I Knead You!

By Sharon Livley

The first beautiful weekend of spring is a common time to want to get outside and feel the warmth of the sun, smell the new growth of flowers coming to life, hear the birds sing, see the new colors of the flowers bursting open… We are so happy to finally get outside after being couped up during the winter that we might overdo some of the outdoor activities in our manic elation to crowd all our winter daydreams into the first pretty spring day outside. Massage therapists will be busy working out many a client’s muscle soreness from overdoing those outdoor activities. Petrissage is the perfect Swedish Massage stroke to work the soreness out of those overworked muscles!

Petrissage

The French translation means literally, to mash or to knead. There are five strokes that make up Swedish Massage and petrissage is the second, it typically follows after effleurage has warmed and prepared the tissues for deeper work.

Petrissage is executed as a cycle of rhythmic lifting, squeezing, releasing of the muscles. Petrissage is the stroke of choice to “milk” the tissues of metabolic wastes and bring new blood and oxygen to the tissues. It stretches and broadens the tissues.

This stroke involves kneading and compression motions. Visualize kneading dough. It gently lift the muscles up and away from the bones then rolls, squeezes, or presses the muscles to enhance greater circulation. As it deepens the circulation it facilitates the clearing of toxins from muscle and nerve tissue.

Information Section # 1: Basics and Safety

Hand position:

1.) Find a table and a pillow doing each step as shown

2.) Hold your hands in the following manner.

Hand is “C-shaped”

3.) Grasp the skin and underlying muscles, knead, wring, or squeeze. Relax your grasp, then repeat the lifting, compressing and releasing cycle. It helps to apply this pressure in a rhythmic circular fashion.

Note: Work one area using several repetitions until the tissues soften before proceeding to another area.

4.) Maintain contact during each repetition

Guidelines:

When working larger muscles it helps to use as much of your hand as possible. It may help further if you visualize that your hands are suction cups extracting toxins from the tissues.

Caution: Wrist position and alignment are important, keep your wrists straight

Practice Session # 1

View the following video on Petrissage of the Posterior/Back of the arms. Grab a pillow and follow along. Watch a few times before attempting on your own.

Testing Session # 1

Watch this video on Petrissage of the Anterior/Front of the legs. Then follow the written sequence listed next.

Try these simple and very effective effleurage and petrissage strokes on someone’s leg….OR Grap a pillow!!

1.) Put 3 squirts of oil into one hand and warm the lubricant, rubbing your hands together.

2.) Standing at the side of the table in a lunge position with your palms down at their ankles.

3.) Place hands in L shapes, finger tips pointing toward their head, and just be still for 10 seconds.

4.) Lean and drag and with the common L-shape of the hand, very slowly toward their hip. Push toward hip keeping each arms straight and wrist relatively unbent. This first excursion should take about 10-15 seconds and you should feel the fullness of the arm in the heel of your hands as you push away from yourself.

5.) Drag only the weight of your hands back, never losing contact, as you come back to your original starting place.

6.) With both hands, grasp the skin and underlying muscles, knead, wring, or squeeze. Relax your grasp, then repeat the lifting, compressing and releasing cycle. It helps to apply this pressure in a rythmic circular fashion. Repeat 3-5 times until you feel the tissues soften.

Things to Notice:

Notice how the tissues soften and become easier to knead.

If you need to, close your eyes to focus and concentrate.

Compare the 1st and last stroke and describe how the tissues feel different.

Do this sequence again to the back of their leg

Information Section #2: Petrissage Variations:

One-handed

Used for small areas, such as the arms, legs, and top of the traps.

You may use pads of fingers and thumbs.

Two-handed

Same as one-handed except that both hands are lifting, compressing and releaseing simultaneously

Larger areas may be addressed with two-handed petrissage, such as the back.

Interlaceing the fingers (praying hands position) or add compression to create waving motion (ocean waves) works well horizontally down the back.

Alternate hand

Lift skin and underlying tissues with one hand and compress.

Lighten the grip enough to allow release and still remain in contact with skin.

Repeat the first move with the opposite hand.

Duplicate sequence alternating both hands

Fulling aka Broadening

Grasp tissue with both hands, lift up and away from bone while spreading it laterally.

Repeat til tissues feel warm and elastic

Broadens muscles and related tissues, mimicking muscle contraction movement.

Skin Rolling

Remove excess lubricant

Grasp and lift between fingers and thumbs compressing tissue

Roll skin as though rolling a pencil using fingers to scoop skin as move across area

Roll in several different directions (vertically, horizontally, diagonally)

Repeat 2-3 times in a session and allow time between each application.

Practice Session # 2

View the following videos of back. Follow along or watch a few times before attempting on your own.

Testing Session # 2

Try this simple and very effective petrissage stroke on someone….OR Grab a pillow. Try to do it without the video below and then watch it to see how much you understood.

1.) Standing at the side of the table facing toward the client’s head. Place one hand on either side at their shoulders, and just be still for 10 seconds.

2.) With both hands, grasp the skin and underlying muscles, knead, wring, or squeeze. Relax your grasp, then repeat the lifting, compressing and releasing cycle. It helps to apply this pressure in a rythmic circular fashion. Repeat 3-5 times until you feel the tissues soften.

3.) Now change to alternate hand petrissage. Lift skin and underlying tissues with one hand and compress. Lighten the grip enough to allow release and still remain in contact with skin.Repeat the first move with the opposite hand. Duplicate sequence alternating both hands. Repeat 3-5 times until you feel the tissues soften.

You should notice each stroke becoming deeper as you progress.

If you need to, close your eyes and focus and concentrate.

Compare the 1st and last stroke and describe how the tissues feel different.

Final Information

In summary, the benefits of petrissage are:

Increases blood flow
Works out wastes
Reduces local swelling
Relieves fatigue
Improves cell nutrition
Relaxes and lengthens muscles
Adresses tension under surface.
Reduces muscle soreness and stiffness
Stimulates nervous system
Softens superficial fascia
Aids in release of endorphins (skin rolling)

Now that you’ve practiced those basic routines find a person or a pillow and try putting it all together for a complete massage for the whole body. Enjoy making your loved ones feel amazing.

Comments:

Please tell us what you think or Petrissage!!! OR What is your favorite part of the receiving massage?

Back:

Posterior Arms:

Posterior Legs

Neck

Anterior Arms & Hands

Anterior Legs

Feet

FIND US:

REFERENCES

Community Care College Massage Therapy Resource Center; Community Care College Massage Therapy Department