The calf muscles play a major role in our daily life. They provide balance as we move over the ankle or the foot and also absorb shock while we walk. They also assist in propulsion when we push the toes while walking, cycling etc. If the calf muscles are tight, it is problematic to the foot, knee, hip and as well as the backbone.

Benefits of Calf Massage It is an effective way to reduce pain.
Improves blood circulation.
Helps early recovery of sore muscle areas.

Few guidelines before you go for calf massages : Always try to moderate the frequency of massages. It is suggested by physiotherapists that a massage for few minutes every day is better than an hour once in a week.
Never over massage on inflammation area. Overdoing on the soft or injured tissue will lead to longer recovery period.
The tissues and muscles in our body are sensitive and complex. They react to speed, cold, pressure and heat differently. Going too fast or too hard on your muscles can seize the muscles.
Only your hands can sense your muscles. Prefer massage with hands rather than tools. Halt a while and check with your hands how your muscles are reacting.
If you are suffering from an injury or pain, always prefer a professional to get your massage done. The injury might not respond well to self massage or might even go worse. The professionals have technical knowledge as they have spent years learning and implementing the techniques.

How to do a self calf massage: Here are few steps that will help you with self calf massage.
Step1 : Choose the calf that needs massage and glide your hands over the calf from ankle to knee to warm it up.
Step2 : As you move from the ankle to your knee, squeeze your calf muscles with your hands. If you find any tender areas then work more on them. Make sure to balance the pressure by using one hand under your calf and the other on top of your shin bone.
Step3 : Roll and Squeeze the muscles from ankle to knee.
Step4 : Press the fists into your muscles while moving from ankle to the knee.
Step5 : Now roll your fists into your calf muscles and press the muscles that are on either side of your shin. This process will relax your muscles.
Step6 : Breathe out deeply and repeat Step3.
Step7 : Drum and wiggle the entire area from ankle to knee with your hand palms. Repeat the same process for the other leg.
Step8 : You are done now. Standup, walk around and feel the relaxed muscles. Gastrocnemius and soleus are the two leg muscles which form your calf. Pain in the calf is as a result of injury or inflammation of these muscles. Mostly for the athletes, calf massages are very beneficial. There are versatile calf massage techniques that can relax the calf muscles and heal the injury. Following are the most preferred calf massage techniques that are ought to be undergone through a professional.

Active Release Technique Active Release Technique is also known as A.R.T. It is a blend of right movements on specific tissues. It helps to relieve muscle adhesions and scar tissue buildup. The therapist uses their hands to evaluate the tenderness or mobility of the tissue and then they work to break the adhesions. This technique is mostly preferred to treat any injuries like shin splints, plantar fasciitis etc. and enhance the ability of the body to heal itself.

Trigger Point Technique The trigger point therapy is an art to palpate your calf muscles. The trigger points in your muscles are the actual cause of pain. Massage on these points will effectively reduce the intensity of pain. Also, try the variations on this routine massage to offer a treat to your calves. Deep Tissue Massage Deep tissue massage is often confused with deep pressure massage. This massage is intense as it targets on deep layers as well as the superficial muscles. Unlike trigger point therapy, deep tissue massage focuses on specific regions rather than the entire muscle. Deep tissue massage is advised to athletes who are suffering from interconnected tissues and right spots.

(Dr. Divya Ohri believes in ‘making a difference’. She is the Founder & Managing Director of Soham Wellness Clinic. Briefly, she is a seasoned entrepreneur and executive with over 20 years of experience in Health & Wellness, Television & Event management industries. Her first successful strides: Divya’s first entrepreneurial venture was the launch of an Event Management company, Catwalk in the US. It has been successfully operating and organizing Media and Fashion events since more than a decade. She has also helped launch a global magazine ‘Tathaastu’. As the Managing Director of Tathaastu, India she handled end to end operations, including Marketing, Sales, Advertising and Production.

Her experience in Wellness, Media and Fashion: In October 2002, Divya finished as Runner-UP in the Gladrags Mrs. India Contest that was internationally televised by Zee TV. In 2003, she joined the largest Indian Television broadcaster in the US as the Host of their most popular PrimeTime Show. She was the on-camera anchor for over 500 episodes at several TV networks, including Star TV and American Desi TV. She has done one-on-one interviews with Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Zeenat Aman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and several other prominent Bollywood stars and Executives.

Her latest venture, Soham Wellness Clinic combined her experiences both in the Media and Fashion industry where people have to look good externally, as well as her association with Tathaastu, where she learnt at the feet of the best spiritual masters that it is important to achieve fulfillment from within. This gave birth to Soham with the aim to help her clients look better than their best externally, while also feeling beautiful from within.

Education, the pillars: Divya went to the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, New York University, New York. The institute boasts Al Pacino and Robert Deniro as their alumni. She also earned a degree in Acting from New York Film Academy, New York and pursued FMM at Fashion Institute and Technology New York. She has also done advanced courses with acclaimed make-up artists in New York and is a trained Aesthetician and Cosmetologist. She has a BA in English Literature from Delhi University and a degree in Hotel Management from the Institute of Hotel Management, India. Dr. Divya Ohri joins us as a doctor on board and our Consulting Editor)