Some people find brushing or stroking lightly more comforting than deep massage. Use whatever works best for you. If you are having radiation therapy, avoid massage in the treatment area. Pressure can be applied with the entire hand, the heel of the hand, the fingertip or the knuckle, the ball of the thumb, or by using one or both hands to encircle your arm or leg. You can experiment by applying pressure for about 10 seconds to various areas over or near your pain to see if it helps.
Pressure is usually most effective if it is applied as firmly as possible without causing pain.
You can use pressure for up to about 1 minute. This often will relieve pain for several minutes to several hours after the pressure is released. Vibration over or near the area of pain may bring temporary relief. For example, the scalp attachment of a hand-held vibrator often relieves a headache. For low back pain, a long, slender battery operated vibrator placed at the small of the back may be helpful.