children over 3 years old can be massaged in sitting, supine, prone, or lateral positions.
3. Choose a warm, comfortable, windless, low-light, and low-noise environment for massaging children. The room temperature should be around 25°C, and some soft music can be used as background to create a relaxing atmosphere.
4. The child's skin is delicate, so do not scratch or damage the child's skin during the massage. You can use massage oil or talcum powder to reduce friction during the massage. At the same time, the massage force should be moderate. Start with actions that will not frighten the child before proceeding with the massage.
5. The sequence of child massage is first head and face, then upper limbs, followed by chest, abdomen, waist, and back, and finally lower limbs. Alternatively, you can focus on specific areas first and then perform general massage, or start with main acupoints and then move to auxiliary acupoints. Strong stimulating techniques such as "grasping, pinching, kneading, and pounding" should generally be used at the end of the massage, except for emergency situations, to avoid causing the child to cry and affect the treatment.
