20 - 3 20 - 5

Procedure 20-5

Hand and
Arm Massage

Implemen t s
a nd M at er i a ls
• Massage lotion, oil, or cream

E S TI M AT E D TI M E
Hand Massage Procedure
20 To prepare, apply massage lotion, oil, or cream to client’s hand. Apply
min
enough to allow movement across the skin without resistance (skin drag)
and avoid client discomfort. Be sure to hold the client’s hand loosely without
too much restraint during the massage.

P repa r at i on 1

Before beginning, perform:

20-2: Performing a Bend the wrist. Place client’s elbow
Basic Manicure on cushion covered with clean towel or
on rolled towel. Brace arm in wrist area
with your nondominant hand. With your
other hand, hold client’s wrist and bend
it slowly and gently—but with a firm
touch—fully back until it stops. Then
bend it forward until it stops, 5 to 10
times, until you feel client has relaxed.

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 20 - 5

Joint movement of the fingers. Lower client’s arm. Brace arm at the wrist
with your nondominant hand. With your dominant hand start with the
little finger and hold it at the base of the nail. Gently rotate fingers to form
circles. Work toward thumb, about three to five times on each finger.

Circular movement on the palm. Place client’s elbow on cushion or towel

near center of the table and position your elbows on the table at the sides.
Put your thumbs in their palm and rotate them in a circular motion up the
center and over to and down the sides, moving in opposite directions.
Start circular movements (effleurage) from bottom center of hand and
move out, up, across the underside of the fingers, and back down to
bottom and center. Create a smooth, rhythmic pattern of alternating
movements of each thumb over the palm.

Circular movement on the wrist. Hold client’s hand with both of your
hands, placing your thumbs on top of their hand and your fingers below.
Move your thumbs in a circular movement in opposite directions from
their wrist to the knuckle on back of their hand. Move up and down, three
to five times.

Twist the wrist. The final time you rotate up, wring their wrist by bracing
your hands around it and gently twisting in the opposite directions. This
concludes the hand massage.

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 20 - 5

Arm Massage Procedure

To prepare, apply lotion or cream to the client’s arm. Be sure to hold the client’s arm loosely without too much
restraint during the massage.

Effleurage of the arm. Holding client’s wrist firmly but gently, glide your
hand up the arm from wrist to elbow with your palm and fingers on the skin.
Use enough lotion to allow a smooth hand glide. Cup your fingers around
the arm, moving up with slight pressure with your fingers, thumb, and palm
to induce relaxation. Then move back to wrist area with lighter pressure.
Perform this gliding several times. When finishing each time at the top
of the arm, rotate the hand to the underside of the arm while pulling the
hand back toward you. Now move to underside of arm and perform same
movement. Press forward. At the end, release the pressure, gently rotate
hand to the top of the arm, and pull it lightly back toward the hand.

Friction movement on the arms. Place client’s arm on table, palm up

with fingers toward you. Your fingers should be underneath the arm,
stabilizing it. Rotate your thumbs in opposite directions, starting at
client’s wrist and working toward the elbow. When you reach the elbow,
slide your hand down their arm to the wrist and rotate back up to the
elbow three to five times. Turn their arm over and repeat three to five
times on top side.

Wringing/friction movement. Place arm horizontally on towel in front of

you, with back of the hand facing up. Place your hands around the arm with
your fingers facing same direction and gently twist in opposite directions,
as if wringing out a washcloth, from wrist to elbow. Do this up and down the
forearm three to five times.

Kneading movement. Place your thumbs on top side of their arm so they
are horizontal. Move them in opposite directions, from wrist to elbow and
back down to the wrist. Do this three to five times.

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10

Rotation of elbow. Brace their arm with your nondominant hand and
apply lotion. Cup their elbow with your dominant hand and rotate your
hand over it. Do this three to five times. Be very gentle and do not hit
the elbow nerve, or funny bone. To finish elbow massage, move your
nondominant arm to top of their forearm.

11

Finger pulls. Gently slide both hands down the forearm from elbow
to fingertips, as if climbing down a rope. Then, holding their hand with
your nondominant hand, move to the fingertip. With your thumb on top
and your pointer finger arched below, gently grab and pull the finger
down to the tips. Perform on each finger, from little finger to thumb.
Repeat down the forearm and do finger pulls three to five times on
each arm and hand. Do not perform this movement on clients with
severe arthritis.

12

Final movement. Lay both of their

hands palm down on table, cover
them with your own (palm down),
and gently press three times.
Gently lift your palms, leaving
your fingertips on the base of
their hand. Then, with a light-as-
a-feather touch, pull your fingers
from the back of their hands down
the fingers and off the fingertips.
Perform two to three times. This
final movement, called feathering
off, is the end of the massage.

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