Having decided on a career as a massage therapist, the next logical step is to decide what type of therapeutic massage you wish to do. There is a vast choice of modalities, and for the inexperienced – perhaps an overwhelming choice. A good basic modality to learn is Swedish massage. It covers the basics, and a short course will give a basic understanding of human anatomy and form a solid foundation for any other modalities one might wish to learn.

There are four basic strokes in Swedish massage: effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, and friction. All require a basic understanding and are easily translated into deep tissue massage should you feel the need to progress. Per Henrik Ling was originally credited with developing the techniques, although I suspect he was not the first, as after a few lessons, they are obviously a natural application.

And – in Sweden, it is just called massage,” much like the fact that Chinese food in China is just called “food,” – OK – Friends – I know :)

Effleurage is performed using either the padded parts of the fingertips or the palm of the hands, and can be applied in a variety of ways, depending on the strength of the practitioner and the sensitivity of the receiver.

Pettrisage involves kneading the muscles – once again using the fingertips and paolms of the hands and is generally not a deep tissue massage. The movements are usually slow and measured.

Tapotement is  used to stimulate the tissue and is a good way of aiding the lymphatic system. Generally applied using the tips of the fingers or the edge of the palm of the hand. And never over a bone – only on the soft part of the muscle.

Friction is usually applied using the thumbs – cross friction being the most effective technique with one thumb working in opposition to the other.

Swedish massage is un-intrusive, will very rarely reach into the deeper muscles and is probably the best place to learn the basics of massage therapy. Generally, a light oil is used and low amounts of pressure. These techniques form the foundation of almost any other massage techniques and are best learned in the beginning of a career in massage therapy. They are simple, and after a few hours instruction will come naturally to most practitioners. Any beginner would be well advised to start their learning process with a short Swedish massage therapy course. A deeper understanding of the benefits of massage and human anatomy flows organically from these basics.