Massage Techniques Jargon Buster

Here is our jargon buster for some terms used in massage:

Petrissage a squeezing movement applied across the muscle fibres. Also called kneading, wringing or rolling, it helps to break up knots and tension spots.

Friction a variation of petrissage, friction stokes use the thumbs and fingers to apply small circular motions

Percussion  also known as tapotement or hacking, uses the sides of the hands to strike repeatedly onto the muscle. Can be either relaxing or stimulating depending on the pressure used.

Effleurage uses both hands to apply long, gliding strokes that follow the direction of the muscle fibres

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