Is it okay for someone to walk on your back?

Answer 1

As long as you do it right!! Having someone walk your back is (in my experience) the best way to 'crack' your back and you get a decent back massage at the same time.

I reckon other methods such as people trying to 'push' the spine with their hands or bending you backwards while lifting you off the floor can actually do damage if they push the wrong area or push too hard, or if they lift too 'jerkily'... i used to use a chiropractor and even they weren't always the most pleasurable people to do my back.

The basic principal of all the techniques is the same really- applying pressure and movement to correct your spine/ relax your back muscles (if you are looking at it as a massage).

Ive had plenty of mates walk on me and its great, but here's some tips ive learned along the way and have seen recommended by others.

* If the person walking on you weighs too much they could do damage, not only to your back but also to your internal organs, ribs etc- they can be heavier than you but not huge!

* Are they too heavy? This is the most important thing! You would generally have an idea by comparing your body sizes, but if your unsure, and to be safe, to check if you can manage their weight do this- Ask them to gradually step onto your upper back with their feet side by side, on each side of your spine, with their toes almost on your shoulders and heels facing towards your butt. Ask them to stand fullweight on the spot until your pretty comfortable you can manage their weight.

Why stand on that particular spot? It tests your ability to breathe with all their weight concentrated down onto your lungs, and you will feel if your chest and ribs can handle it. It is perfectly normal to find your breathing may be restricted or even difficult at times and you will feel squashed, which is normal when you are beneath another persons full weight!... However you shouldn't feel uncomfortalbe.

you should be able to take the weight like this for a little while without it hurting or feeling pain.. If you do, you can be fairly confident they can walk all over the rest of you without hurting you or doing damage.

* lay down somewhere where they have something to hold onto, like next to a table, so they can balance, having someone wobbling around uncontrolably on top of you can be risky

* Dont let anyone stand with all their weight on your spine!

* People will normaly walk with their feet accross your body so that their toes are on one side of your body and the heel on the other- your spine will be under the middle of their feet- you will find the sheer pressure on your back tends to click everything back into place, it will make cliking noises but shouldn't hurt you

* If they walk up and down on you, they should do so with one foot on either side of your spine, not in the middle of your back with the weight on your spine

* You don't want people to 'bounce' or 'jump' their weight down onto you in an attempt to get some clicking noises- this should happen just with their weight walking over you, plus the bouncing wieght is not comfortalbe for you.

Hope that helps, as I said I have often done this for the sake of relaxing a sore and tired back and have had no problems with it at all.