5 Common Massage Therapy Methods
1. KNEADING
It is the most popular technique in performing a back massage in Gold Coast – mostly experienced in a Relaxation and Remedial Massage in Gold Coast.
For novices, kneading is the motion that comes most naturally because it involves applying pressure to various body areas with your thumbs or palms. This method’s goal is to displace a muscle from a bone, which helps to reduce muscle spasms. Kneading is technically known as Petrissage, a term typically found in massage treatment texts.
Kneading is one of the first methods ever taught to massage therapy students, making it a little simpler to master than the others. However, it’s also crucial to understand how quickly and forcefully pressure is delivered to the skin and muscles.
Asking the customer about their preferences is one method of determining how much pressure and pace to use when conducting a back massage in Gold Coast. If you still need to, you should start by altering the force and speed in response to the client’s reactions as you massage them.
Keep in mind that in performing this technique, you should always ensure the person receiving the massage is not in pain or discomfort. Work your way into it as your customer instructs you, starting with light pressure and slower rates.
2. EFFLEURAGE (LIGHT/DEEP STROKING)
Another technique that is frequently employed in salons, parlours, and massage stations is Effleurage. It requires using your hands to press on the skin gently. Using oils or creams might make this technique more comfortable. It entails sliding the hands over the body while keeping them flat.
To maximise the client’s comfort and relaxation during a back massage in Gold Coast, Effleurage is frequently applied at the start and end of the session. This technique promotes blood flow to particular body parts while also relaxing the muscles in preparation for other, more strenuous operations.
Start your massage by applying mild, soothing strokes to the body while keeping your hands open when using this technique. To softly massage the skin, utilise circular motions. If the client requests it, you can slightly increase the pressure.
The method can be applied to the body to release tension and muscular knots by using extra pressure. This method is frequently employed in various massage techniques, including a Swedish or Deep Tissue Massage in Gold Coast.
3. RUBBING
As its name suggests, the rubbing technique primarily uses the thumbs, which are frequently moved in a circular pattern while applying pressure. This method is employed to lessen muscle and joint pain and improve blood flow throughout the body.
Your thumbs can massage certain body parts, especially sore muscles or painful joints. Rubbing can be integrated into a deep tissue massage at a higher pressure to ease stiffness and discomfort in the deeper levels of the muscular tissues.
As long as you’re utilising two thumbs, rubbing can be done using a variety of movement patterns. Despite being very similar in many ways, these movements could fall under a different approach depending on where and when massage therapists use them.
For instance, rubbing is a type of kneading that is also referred to as the deeper Effleurage, which is primarily used in a deep tissue massage in Gold Coast.
4. TAPPING OR TAPOTEMENT
Since tapping massage is one of the most excellent methods for enhancing blood circulation, it is frequently utilised in sports massages. The massage therapist tapped the back, thighs, and buttocks, which are the body’s main areas during this massage.
In a tapping massage, the hands can be cupped so that only the tips of the fingers and the edges of the palm touch the skin, or they can be laid side by side and tapped on the skin. You can modify the procedure to tap in a specific way if that seems more comfortable for your client.
Another thing to remember when employing the tapping technique is to tap quickly and rhythmically. Depending on how much pressure you use and how your customer prefers it, you can bend or straighten your hand.
Sometimes you could concentrate on a specific area of the client’s body that is exceptionally stiff and unpleasant. Consider combining the tapping with a hacking motion, which applies intense pressure to a limited body area.
5. SHIFTING OR VIBRATION
Finally, because this technique also uses rhythm, it resembles tapping in specific ways. You are instructed to lightly shake the muscles at a reasonably quick pace to simulate a vibration travelling through the area, using your hands across a wide surface area (such as the back, for example) or your fingers (across the face).
Since the primary goal of this technique is to give a calming sensation to the body’s muscles and nerves, it usually doesn’t require a lot of pressure. Many therapists have also advocated using this method to massage scar tissue around it.
Tips on How to Massage Your Back Effectively
The following tips will help you give a memorable back massage.
Tip #1:
Establish a relaxing environment for massages
Your loved one should lie on the floor on a stable, hard surface in your home. Any solid surface will do; you don’t need a massage table.
To maximise the comfort of the lucky recipient of your massage, spread out towels, blankets, or other soft materials.
To make the massage more memorable, you can create a relaxing ambience by adding gentle music, scented candles, flowers, or herbs. Any lotions or massage oils you intend to use on the skin should be nearby.
Tip #2:
Use moderate amounts of oil and avoid pouring it directly
Oil wrestling isn’t massage. A jumble of oil causes too much slippage and insufficient pressing. If you’re massaging a person with hair, you certainly need more oil, but less than you may imagine.
And before putting the massage oil on your partner’s exposed skin, warm it up by rubbing it between your palms.
Tip #3:
Avoid doing it in bed
Giving back massages on beds have three drawbacks:
Stress on the massage therapist. Moving around is more complex, and you can’t quickly provide massages while in that posture.
Put some pressure on the massager. When pressure is applied, a too-soft surface puts the spine in a poor position that is exacerbated.
It works less well. When someone is on such a soft surface, you cannot apply as much pressure or exercise as much control.
Although a massage table is perfect, it can be unsightly and take up a lot of space in the home. While lying on the floor, you can massage your legs. When sitting in a chair, you can rub your back and shoulders (facing it with a pillow between your chest and the backrest).
Tip #4:
Take a break and shake-up
Another silly-feeling but powerful massage method is simply shaking.
Pick up their leg by the ankle if they’re on their stomach, pull it gently in your direction, and shake it. Alternately, if the person is seated, shake their hand while holding their wrist at a 90-degree angle, as if they were waving hello.
Tip #5:
Apply the massage techniques in this order.
Pick one or two of the preferred techniques, perform them in sets of three like the other techniques mentioned above, and then move on to the next.
- Effleurage (Stroking) – To warm up, two hands support one hand first.
- Petrissage (Kneading) – Rhythmically, use different hands to grab and compress a muscle.
- Friction – Presses using a supported finger, thumb, or forearm.
- Compression (Deep pressure) – Use your static thumb, knuckle, or elbow for any knots.
- Tapotement (Percussion) – Loose pinches and wrist fists.
- Vibration and Shaking – Shake a limb by picking it up, giving it a little tug, and then shaking it with your hands in one spot.
- Effluence Again – like performing a cool-down after exercise.
Note that you do not need to do each massage method on every part of your body or do them in this precise order. This framework facilitates choosing what to do next.
Potential Health Benefits of Massage
Massage therapy is a branch of integrative medicine that can be utilised in conjunction with conventional treatment. A back massage in Gold Coast may provide the following health advantages:
- Lowering of stress
- Heightened relaxation
- Circulation improvement, feeling more alert and active
- Reduced blood pressure and heart rate
- Immune system improvement
Those who endure additional conditions, including headaches and pain in the neck and upper back, to mention a few, may also find that massage is helpful. A further study is required to support these assertions and adds that massage should never be used as a substitute for standard medical care.
Beyond the potential health advantages of massage, persons who get it frequently find it enjoyable since it may foster feelings of care, comfort, and connection.
Reward Yourself with an Amazing Back Massage in Gold Coast
