Direction of Massage Strokes

1. Is the direction of Massage Strokes important? Does it really matter?
2. How come that Swedish Massage Therapy uses strokes towards the heart on the back of the legs and Chinese Massage uses downward strokes on the back of the legs?
3. Why are some Massage therapists working towards a restriction and some away from it?

Answer 1: Yes and No.
Answer 2: Because they are based on different views (one is based on the gross material body the other the system of meridians and energy channels)
Answer 3: Yes and No

What determines which direction are you using?

1. it is dependent on which school of thought are you following
2. on your understanding on the problem and its interrelation to other body parts
3. the intention of the practitioner.

It basically means that if you are thinking Swedish massage wise, that you are interested in increasing local circulation, full body circulation and help venous blood flow and the flow of lymph fluid.

You aid the venous flow, by using massage strokes towards the heart, and the flow of lymph fluids by using massage strokes towards the closest lymph nodes (which in turn emptying this fluid ultimately into the right or the left subclavian vein, where it mixes back with blood).

But if you are looking at it from point of view of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), then you will direct your massage strokes according to the flow of Chi in the meridians, which is up on the front of the body and down on the back of the body. (Although some Chinese massage therapists are putting forward that Chi is also flowing up on the back of the body)

If you are looking to relieve for instance an inflamed tendon of a muscle, you might work towards this muscle insertion from all directions (according to specific techniques of Myofascial Release, Rolfing etc.)

The understanding of the problem and its connections to the rest of the body will give you clues on which path to choose. The more paths you have available the more flexible you can be in your choices.

All three paths (and many more) can be equally successful.(just like many roads lead to the same city).

The intention of the massage therapist also has a crucial influence on the massage stroke. Whatever modalities a person has available, on whatever a massage therapist bases his or her treatment choice and whatever that practitioner wants to achieve will determine the direction of the massage strokes.

Click here to see different types of massage strokes videos