Fingertip massage l-If you’re going to try your hand at being a masseuse, sit your patient in a low-backed chair, facing away from you. The back of the chair should be below your patient’s head and shoulders. Get her to rest her head against you as you stand behind her. Then, when you’re both comfortable, place your hands across her forehead so that your thumbs are resting gently on her temples and your fingertips meet one another in the centre of her forehead. Draw your hands apart, stroking very gently with your fingertips as you go. Stop the stroking movement when your fingertips reach the hair at her temples, just above her ears. Repeat, gently and rhythmically. You’ll soon know if it’s doing any good. If it works, your patient will begin to purr. It’s a very pleasant sensation.

Fingertip massage 2-If that kind of massage doesn’t have much effect, try this one. Lay the palm of one hand across your patient’s forehead, so that your fingertips are resting in the hair above one temple and the edge of your little finger and the side of your hand are touching her eyebrows. Using the edge of your little finger and the side of your hand like a delicate brush, sweep up gently towards the hairline. As the sweep with your right hand reaches her hairline, start another sweep with your left hand, beginning just above her eyebrows as you did before. Repeat, gently and rhythmically. One or the other of these massages should be helpful. Many people enjoy them both.

Circular massage of the scalp-If your patient has a headache across the top of her skull or in a band right round it, try this. Put both your hands into her hair just above her ears, with your fingers splayed out to cover as wide an area of her scalp as you can. Now make circular

movements with all your fingers at once. This is helpful as a gentle massage, but sometimes does more good if you press down quite firmly on to the scalp. Start gently and increase the pressure gradually until you find out what’s best for your patient.

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