Swedish massage uses five basic strokes. Effleurage, French for “touching,” is the
introductory stroke. The therapist uses the whole hand providing long, gliding
strokes relaxing the central nervous system and preparing the local area for the
other strokes. Petrissageinvolves grasping muscle groups and lifting them, stretching
them away from the bones and then kneading or rolling them. This technique is the
closest in imitating exercise because it makes the muscles contract. This stroke is
used mostly on flaccid muscles that need to have their contractile ability increased.
Petrissage also stimulates the central nervous system and therefore is not used with
clients who have cerebral vascular dysfunctions. Frictioninvolves using the fingers
and thumbs to press on small areas and move in a circular motion around the area.
Vibrationinvolves placing the hands on a muscle group and moving them back and
forth quickly in a shaking motion. Tapotementinvolves striking the skin with the
outside edges of the hands, fingers, or cupped palms to stimulate circulation.Shiatsu Massage
In Japanese, shimeans “finger” and atsu means “pressure.” Shiatsu massage is the
Japanese adaptation of acupressure. Like Chinese acupuncture and acupressure, shi-
atsu is based on the idea that life energy, chi, flows along invisible pathways called
meridians. Health is related to a free flow of energy, and illness is caused by block-
ages to the flow. Blocked energy can cause physical discomforts, so the aim is to
release the blocks associated with the discomfort or disease and rebalance the energy
flow. Therapists use their hands, elbows, and even their feet to press for about 30 sec-
onds on each point. Depending on the way it is done, Shiatsu can be gentle or quite
forceful. Done on a floor mat rather than a massage table, a typical Shiatsu session
lasts about an hour.Trigger Point Massage
Trigger point massage is a type of deep massage, in which the fingers are used to
release knots and tender spots in muscles. Rubbing and exerting pressure on these
points has been found to have a positive effect on the healing process by interrupt-
ing the cycle of spasm and pain. Techniques are similar to those used in shiatsu but
are based on Western anatomy and physiology. Trigger point massage is typically a
technique incorporated into Swedish or sports massage.Sports Massage.
Sports massage uses techniques of Swedish massage and Shiatsu massage but
focuses on parts of the body that are likely to be stressed by a particular sport. It
takes less time than Swedish or Shiatsu and is usually more vigorous. For example,148 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE