Massage Techniques: Petrissage and Frictions

• Petrissage is a type of massage which uses deep pressure to stretch and loosen muscles.
• Petrissage is effective in improving blood circulation and eliminating waste products from the body.
• Petrissage can help to maintain the right amount of muscle tension and stimulate the skin.
• Petrissage is a effective technique to break up adhesions and realign tissue fibers.
• Frictions are a type of massage which applies force across soft tissue structures.
• Frictions are used to help in many circumstances, such as after injury or during rehabilitation.
• Frictions are an effective massage technique that can help treat scar tissue and increase range of movement around a joint.
• Frictions cause an increase of vasodilation in the blood. Vasodilation is the widening of blood vessels.
• Frictions can help breakdown and realign collagen fibers. Collagen fibers are a specific type of connective tissue that are high in texture and high in strength.
• Scar tissue is made up of collagen fibers. When scar tissue forms, it can lie across the normal alignment of the muscle fibers and become restrictive. Restricting tissues can limit movement and cause pain.
• Frictions are a specific massage technique that aims to treat restrictive tissue and realign fibers in their normal form.
• Frictions increase tissue elasticity. Frictions performed in the directions of muscle fibers can stretch and elongate the tissues.
• Frictions also increase temperature which can increase the movement of the tissue fibers so they can be manipulated and stretched.
• Increased elasticity is important to increase movement and prevent tightness.

The benefits of friction massage include increased range of movement, improved healing, and decreased pain.

• Frictions applied to the skin can reduce pain by increasing the temperature of the soft tissues, increasing flexibility and range of movement, and interrupting pain signal pathways.

• The touch of frictions onto the skin sends messages to the brain which can interrupt pain signals being registered.