Massage Therapy Techniques

A good massage can be the most relaxing experience ever. After a hard day, when you are completely tense and just cannot relax, there is nothing like a massage to help you unwind, and to relax and feel better. It can also help if you have some sort of aches and pains, of course - for persistent back aches and shoulder aches, and even for headaches, a massage can be of immense help.

Using the right massage therapy techniques is very important, however. You need not be a professional masseuse, but you have to have some elementary knowledge of basic massage therapy techniques before you actually give somebody a massage, or you will not be doing the person a favor of any sort. On the other hand, you might actually cause them some sort of injury at worst, and discomfort and pain at best.

PRESSURE SORES STAGES

So let us take a look at the basic massage therapy techniques that you can use.

They can be divided into stages. The first stage of proper massage therapy techniques is effleurage. Every massage should begin with this. This usually is the very light stroking that you begin with. However, for some things, like edema, deep effleurage can help.

When you begin a massage, keep your hands on the area you are about to massage, but be very light. Now stroke, quite lightly, without taking your hand away during the duration of this stage. You can slightly increase the pressure after a while, but the person you are massaging must be comfortable at all times. The pressure must be increased as you move towards the heart, and decreased as you move away from the heart.

Petrisage is the next stage of a massage. You can use either your fingertips or the heels of your palms to slightly pull the muscle tissue towards you and knead. Again, the cardinal rule is that the person you are massaging must be comfortable at all times. This can 'hurt good', though, which is a good thing.

The next stage you can go on to is Tapotement, but unless your subject is in good physical shape, he or she might not like it. You use the sides of your palms to hack with medium pressure, or use your cupped hands, instead. If the person has any physical ailments, this is not advisable.

The fourth stage is friction - with either your thumb or your finger tips, apply pressure in a circle to the bony parts, like knees or the spine, and hold.

You can end with the massage therapy technique effleurage again, and hopefully your subject will be happy and relaxed!

Massage Therapy Techniques

PRESSURE SORES STAGES