Effleurage is best described as which type of massage movement?

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Multiple Choice

Effleurage is best described as which type of massage movement?

Effleurage is described by long, smooth, continuous strokes that glide over the skin. These light to moderate pressure movements are performed with the palms, fingers, or forearms and follow the length of the muscle, helping to warm tissues, spread lubricant, improve circulation, and relax the client. It’s typically used at the start and end of a Swedish-style massage to set a calming rhythm and prepare the body for deeper work. The other options refer to different techniques: kneading, squeezing, and pinching describe petrissage, which lifts and compresses tissue; rapid shaking is a vibration movement; percussion, or tapotement, involves tapping or chopping motions. None of these match the smooth, continuous stroking nature of effleurage.

Effleurage is described by long, smooth, continuous strokes that glide over the skin. These light to moderate pressure movements are performed with the palms, fingers, or forearms and follow the length of the muscle, helping to warm tissues, spread lubricant, improve circulation, and relax the client. It’s typically used at the start and end of a Swedish-style massage to set a calming rhythm and prepare the body for deeper work.

The other options refer to different techniques: kneading, squeezing, and pinching describe petrissage, which lifts and compresses tissue; rapid shaking is a vibration movement; percussion, or tapotement, involves tapping or chopping motions. None of these match the smooth, continuous stroking nature of effleurage.

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