Steps
- 011 min
Set-up and first contact
Client prone under the top sheet with a bolster under the ankles and the face cradle adjusted. Fold the drape to the top of the gluteals, tuck it in, and rest both hands on the back for three slow breaths before you start.
- 024 min · Back
Opening effleurage
Full-back strokes from the lower back up either side of the spine to the shoulders, fanning out and returning down the sides. Build pressure gradually and check it after a few strokes.
- 035 min · Back
Back petrissage
Knead up the muscles beside the spine and out over the sides of the back, one side at a time, from the lower back to the shoulder blade. Keep the rhythm slow.
- 042 min · Back
Wringing across the back
Standing side-on, draw the hands across the back in opposite directions, travelling up and down between the waist and the shoulder blades.
- 052 min · Back
Skin rolling
Lift a roll of skin and walk it slowly up the back on each side of the spine. Skip any area where the skin will not lift or it feels sharp.
- 064 min · Shoulder
Frictions around the shoulder blade
Small, slow circles along the inner border of each shoulder blade and over the blade, moving upwards. Stay off the spine and ask about pressure.
- 074 min · Shoulder
Upper shoulders
Knead the upper trapezius from the base of the neck out to the shoulder, one side then the other. This area is often tight, so check the pressure.
- 083 min · Neck
Back of the neck
Gently squeeze and lift the muscles up the back of the neck from the base to the skull. Use lighter pressure than on the back.
- 092 min · Neck
Base of the skull
Small, light circles with the finger pads just under the base of the skull, working out from the centre.
- 102 min · Back
Closing effleurage
Slow full-back strokes, each lighter than the last.
- 111 min · Back
Feathering and hold
Fingertip strokes from the shoulders down to the sacrum, then rest both hands still on the back. Cover the back and tell the client you have finished.
Set-up
Prepare the table as in Draping and room set-up. The client lies prone with a bolster under the ankles and the face cradle set so the neck is straight. Drape to the top of the gluteals. Agree a pressure number with Pressure scale and check-ins.
Order
- Whole back (about 13 min): Effleurage, Petrissage of the Erector spinae and Latissimus dorsi, Wringing and Skin rolling.
- Shoulder blades and shoulders (about 8 min): Circular friction around the rhomboids and kneading of the Trapezius.
- Neck (about 5 min): kneading up the back of the neck, then light circles under the base of the skull (Suboccipitals).
Work from broad to specific and back to broad: warm the whole back before detailed work, and finish with long strokes.
Closing
Finish with light strokes and a still hold. Cover the back, tell the client you have finished and let them get up in their own time.