Lessong Three:Both Legs & Back

The aim of Lesson Three is to stimulate energy flow between the trunk and legs. A healthy backbone needs to bend and rotate in many directions. Pain in the lumbar area is very common and can be caused not only by sports injuries, but by poor posture. Acute pain can be triggered by sudden twisting of the waist or lifting heavy loads. Many of the techniques featured here provide powerful muscle stretches which can correct postural imbalances and relax spasming muscles, thereby relieving back pain.

Above: Shown are the third outer Sen channels on each leg and the two Sen on either side of the spine, the health of which depends on the free flow of energy through them.

Sen channels on the legs and back

• Ÿ l - Chinese Bladder meridian. This starts between the Achilles tendon and the outer ankle bone and runs up the back of the leg approximately on the midline to the lower border of the buttocks.
• Ÿ l - Thai bodywork uses two back Sen channels along the Chinese Bladder meridian. There are two lines on each side of the spine. The inner one is about two finger-widths and the outer one four finger-widths from the midline of the spine.

1.  PRESSING THE INNER FEET & LEGS

          Repeat the first technique in a step 1 (pressing the leg in the three positions) of theme ‘Massaging the right leg only’ of Lesson Two. Re-establishing contact with the feet encourages a sense of body and mind integration and general well-being. As the inner Sen start on the feet and legs, pressing the inner legs stimulates energy flow between the legs and trunk.  

2.  LEG BLOOD STOP

          Your partner should be lying supine in a totally relaxed position with his legs slightly apart. Kneel and palm up both his thighs until your palms reach the groin area. Press down and adjust your hands until you feel his blood pulsing through the femoral arteries beneath the heels of your palms. Now lift your body by straightening your legs or arching your buttocks. This will focus your weight on your palms, thus increasing pressure on his arteries to restrict the flow of blood through them. Hold for thirty to fifty seconds.

• When blood flow into the legs is interrupted, the entire circulation including lymphatic drainage is reduced or completely stopped. The swift rush of blood into the legs is accompanied by a sudden spread of warmth down to the feet as full circulation is restored. After this treatment the legs feel very light.

Do not attempt to carry out this technique on those with any kind of circulatory problem such as varicose veins, high blood pressure or heart disease.

• 1.  PRESSING THE INNER FEET & LEGS        
       Stretched: Adductors
• 2.  LEG BLOOD STOP        
       Pressed: Adductors

3.  BOW & ARROW SPINAL TWIST

          Tuck your right heel behind your partner’s left flexed knee and grasp and pull his left forearm towards you, keeping his left leg firmly located on the mat. Now lean across and grasp under his left shoulder with both hands and pull it up towards you.

          Pull along the shoulder and down your partner’s side with alternate hand movements which should be kept slow and rhythmical.

• Treats lower back pain, improves spinal mobility and aligns the spine.

Do not use on those who have had surgery on the lower back

4.  ROTATING THE HIPS

          Lift your partner’s flexed legs so that his knees are directly over his abdomen. Your legs should be astride his ankles with your hands just below his knees. Starting with just a small amplitude rotation of the knees, gradually increase. Keep both knees together. Rotate about fifteen times in each direction.

• Has a soothing effect on those who experience stiffness in the hip region, sciatica and lower back pain. In addition to the rotation imposed on the hip joint, a twisting action on the lumbar vertebral also occurs and this relaxes muscles in the hip.

• 3.  BOW & ARROW SPINAL TWIST   
        Stretched: Quadatus lumborum, rhomboideus major and minor,  levator acapulae, iliacus, psoas major
• 4.  ROTATING THE HIPS   
       Stretched: Gluteus maximus, quadriceps (slight stretch), quadratus lumborum

5.  SHAKING THE LEGS

          Grasp your partner’s ankles, lean back slightly to create traction and shake his legs up and down rapidly with a small-amplitude movement. Shake the legs ten to twenty times.

6.  SWINGING THE LEGS

          Now hold your partner’s legs at the ankles and swing from side to side at least fifteen times. Start with small, slow swings that gradually get bigger and faster.

• Essential for those suffering from lower back pain and sciatica. These techniques can also be used on those who suffer from varicose veins.

7.  ROCKING & ROLLING THE BACK

          Use your right hand to hold your partner’s heels so that both his legs are straight. Push his feet forward over his head using your other hand to help lift his buttocks. Determine how far he can comfortably roll back and then proceed to rock and roll to-and-fro up to this limit. This requires a very smooth and controlled rocking action from you.

• Helps to ease middle and upper back pain.

         Care must be taken not to over-stretch anyone to whom you are giving massage for the first time.

8.  THE PLOUGH

          Spread your partner’s legs out into an open ‘V’ and step through them to adopt a new position astride his body with your feet tucked under his armpits. Bend your knees slightly towards the mid-lime, increase the ‘V’ ankle between his legs and draw them around your knees. Press his feet together and then press lightly downwards. Hold for a few seconds, and then open his legs again, draw them back around your legs and push the feet forward and down a little further in the direction of his head. In a very flexible person the feet will touch the floor. Repeat this until you find the most extreme position that is comfortable for him. Hold the position for at least ten seconds.

9.  KNEEING THE BACKS OF THE THIGHS

          As your partner is released from the previous position, retain your hold on his feet and step back through his legs again. Hold his feet so that his legs are slightly bent. Using your body weight, press both knees simultaneously into the backs of his thighs whilst at the same time, pushing his feet forward. Press progressively along the entire length of his thighs.

• This simple technique is good for suffers of sciatica and those who experience problems with their hamstring muscles.

• Aids mobility of the hip joints and counters pain in the pelvic region and lower back.

Do not use this exercise on the elderly and wait for at least two hours if your partner has eaten a large meal.

• 7.  ROCKING & ROLLING THE BACK   
       Stretched: Erector spinae, gastrocnemius

• 8.  THE PLOUGH   
       Stretched: Adductors, soleus, hamstrings, gluteus maximus, erector spinae

• 9.  KNEEING THE BACKS OF THE THIGHS   
       Stretched: Erector spinae, gluteus maximus   
       Pressed: Hamstrings, lower part of gluteus maximus

10.  KNEEING THE BUTTOCKS

          Lift your partner’s buttocks off the mat and support with both hands while you knead them deeply with circular movements of your knees.

• Treats sciatica pain.

11.  SHINNING THE THIGHS

          Good balance is required for the correct execution of this technique. Bend your partner’s right leg into a right angle so that his thigh is lying against his abdomen. Hold the other leg outwards and then lean your left knee inwards so that your shin presses against his thigh. Shin progressively along the entire length of his thing with a to-and-fro rocking motion between each shin press.

• Another excellent treatment for sciatica; also very effective for myofascial release around the hamstrings, particularly for those who do a great deal of sport.

12.  THE HALF BRIDGE

        Press your partner’s knees down towards his abdomen and, with your feet slightly apart, bend your knees forward against the arches of his feet.

        Grasp his knees between your interlocked hands. Lean back with your full body weight, at the same time bending your legs until they form a 90˚ angle. Your partner’s buttocks will be raised from the mat and, at the most extreme position, only his head, shoulders and arms will still remain on the mat. Hold for at least fifteen seconds, giving his back a big stretch.

• Increases blood flow to the head and neck to give your partner an alert and lively feeling.
• Eases lower back pain.

          Do not use this technique on those with cardiac problems and high blood pressure.

• 10.  KNEEING THE BUTTOCKS     
         Stretched: Erector spinae, Gluteus maximus           
         Pressed: Gluteus maximus

• 11.  SHINNING THE THIGHS     
         Stretched: Gluteus maximus           
         Pressed: Hamstrings

• 12.  THE HALF BRIDGE     
         Stretched: Quadriceps, rectus abdominis, erector spinae

13.  INTIMATE BACK STRETCH

          Kneeling, push your partner’s legs forward until his buttocks lift and slide your knees and thighs under them. When you are in position, grasp your hands around his legs just above knee level and, leaning backwards; hug his legs against you to give his back a good stretch. This is a safe and gentle back stretch compared with the Half Bridge.

• Treats tension and pain in the lower back.

14.  LIFTING HEAD TO STRAIGHT KNEES

        Align your partner’s legs firmly against the front of your own and lean forward to grasp each arm around the wrist. Lean your weight backwards and pull his upper body forwards and upwards.

        Hold the extreme position for up to ten seconds and then gently lower his upper body onto the mat. Repeat this exercise twice and maintain a slow, steady rhythm throughout.

15.  LIFTING HEAD TO CROSSED KNEES

         As you finish the previous exercise, flex your partner’s legs at the knees and cross his ankles, adjusting their position so that the side of each ankle rests against the front of your shins just below your knees. Now grasp his wrists and raise his upper body towards you, just as you did in the last technique. Hold for at least ten seconds and then repeat.

• Improves shoulder and hip mobility. All the stretched muscles are relaxed.
• Can ease sciatic pain.

          Good flexibility when the legs are straight is no necessarily an accurate guide to your partner’s flexibility when his legs are crossed. Some people have very restricted lateral movement in their hips and/or ankles but good mobility in the forward/backward direction.