How to Give a Leg Massage to Relieve Muscle Pain

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Learn leg massage techniques for your calves, thighs, & feet
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Giving someone—or yourself—a leg massage can help relieve leg pain caused by overexertion or minor injuries. While a professional massage may offer the most relief, you can relieve muscle aches and soreness at home with the help of a few simple techniques. We spoke with Professional Massage Therapist Marty Morales to learn how to give better home massages for relaxation and pain relief. Remember, if you or the person you’re massaging is experiencing persistent leg pain, it might be time to see a doctor who can rule out any underlying health conditions.

The Best Way to Massage Legs

  1. Start by rubbing the feet between your palms to increase circulation.
  2. Move up the calves and thighs with long, gentle strokes.
  3. Stroke over the shin and knead the calf muscles with your thumbs.
  4. Make scooping passes to stimulate the outside and inside thigh muscles.
  5. Apply pressure with your palm near the upper thigh and gluteal areas.
  6. Always communicate with the person about where to focus the massage.
Section 1 of 5:

Massaging Someone Else's Legs

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  1. Starting with a foot massage and stroking upward promotes better blood circulation , which helps ease pain and tension in the legs. Put a few drops of oil into your palm. Then, sandwich the person's foot between your palms and rub firmly for a few minutes. When you're done rubbing the foot between your hands, give it a few gentle strokes moving from the toes to ankles. [1]
  2. Move upward from the foot towards the thighs and calves. For these areas, use a loose fist to make long, gentle strokes. As you make your strokes, move from the ankle toward the knees and then up toward the hips. This helps push blood towards the heart and helps improve circulation. [2]
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  3. Shift your focus to the lower half of the leg. Slide your hands up over the shin area from the ankle to just below the knee. Then move your hands behind the leg to the calf area and slide all the way back down to the ankle. After doing this a few times, work your way up and down the lower leg by using your thumbs to knead and scoop the sides of the leg. [3]
    • Morales cautions against overusing your thumbs when giving a massage. “If we start to drill on someone’s shoulders, it’s a really solid muscle [to work on] with our little thumbs. We're going to start to feel it. We're going to be sore. So try to look for other techniques that you can use.” [4]
  4. Work your way up the thigh area. Make scooping passes with your hands on the outside and inside of the leg to stimulate the different muscles in the thigh. Apply pressure as you use your palm to press near the center of the upper thigh and gluteal areas. [5]
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Section 2 of 5:

Massaging Your Own Legs

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  1. Glide your hands over your legs, starting at your feet and working all the way up to your hip. Make sure you start with light motions to help improve circulation to your calves, shins, quads, and hamstrings. [6]
    • Squeeze or knead your leg muscles with both hands. Place one hand on top of your shin and the other under your calf. [7]
    • Use a chopping or drumming motion to increase blood flow and relax muscles. [8]
  2. Using tennis balls and foam rollers helps you ease tension in your muscles during a self-massage. “You might have to use different tools…There are tennis balls or lacrosse balls that people use to give themselves massages. So that would be a great self-massage route,” Morales advises. [9] Try sitting on the floor with your leg stretched out and placing a tennis ball or foam roller under your calf. Move your leg so the ball or roller rolls over your calf muscle for a great massage. [10]
    • Try using the tennis ball under the arch of your foot for a foot massage.
    • Sit in a chair with a tennis ball or small foam roller under your thigh just below your hip to massage your hamstring.
  3. Air compression or shiatsu foot and calf massagers give you a long massage without tiring your hands or requiring you to head out for a professional massage. These machines can range anywhere from around $70 - $250 or more.
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Section 3 of 5:

Improving Leg Flexibility

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  1. Sit with your back straight. Lift your right foot and place your ankle on your left knee. Gently lean your torso forward, making sure to keep your back straight, until you feel a stretch in the right hip. Press lightly on your right knee to deepen the stretch. [11]
    • Hold the stretch for 10-30 seconds, then release. Repeat it 8-10 times.
    • Switch sides so your left ankle rests on your right knee and repeat the stretch. Again, holding for 10-30 seconds and repeating 8-10 times.
  2. Sit on the floor with your back straight and your left leg extended out in front of you. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. Repeat it 8-10 times. [12]
    • Extend your right leg and repeat the stretch, holding 10-30 before releasing. Then repeat the stretch 8-10 times.
  3. Sit in a chair with your left foot lifted about 6 inches (15.24 cm) off the ground. Moving clockwise, rotate your foot at the ankle to make 15-20 circles in the air with your toe. Reverse, then make 15-20 counterclockwise circles in the air with your toe. [13]
    • Place your left foot on the ground and lift your right foot. Make 15-20 clockwise rotations and then 15-20 counterclockwise rotations on that foot.
  4. Stand straight with your feet together. Step back with your left foot so your toes are flat on the ground and your heel is raised. With your knees slightly bent, gently shift your ankle forward until you feel a stretch along the bottom of your foot. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat the stretch 3 times. [14]
    • With your feet together, step back your right foot to repeat the stretch on the opposite side, holding for 20-30 seconds and repeating 3 times.
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Section 4 of 5:

Taking Safety Precautions

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  1. If the legs are swollen for medical reasons, a firm but not painful massage can help move fluid out of the area. [15] When massaging another person, use the lightest effective pressure and check in often to make sure they're comfortable. [16]
    • Do not massage legs that are weeping fluid.
  2. If you're massaging a pregnant woman's legs, stay away from massaging the inner thighs. Blood clots are more common in this area during pregnancy, and massaging the area can dislodge clots. This can be a very serious, even fatal, problem. [17]
  3. Leg pain can indicate health problems such as a leg injury or chronic conditions like arthritis. [18] While massages can temporarily relieve frequent leg pain , be sure to have any chronic pain evaluated by a medical professional to rule out injuries or medical conditions that require further treatment.
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Section 5 of 5:

Establishing the Basics

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  1. It's helpful to know some anatomy before you give a massage . Thigh muscles are in 4 basic groups, which run from the hips down to the knee in the front, sides, and backs of the legs. Knowing where they are can help you better target and relieve pain.
    • Understanding where bones are and how tissues that connect muscle to bone function is also important for an effective massage.
    • The connective tissues around the joints, like the hips, the knees, the ankles, and the feet can be pulled, kneaded, or compressed.
    • The hamstrings and calves in the back of the leg are notoriously tight, and people who run often have issues related to the outer thigh area, the TFL (tensor fasciae latae) or the IT (iliotibial) band, the muscle and ligament that run along the outside of your thigh.
  2. Start the massage with gentle techniques and use lighter pressure near bones and sensitive areas. As circulation increases, so can the intensity of the massage. Move your fingers and hands quickly and lightly or slowly and firmly, but not quickly and firmly. [19]
    • The body parts you use to perform a massage affect the pressure. The elbows generally provide the strongest pressure. The palms and fingers will generally apply less pressure. [20]
    • Deeper tissue massage can include pressing down with the heel of the hand, the thumb, one hand on top of the other, the knuckles, a fist, or the forearm.
    • Types of massage include gliding, kneading, compression, friction, percussion, vibration, jostling, and range of motion movements. [21] Each type has different benefits for different types of muscle tension.
  3. Using oil is optional when giving a massage, but it makes it easier to run your hands and fingers over someone's legs. Oils may also give the person you’re massaging a soothing effect. For leg massages, go for oils like olive oil, avocado oil, or almond oil. You can also use essential oils, or oils that are infused with scents such as lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree, for a pleasantly aromatic experience. [22]
    • Make sure the person you're massaging does not have an existing allergy to the oil you use.
    • Morales recommends using fresh, clean oil and warming it up in advance by putting the bottle in warm water. [23]
  4. For leg massages, it's usually easier to lie down somewhere like a bed. This allows the person to relax with their legs stretched out. If you're only massaging one leg, have the person lie on their side with the leg you're massaging extending upward at an angle. Or, have the person lie with their legs stretched out and elevated slightly. Use a pillow to elevate to help them lift their legs more comfortably. [24]
  5. At the beginning, ask the person you’re massaging if there's a particular area where they want extra pressure or attention. For example, if someone's thighs are bothering them, they may want you to focus on massaging their thighs. You may want to linger on certain areas and give them more attention.
    • Morales recommends keeping communication open throughout the massage and asking the person how they're feeling so you can adjust your technique if necessary. “Let's say you find a “knot”. Some people proceed to really dig into it, even if it's painful to the recipient…My advice is more is not necessarily better. Listen to the recipient. If something is too much, you can back off and possibly get more done by keeping steady pressure instead of constantly pushing harder and harder on a knot.” [25]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How much pressure do you use in a massage?
    Marty Morales
    Professional Massage Therapist
    Marty Morales is a Professional Massage Therapist and the Founder and Owner of the Morales Method, a manual therapy and body conditioning business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles, California. Marty has over 16 years of massage therapist experience and over 13 years of experience educating others on the best practices for massage therapy. Marty has over 10,000 hours of private practice logged and is a Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolf Movement Practitioner, CMT. He has an MBA in Finance from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
    Marty Morales
    Professional Massage Therapist
    Expert Answer
    It depends on the person you're massaging. You don't need to apply much pressure to give a good massage. Talk to the person you're massaging to find out what's comfortable to them.
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    Not Helpful 4 Helpful 13
  • Question
    How do you warm up oil?
    Marty Morales
    Professional Massage Therapist
    Marty Morales is a Professional Massage Therapist and the Founder and Owner of the Morales Method, a manual therapy and body conditioning business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Los Angeles, California. Marty has over 16 years of massage therapist experience and over 13 years of experience educating others on the best practices for massage therapy. Marty has over 10,000 hours of private practice logged and is a Certified Advanced Rolfer and Rolf Movement Practitioner, CMT. He has an MBA in Finance from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles.
    Marty Morales
    Professional Massage Therapist
    Expert Answer
    Place the bottle of oil into warm water and wait for it to warm up. Keep the oil in the water until you're ready to do the massage.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 13
  • Question
    Is it possible to massage a leg after tendon surgery?
    Community Answer
    I wouldn’t recommend it, especially if you’ve gotten stitches in that area. If you do massage after surgery and the stitches become undone, contact your doctor immediately.
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      Tips

      • You don't need to apply a lot of pressure in order for your massage to be effective. The key is to communicate with the person you're massaging and find out what level of pressure is working for them.
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      Warnings

      • Do not get a leg massage if you think you have a blood clot in a calf vein.
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      • Avoid giving leg massages if there are open sores or rashes on the skin.
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      • People with peripheral neuropathy, or decreased sensation, due to diabetes should not have leg massages.
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      • Leg massages can cause bruising or hematoma formation on people with low platelet counts or who are on blood thinners, and should be avoided.
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      • If you have painful varicose veins or brittle bones due to osteoporosis, it’s also better to avoid leg massages.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453018308370
      2. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453018308370
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsJEQTFTKfY
      4. ↑ Marty Morales. Certified Massage Therapist. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
      5. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21768-lymphatic-drainage-massage
      6. ↑ https://youtu.be/OhaNqin9HJw?t=68
      7. ↑ https://youtu.be/OhaNqin9HJw?t=87
      8. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10069390/
      9. ↑ Marty Morales. Certified Massage Therapist. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
      1. ↑ https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/how-to-give-yourself-a-massage
      2. ↑ https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/news/exercise-of-the-month-seated-hip-flexor-stretch
      3. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hamstring-injury/multimedia/hamstring-stretch/img-20006930
      4. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercises-and-stretches-for-foot-health
      5. ↑ https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercises-and-stretches-for-foot-health
      6. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/edema/diagnosis-treatment
      7. ↑ https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/massage-and-medication/
      8. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/prenatal-massage/
      9. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14170-leg-cramps
      10. ↑ https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/massage-therapy-what-you-need-to-know
      11. ↑ https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/massage-therapy-what-you-need-to-know
      12. ↑ https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-massage/
      13. ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/relaxation-techniques-for-stress-relief.htm
      14. ↑ Marty Morales. Certified Massage Therapist. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.
      15. ↑ https://www.amtamassage.org/publications/massage-therapy-journal/side-lying-position/
      16. ↑ Marty Morales. Certified Massage Therapist. Expert Interview. 20 December 2019.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      If you want to give someone a leg massage, start at the foot and stroke upwards to promote blood circulation and ease pain or tension in their legs. As you move up to their calves and thighs, use a loose fist to make long, gentle strokes. Slide your hands up over their shin, just below the knee, then move your hands behind their leg and slide back down to their ankle. For the best results, use your thumbs to knead and scoop the sides of the leg as you massage. After doing this a few times, massage their thighs on the outside and inside of their leg. Make sure to apply some pressure as you press your palm near the center of the upper thigh and gluteal areas. For more tips from our Fitness co-author, like how to use oils during a leg massage, scroll down!

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