Effleurage In Swedish Massage

Effleurage is the first category in Swedish massage. You use effleurage to apply lubricant, whether oil, cream, lotion, or powder. This stroke is also used to get the client used to your touch.

The word for this stroke is a French word meaning to glide or flow. That is exactly what you do--you glide your fingers, hands or forearms over an area of the body, slowly, letting yourself sink down deep into the skin and the underlying muscles. Repeat this several times in the same area and follow the shape of your client's body with this stroke over the entire body part you are working on.

This is a good stroke for palpating the tissue and feeling for any tightness in the muscles and soft tissues.

This beginning stroke moves lymph and blood and gets the soft tissues warmed up and prepared for additional strokes. Sometimes it is the only stroke you need to perform as a massage therapist to make a client's pain go away.

It is the stroke that not only starts a massage, but also ends it. That is correct. Once all of the other massage strokes have been completed, you will once again perform this stroke to finish off the massage.

It can be performed with one hand or two. When working on the arms and legs, the most important thing to remember is to make sure the blood flows toward the heart and not away from it to promote venous blood flow. So you would start from the bottom of the area such as the foot or hand and move up to the next joint.

The second most important thing to remember about this stroke is to perform it slowly, allowing your fingers to sink down deep into the tissue. Really let the client feel it. Don't be rough. Just move slowly and deeply. It will really benefit the client that way.

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