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People may first think of plastic surgery and making double-fold eyelids and high nose bridges when they think of cosmetology. Of course, some people find it necessary to improve their appearance. However, for the vast majority of people cosmetology means only maintaining a natural and a good constitution, full of energy and vitality.
As we have said, the hand and foot are closely related to the head. It is common sense that people with normal and proportional hands and feet may correspondently have a health and proportionate body, handsome and charming. So the hand and foot are closely related to cosmetics and health care, and a regular and persistent application of hand and foot massage can improve the looks and maintain the health.
1. Procedures for massage and hand exercise
Procedures for hand massage:
1) Mutually rubbing both hands
The palms of the hands are placed face to face and then rub against each other from low to high speed and again to low speed, repeatedly, until a hot sensation is produced; the fingers of both hands are interlaced and then rub against each other, with the fingers sliding over the web borders from low speed to high speed, and again to low speed, repeatedly; and finally, one palm is used to rub the dorsum of the other hand and wrist and then the hands are switched alternately.
2) Pushing fingers and palm:
The pad or radial corner of distal phalanx of the thumb of one hand is used to rub the fingers of the other hand from radial to ulnar side and from palmar to dorsal side; and then is used to rub the radial border, ulnar border, and proximal of the palm, palmar interosseous spaces, proximal of dorsum of the hand, and dorsal interosseous spaces, sequentially.
3) Twisting and pressing joints:
All joints of the hand and wrist on one side are separately twisted and pressed by the other hand according to the sequence from radial side to ulnar side, and from distal end to proximal end, and then the manipulation is alternately performed on both hands.
4) Pulling and rotating fingers and wrist:
The wrist and all fingers from radial side to ulnar side of one hand are pulled and rotated by the other hand, and then the manipulation is performed alternately on both hands.
5) Pinching and kneading tips of fingers:
The tips and nail roots of all fingers of one hand are pinched and kneaded by the other hand; and the pads of all distal phalanx are kneaded. The manipulation is alternately and repeatedly applied to both hands.
6) Digit-pressing and grinding central part of palm:
The central part of one palm is digit-pressed and grinded by the other hand until a hot sensation is produced, and the manipulation is performed alternately to both palms.
7) Particular adjustment:
The correspondent reflecting areas of the involved organs are particularly pressed and grinded to adjust the dysfunction of these organs.
8) Rubbing palms for adjustment:
The first manipulation is repeated as the closing step in this set of manipulations.
Hand exercise:
1) Expanding fingers and clenching hand:
The fingers are extended and widely separated from each other and then quickly clenched to make a fist. This movement is repeated 200 times.
2) Rolling up nose of an elephant:
The hand is pronated with the palm facing downward and all fingers are extended and expanded, then the little, ring, middle, and index fingers and thumb are flexed in sequence to form a hollow fist while the wrist is half rotated; then the fingers are again extended in the same sequence to resume the star-ring posture. These movements are repeated 100-200 times with the speed gradually increased. The next finger should start flexing or extending immediately after the prior finger has completely finished its movement. The movement is just like an elephant rolling its nose.
3) Rotating wrist joint to its limit:
The wrist joint rotates either clockwise or counterclockwise with the joint flexed to dorsal, ulnar, ventral and radial sides to the limit, 100-200 times; the hands may be alternately or simultaneously rotated.
In addition, supplemental instruments, like health balls and bracelet may be used for regular hand exercises. The pressing, grinding, hammering, knocking and beating maneuvers may be applied to the palm and dorsum of the hand or the dorsum of the hand may be used to beat the tree. Before these exercises, the hands should be soaked in hot water and dried with a towel. The intensity of exercise should be adequate, and the joints and skin of the hand should be properly protected from injury.
2. Massage procedures and foot exercise
Procedures for foot massage:
1) Rubbing all over the foot:
The feet are placed flat and both hands are used to rub the medial and lateral sides, the instep, the spaces between toes, gers are again extended in the same sequence to resume the star-ring posture. These movements are repeated 100-200 times with the speed gradually increased. The next finger should start flexing or extending immediately after the prior finger has completely finished its movement. The movement is just like an elephant rolling its nose.
3) Rotating wrist joint to its limit:
The wrist joint rotates either clockwise or counterclockwise
with the joint flexed to dorsal, ulnar, ventral and radial sides to the limit, 100-200 times; the hands may be alternately or simultaneously rotated.
In addition, supplemental instruments, like health balls and bracelet may be used for regular hand exercises. The pressing, grinding, hammering, knocking and beating maneuvers may be applied to the palm and dorsum of the hand or the dorsum of the hand may be used to beat the tree. Before these exercises, the hands should be soaked in hot water and dried with a towel. The intensity of exercise should be adequate, and the joints and skin of the hand should be properly protected from injury.
2. Massage procedures and foot exercise
Procedures for foot massage:
1) Rubbing all over the foot:
The feet are placed flat and both hands are used to rub the medial and lateral sides, the instep, the spaces between toes, and finally the sole of the foot, first horizontally and then vertically until a hot sensation is produced.
2) Separately pushing instep and sole of the foot:
Both hands are used to separately push downward from the leg above the medial and lateral malleoli and over the instep until reaching the toes, and then to push downward from the lateral border of the heel over the sole to the toes. The pushing maneuver should be repeatedly applied to the heel.
3) Twisting and pressing joints:
All joints of the foot and ankle are twisted and pressed in a sequence from the big toe to the little toe, and again from distal interphalangeal joints to metatarsophalangeal joints, and then to the ankle joint. A heavier manipulation should be applied to the toes.
4) Pulling and rotating toes and ankle joint:
The pulling and rotating manipulations are applied to the toes following the sequence from the big toe to the little toe and finally to the ankle joint. The rotating manipulation should be applied over the widest range of motion for each joint.
5) Pinching and kneading the tips of toes:
The pinching and kneading maneuvers are applied to the tip, pad and nail root of each toe from the big toe to the little toe. The heavier manipulation should be applied to the big toe.
6) Digit-pressing and grinding central part of sole:
Quickly digit-press and grind central part of the sole to produce a hot sensation.
7) Particular adjustment:
The pressing and grinding manipulation is applied to the reflecting areas of involved organs to adjust their functions. Greater adjusting manipulation should be applied to the big toe, the first metatarsophalangeal joint, the region beneath the foot arch, and ankle joint.
8) Rubbing foot for adjustment:
The rubbing foot manipulation is repeated for adjustment as the closing step in this set of manipulations.
Foot exercise:
1) Flexing and extending toes:
All toes are plantarly flexed simultaneously to the limit of movement and then quickly dorsiflexed, also to the limit, in one repitition of exercise, and 100-200 repititions should be performed.
2) Mutually contacting and rubbing toes:
The big and second toes of both feet are kept close together to rub each other 100-200 times, with the range and rubbing frequency gradually increased.
3) Walking on toes or heel:
The practitioner may walk for a while on toes and metatarsophalangeal joints with the heels raised up from the ground; and then walk for a while on heels with the soles raised up from the ground. They may then walk alternately on toes and on heels.
4) Actively rotating ankle joints:
The practitioner may stand on one foot and raise the other foot to rotate the ankle joint clockwise and counterclockwise alternately 100 times, and then this exercise is performed on both ankle joints alternately.
In addition, the pebble container and sand container may be used for foot exercise with bare feet; the pressing, grinding, hammering, knocking and beating maneuvers may be applied all over the foot; and instep, medial and lateral borders of foot may be used to kick a substance. Before the application of manipulation and foot exercise, it is best to soak the feet in hot water and then dry them with a towel. The intensity of exercise should be gentle enough to avoid injuring the joints, ligaments, muscles, and skin.
Self-massage and hand and foot exercise for half an hour every day is very useful for relieving fatigue , restoring vital energy, maintaining body weight, preventing diseases, and slowing the aging process. It may produce a good therapeutic effect in treating obesity, poor memory and sexual dysfunction. In the beginning, doing self-massage and exercise may seems very tedious and strenuous, but it can produce many new and comfort-able feelings after persistent practice, if done correctly by following the given requirements.
