Massage.
TechniquefrictionDraft

Circular friction

Small circles made with the finger or thumb pads that move the skin over the deeper tissue without sliding, to work a specific spot.

Purpose
  • Work a small, specific area more deeply than gliding strokes can
  • Warm the tissue around bony edges such as the shoulder blade
  • Feel for localised tight or tender spots
Pressure
3–7 / 10 · pressure scale
RhythmSlow and even, about one circle a second, staying on one spot for several circles.
HandsPads of the fingers or thumb, or the heel of the hand; the other hand can reinforce the working fingers
Cautions
  • Use little oil; the fingers should move the skin, not slide over it.
  • Work beside bony edges, not on them, and never on the spinous processes.
  • Build pressure slowly and ask for feedback, as small areas can feel intense.

Step by step

1 / 6
  1. 01 / 06

    Warm the area

    Effleurage and knead the area first so the tissue is warm. Wipe off any excess oil.

  2. 02 / 06
    Fingertip pads rest on the muscle beside the shoulder blade

    Place the pads

    Rest the pads of two or three fingers on the muscle, for example beside the inside border of the shoulder blade. Keep the fingers together and the wrist straight.

  3. 03 / 06

    Sink in

    Lean in slowly until you reach the depth you want. The fingers and skin now move as one; they do not slide.

  4. 04 / 06
    Fingers move the skin in small circles over the deeper tissue without sliding

    Make small circles

    Move the skin in small circles over the tissue beneath, about the size of a coin. Keep the pressure even around the whole circle.

  5. 05 / 06
    Work spot by spot down the inside border of the shoulder blade

    Move spot by spot

    After a few circles, ease the pressure, move a finger-width along and repeat. Work in a line, such as down the border of the shoulder blade.

  6. 06 / 06

    Soothe the area

    Finish with effleurage to spread the work and settle the area.

Common mistakes

  • Sliding over the skin, which rubs and can irritate it.
  • Pressing straight onto bone instead of beside it.
  • Using a bent, unsupported finger or thumb, which strains the joint.
  • Making circles too large and fast, so the stroke loses focus.

How it should feel

  • Giver: the skin moves with your fingers and you can feel the tissue underneath.
  • Receiver: a focused, deep circling pressure that stays comfortable.

Self-check

Drills

Friction is one of the five classic Swedish strokes. Unlike Effleurage, the hand does not glide: it presses in and moves the skin over the tissue beneath. Circular friction is the version most used in relaxation massage; Transverse friction moves back and forth across the fibres instead.

Common places are beside the shoulder blade over the Rhomboid major and Trapezius, near the top of the shoulder blade where the Levator scapulae attaches, and along the Erector spinae.

Muscles

  • Trapezius — Large diamond-shaped muscle of the upper back and neck that moves and stabilises the scapula.
  • Rhomboid major — Diamond-shaped muscle between the spine and the shoulder blade that pulls the scapula towards the spine and holds it against the ribs.
  • Levator scapulae — Strap-like muscle at the back and side of the neck that lifts the scapula and helps bend and turn the neck to the same side.
  • Erector spinae — Three long columns of muscle (iliocostalis, longissimus and spinalis) running beside the spine from the sacrum to the skull that extend and side-bend the back and hold the trunk upright.

Used in routines

Modalities

  • Reflexology — A pressure technique applied mainly to the feet (and sometimes hands and ears), based on a belief that areas of the feet correspond to body organs; clients often find it relaxing, but the organ "map" claims are not supported by evidence.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Swedish massage
  2. University of Minnesota, Taking Charge of Your Wellbeing: Glossary of massage techniques
  3. Human Kinetics: Common massage techniques