Here’s a video on how you might use some tools to help you achieve a specifically dispersing effect or simply for ease in applying pressure if your hands are tired or weak.
The first is the MANAKA HAMMER AND PEG. Yoshio Manaka (1911-1989) was a gifted physician, acupuncturist and Shiatsu therapist. His work has influenced such notable figures as Kiiko Matsumoto and Stephen Birch, who have written some of the most insightful books on Japanese energy medicine.
I use the Manaka Hammer and Peg to shift stubbornly resistant areas of congestion, that I have diagnosed via the tongue as being due to an excess condition such as Dampness or Stagnation. Because it vibrates the body tissues, it is a really useful “mover and shaker”. I say it in the video and I repeat it here, Don’t use it indiscriminately for any pain, as pain or stiffness can be due to deficiency or kyo, and don’t over-use it, especially on frail or weak receivers. It works best if you use it on meridians and points.
You can use other massage tools in between the metatarsals and metacarpals and work them into the webs between fingers and toes. It is a refreshing way of clearing the ends of the meridians, that can get clogged. You can do this with your hands too, of course, but the tool makes it easier. With oil or without, over socks or on the skin, it is a nice move that many people enjoy and is quite effective.
Have a look at the video!