How to Do an Effleurage Massage Stroke

Effleurage is the most basic stroke used in Swedish massage therapy. It is a simple gliding stroke that can be done with a flat open palm or a loose fist. Effleurage is usually used to begin and end a massage. It is a transition stroke. It is used to move smoothly from one area of the body to the other or transition between different types of strokes. It is also used to apply and spread lotion and massage oil.Effleurage is also a good stroke to prep tissue and get the blood flowing before you start doing deeper more detailed work. It is a good diagnostic stroke. As you do this stroke you can check for cold or warm spots and knots in the muscles. The ability to do a good smooth effleurage stroke is the foundation a good Swedish or relaxation massage.

Things You'll Need

• Massage oil or lotion

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Instructions

• 1

  Decide where on the body you will begin the massage. Many therapists start on the back but you don’t have to.

• 2

  Put some massage lotion or oil on your hands and rub them together before applying the oil to the person you're massaging. This will make sure the oil spreads evenly.

• 3

  Make sure your hands are relaxed. If you are going to begin with an open palm stroke on the back, start at the top of the back near the shoulder or at the bottom of the back (lumbar). Approach the area you’ll be massaging slowing. Don’t plop your whole hand down at once. Let your fingertips make contact first, than your whole fingers, then your palm and finally the heel of your hand. Then let that hand glide from the shoulder to the lumbar or the other way around if you started at the lumbar. You can massage area with one hand if you like but it’s more efficient to use two.

• 4

  Start a stroke with the second hand on the same side once the first hand is on the body. The second hand is chasing the first hand. You can also start both hands at once on both the right and left side of the body.

• 5

  Bring the stroke back down once you get to the end of the area you’re massaging you can or you can bring your hand off the body slowly like you put it on. This time the fingertips leave the body first, followed by the fingers, palm and heel of hand.

• 6

  Start your stroke backwards by doing what you did before starting with the heel of your hand. So the heel of your hand makes contact first followed by the palm, fingertips and fingers.