Swedish massage therapy is the most popular type of massage in the US. It has several techniques including five main strokes, with several variations.
These help it to achieve the effects of relaxation and healing often felt both during and after the massage.
The very first stroke that is usually used is called an Affleurage. It is long and gliding strokes. You can either start at the neck and move towards the bottom if the spine or you can move from the shoulder towards the fingertips. In this type of stroke you either use either your entire hand, or your thumb pads. The Affleurage is usually used so the therapist and subject’s body can get used to each other.
Stroke number two is called the Petrissage. The whole purpose of the Petrissage is to increase the subject’s circulation so that it can aid in the clearing of the toxins from both the muscle and the nerve tissue. This is probably the hardest type of Swedish massage therapy technique to do and to perform this, you normally have to use motions that manipulate their muscles and sking usine some motions like kneading and compression to gently lift muscles away from their bones and turning and squeezing them. You should use gentle pressure the entire time.
Now comes the most penetrating stroke, Friction. This stroke requires intense rounded or slanting motions, that the therapist will make with either the thumb pad or fingertips. The joints and bony areas are where these deep, circular motions are applied. They help to break down knots that form from muscle fibers binding while you are healing. This allows for more flexiblility in both muscles and joints.
Next in line is a Tapotement. For this a number of brisk, percussive movements are applied. This is the stroke where the hands alternately strike or tap muscles. There are several different variations to this particular stroke. Some of them are the application using the side of the hand, resembling a karate chop, using fingertips, or striking using a fist. This is often used to relieve the subject of tension and cramping caused by muscle spasms.
Last, but certainly not least, Vibration or Shaking can be used. It is used to help circulation and increase muscle to contact power, and is especially beneficial to people with lower back problems. It is performed by the therapist pressing their hands either on the subject’s back or the limbs, and then shakes rapidly for a few seconds. Now you can see why Swedish massage therapy is probably one of the best type of massage you can ever have.