Knock Out Pain and Stress With a Kneading Massage

Imagine this: After a long and tiring day, you come home to a massaging chair that can relieve all your stress and worries away. Simulating gentle and caring hands like that of your favorite massage therapist, your body gets that dose of manual and therapeutic movements that only your ideal massage chair can deliver.

But have you ever wondered what makes these massage therapies delivered by massage chairs effective and enjoyable? If you think the technique involved has something to do with it, then you’re absolutely right.
Here’s one good example:

You’ve probably felt that repetitive circular motion where your skin and muscles are lifted, pressed down, and squeezed until your underlying connective tissue (or fascia) feels warm and loose enough. Such movement is called kneading and it is one of the most commonly applied techniques used in delivering the benefits that come with massage therapy.

Does that stir your curiosity? Then check this out.

Kneading massage (simply called kneading) belongs to a classification of massage movements called Petrissage. Originating from the French word “petrir” which means “to knead”, petrissage movements aim to reach your underlying muscles and tissues with a unique set of movements coupled with a pressure that is deep and compressed.

So how does kneading differ from other massage techniques?

As opposed to other gliding massage movements (like friction), kneading lifts and rolls away your body’s muscle (and connective tissues) from the underlying bone. Then, the lifted tissue is squeezed and compressed back, returning it to its original position. Slow and rhythmic movements focused and sustained on the lifted muscle and tissue is characteristic of a kneading massage style.

Still confused?

Kneading can be performed on various parts of your body. For example, if you have stiff and painful shoulder blades that limit your range of motion, you can benefit from a kneading massage on that area. Your lower back can also be a target of a kneading massage giving relief to lower back pains brought about by tense and sore muscles.

Want to know another cool feat?

Massage chairs in today’s market are also capable of executing human-like kneading massage movements. Some models employ the technique as a manual massage style option while others have it as a built-in calf massage feature, such as the one in Osaki Pro Maestro.

So, should you get a kneading massage?

If you are after a manipulation technique that uses alternating and intermittent pressure in your massage session, then a kneading massage style is a good option for you. Specifically, if you need relief from pain, getting a kneading massage can give you pain-reducing benefits through increased blood circulation and increased temperature.

Still not convinced?

Kneading massage movements can also help you regain flexibility. This is because the technique loosens up muscular fibers as the kneading motion stretches out the underlying tissues. Similarly, it can decrease the tension that you feel in your body as kneading manipulates and mobilizes the fibers of your muscles.

So there it is:

Kneading is one of the most common techniques used by massage therapists and massage chair alike that can stimulate your muscles and tissues through circular movements coupled with pinching, rolling, and squeezing. It can give you various benefits such as pain relief and regained flexibility so you can get back to enjoying your everyday life fully.