The massage technique known as “Effleurage” is one of the most common and easy to learn and perform. However, it must be mastered to be used with great effectiveness because it is much more than just gently sliding your hands along the skin and muscles.
Effleurage Techniques are applied in almost all areas of massage therapy and treatment, and for this brief discussion we will look specifically at how it is used to massage the arm. Effleurage utilizes gliding motions that are somewhat circular in nature and require that the masseuse or masseuse never break physical contact with the recipient. The goal of the process is to slowly warm up the muscles and stimulate blood flow, and also to prepare the larger muscles for deeper massage work. Effleurage also asks that moves always use the most pressure when going towards the heart, and this is one way to get the best overall spin.
To start, the receiver can lie on their back with their arms and legs comfortably extended. The use of massage oil during any type of Effleurage is critical, and dispersing the oil is often the first step of the massage. All Effleurage Techniques are geared towards covering as much area as possible in a single movement, and as far as the arm is concerned, this is somewhat easy.
The provider stands to the side of the receiver with their hands along the front and back of the wrist. With steady movements, the hands should slide up the arm and over the top of the shoulder and back down to the wrist. This should occur at least six times, and then the arm can be raised to a forty-five degree angle and the provider can begin to use gliding motions along the upper arm increasing pressure with each movement. The arm is held with the free hand, and this is reversed when the back of the arm is massaged in the same way. The process is repeated on the other arm and the massage is performed.
Continuous contact and targeted pressure are essential for the successful use of Effleurage on the arms. Any discomfort should be treated immediately, and pressure reduction is usually the easiest solution.
