1. Massage your neck and shoulders.
Massaging your neck and shoulders can help relieve headaches. Use your left hand to stroke your left shoulder and the left side of your neck, and vice versa. Gently but firmly work your fingers in small circles, starting at the base of your skull and working down towards the shoulders. When you feel a knot, work it out in small circles with your fingers, massaging clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Here are a few more self-massaging techniques to try:
*Place your hands into fists and gently rub your spine in a circular motion.
*Place your fingertips at your ears and gently move them down your jaw until both hands meet up at your chin.
*After you have worked out all the knots, stretch out your shoulder blades by hugging yourself.
Massage your abdomen.
This massage is perfect for menstrual pain and can help improve your digestion as well. Place the surface of one hand on your abdomen and gently stroke it in a circular motion. Then, use the fingers and thumbs of both hands to knead your abdomen. Gently use your fingers to stroke your lower abdomen in circular motions. If you'd like to stroke the sides of your abdomen, just roll over to one side and then the other to have better access to the opposing side.
*While standing, bend your knees to the left while massaging the right side of your abdomen.
*Apply pressure on different parts of your abdomen with your fingers, and release after a few seconds.
Massage your back with a ball.
Take a ball of any size, from a tennis ball to a basketball, and press it up against a wall with your back. Move your body back and forth and in circular motions to relieve the pressure from your back. Place the ball on different parts of your back, from your lower to your upper back, to relieve the tension from different parts of your body.
For added variety, you can alternate between using a larger and smaller ball during the same self-massage session.
Massage your lower back with a foam roller. You can wear clothes for this. A foam roller will work best, but you can also roll up a large blanket, towel, or yoga mat in a pinch. Place the roller on the floor and lay face up on the roller. Position your lower back over the roller so that your shoulders and butt are touching the floor and you're perpendicular to the roller.
*Use your feet to help you move up and down the roller slowly, feeling the roller move up and down each of your vertebrae.
*Gently roll up or down the roller until you find a trigger point or a painful area. Then, stay rolled over the area for at least 30 seconds. This will hurt a bit, but it will relieve the tension from the area afterwards.
*To target smaller areas of your back, use a rolling pin instead of a blanket.
