How to Massage One's Back With a Ball

Massage increases health and well-being and makes you feel pampered and great. You can get a message at a day spa, hire a professional masseuse to come over or get your significant other to give you a rubdown. You can even give yourself a massage with a ball.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Along the Spine

1. Lay on the floor with your ball at the base of your back. You can use tennis balls or a massage ball. When using tennis balls, insert two of them into a sock and tie off the end.

2. Place the balls on both sides of the spine.

3. Relax and breathe deeply. Rock slightly from side to side. Adjust the balls up your back a few inches and do the same. Do this up and down the back. It should take about 10 minutes.

Using Trigger Points

4. Lie on the floor or stand or sit against a wall or board. Put the massage ball between you and the hard surface, and roll in small circles over the ball. Breathe deeply.

5. Roll over the trigger points. This helps alleviate the pain and increases elasticity. Press the ball into the trigger points of the quadratus lumborum and iliac crest for lower back pain. For upper and middle back pain, massage lower trapezius and rhomboids.

6. Press down on the levator scapulae for neck and back pain. Massage the piriformis trigger point for leg pain, muscle spasms and sciatic nerve issues.

7. Apply pressure to the trigger points for 5 to 7 seconds, and then move your massage ball in small circles.

Tips & Warnings

• The quadratus lumborum is below the 12th rib and the iliac crest is the bony mass below. Roll over on your side to find the iliac crest. Lower trapezius is located in the middle of the back and the rhomboids are located next to the shoulder blades.
• Levator scapulae is located on the upper shoulder to the back of the neck. Piriformis is located in the buttocks.

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Resources

• A trigger point chart.