Western Massage Therapy

In the previous article, specific types of Western massage therapy were discussed, specifically effleurage and petrissage. In this next installment, find out about the rest of the Western massage types.

What is done in tapotement?

Tapotement involves sudden, compressive blows on the muscle or skin. The following are usually done in tapotement:

• Tapotement involves rhythmic, rapid, and gentle percussion.
• There are different types of tapotement, depending on what part of your hands touch the body.
• Many people believe that tapotement displaces trapped air, leading to a therapeutic effect.
• Tapotement stimulates. This stimulatory effect is desired by a lot of people who want to feel energized.

What is done in deep friction?

Deep friction involves a shearing stress that is created between tissue interfaces right below the skin. The following are done to achieve effective deep friction massage:

• In deep friction, the shearing stress is directed on underlying tissues instead of more superficial tissues of the skin. The interface involved may be between the dermis and the fascia, the fascia and the muscle, or the muscle and the bone.
• The use of deep pressure keeps the more superficial areas of the skin from experiencing friction.
• Using the ball of your finger or thumb, pressure is carefully applied on someone’s soft tissues.
• This type of massage is specifically useful in preventing adhesion of scars. Adhesion of scar tissue results in limited mobility; it is therefore important to prevent this from happening.

Western massage uses scientific principles and knowledge regarding the body’s anatomy and physiology. It is largely based on either scientific theories or proven principles.

If you are curious about the origins of massage and why it brings about natural relief from many pains and medical conditions, read this. Also, you may learn more about effleurage and petrissage, the two other types of western massage by reading this article.

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