A lower leg and foot massage provides several benefits such as lowering blood pressure, reducing stress hormones, and inducing relaxation. Specific techniques for a lower leg and foot massage routine include gentle effleurage of the calf, ankle, and foot as well as massaging the joints between the toes. The massage therapist should receive consent from the client and remind them that they can stop the massage at any time if uncomfortable. As a massage therapist, you are not qualified to cut or file clients' toenails.

1. Lower leg and foot
massage

2. Benefits of lower leg massage
• As with massage, it has a therapeutic effect
• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxing
effects)
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces the release of stress hormones
• Decreases blood pressure
• Induces a calmer state of mind
• Increases the release of feel-good hormones (e.g. oxytocin,
serotonin)
• Has a detoxing effect on the body
• Reduces anxiety and depression
• Healthier feet

3. Foot massage
Although a foot massage is not reflexology, it is
worth remembering that the feet are a mini –
map of the body (this is the theory of
reflexology). So, even though we are gently
massaging the feet, we are, in affect, giving the
whole of the body a massage, in an unobtrusive
way.

4. What not to do with your client’s feet!
Do not cut your client's toenails, or file their feet! These tasks are for
a podiatrist (also known as a chiropodist, or foot care practitioner). As
a massage therapist, we are not qualified or insured to use scissors or
files on the feet.
It might be that your client asks you to do one of the above tasks-
gently explain that you are not qualified to do it and another
professional needs to do this. Even though we cannot diagnose our
client's feet, if they are looking in need of professional attention, let
you manager know about this.

5. Massage and the ageing body – things to
think about
• The skin becomes thinner and is more fragile with aging
• Clients are more likely to have multiple health conditions
• Clients more likely to be taking medication that will need to be taken
into consideration
• Clients are more likely to be less mobile
• Best practice to carry out shorter treatments to suit clients physical
tolerance
• Although important with ALL clients, it is particularly important to
ensure your clients feel safe – physically and emotionally
• Very important to reassure your clients you will stop at any time and
they can always say is something feels painful or uncomfortable

6. Gentle leg and foot massage routine
• After carrying out a consultation with your client and assessed their needs
and preferences, decide on your treatment plan (i.e., what you will deliver
today).
• Make sure your client is comfortable and be prepared to carry out the
massage from where they are unless they are mobile and prefer to move to
another location/ position.
• Make sure you keep good postural alignment throughout, to prevent from
injuring yourself, or causing any unnecessary muscular tension.
• Remind your client they can ask you to stop, or tell you if they are
uncomfortable or in pain, at any time during the therapy session. Even if your
client has had several treatments from you, make sure you remind them
about this at the beginning of every session.

7. • Keep the leg supported at all times. Begin by taking a firm but gentle hold of
one lower leg and carry out gentle effleurage for a few minutes,
concentrating on the back of the calf and no pressure on any bony areas. If
appropriate, you might apply slightly firmer pressure by massaging the calf
with the knuckle of one hand while supporting the leg with the other hand.
Massage gently around the knee cap.
• Massage gently around the ankle with the fingers, circling from the outer
ankle towards the front of the ankle until the finger tips of both hands meet,
then circle back around toward the outer ankle / heel. Repeat this movement
several times. This movement can help reduce oedema is the ankles.
• The feet: Effleurage the foot, applying your palm to the sole of the client’s
foot and sweeping to the top of the foot, alternating both hands. With both
hands in contact with the foot at the same time. Make sure you are quite firm
so that you are not very light handed as this might be ticklish for the client
and uncomfortable! Check in with your client to ask if the pressure is
comfortable for them.

8. • Take each toe in turn and gently massage the joints and toe
between your thumb and second, possibly third, fingers. This might
help with arthritis pain.
• Make firmer massage movements on the top area of the foot, if
appropriate.
• You can, if appropriate, make a fist and sweep the knuckles on the
third horizontal zone of the foot (the green area in the diagram
below), sweeping down and repeating this several times. Rub firmly
around the heel area with one hand, while supporting the foot with
the other hand.
• Adjust your body so that you can easily reach the inside of the foot.
Make ‘wringing out’ movements of the inside of the foot, moving
up and down the foot, without holding/ touching the toes. This is
the spinal reflex.
• Complete by some more effleurage movements all over the foot.
• Note: Effleurage can be carried out any time during the session ,
between other movements, or, it may be appropriate that you
simply carry out effleurage on the clients foot rather than any of the
stronger movements.