Massage.
TechniquevibrationDraft

Shaking

A larger, rhythmical vibration where the hand grasps a muscle or holds a limb and shakes it loosely from side to side.

Purpose
  • Encourage the client to let a muscle or limb go loose
  • Add a brisk, loosening stroke, often in sports and pre-event massage
  • Link or finish work on a limb
Pressure
1–4 / 10 · pressure scale
RhythmQuick and rhythmical side-to-side movement, a few seconds to about 30 seconds at a time.
HandsWhole hand loosely grasping the muscle belly, or both hands holding a limb at the wrist or ankle
Cautions
  • Support the limb fully; the client should never have to hold it up.
  • Keep the movement within a comfortable range and avoid jarring the joints.
  • Grasp the muscle, not the skin, so you do not pinch.

Step by step

1 / 6
  1. 01 / 06

    Relax the area

    Position the client so the muscle is slack. For the calf, the client lies prone with the knee bent and the lower leg supported upright.

  2. 02 / 06
    Prone client with the knee bent: one hand loosely grasps the calf muscle

    Grasp the muscle

    Wrap your hand loosely around the muscle belly, such as the calf. Your other hand steadies the foot or ankle.

  3. 03 / 06
    Lift the calf muscle slightly and shake it side to side in a steady rhythm

    Lift and shake

    Lift the muscle slightly away from the bone and shake it side to side in a quick, steady rhythm. The muscle should wobble freely.

  4. 04 / 06

    Travel along the muscle

    Move up and down the muscle belly as you shake, keeping the grip relaxed.

  5. 05 / 06
    Hold the wrist, take up the slack and send small waves up the arm

    Limb shaking

    For a whole limb, hold the wrist or ankle, take up a little slack with gentle traction and send small waves up the limb.

  6. 06 / 06

    Set the limb down

    Slow the shake gradually and lower the limb back onto the table with full support.

Common mistakes

  • Gripping so tightly that the muscle cannot move.
  • Shaking so hard that the joints jar.
  • Letting the client hold the limb up instead of supporting it.
  • Stopping abruptly instead of slowing down.

How it should feel

  • Giver: a relaxed grip and a loose, easy rhythm from the forearm.
  • Receiver: the muscle feels floppy and loose, with no pinching or jarring.

Self-check

Drills

Shaking (also called jostling) is a larger, slower form of Vibration. It is useful on muscles you can grasp, such as the Gastrocnemius, Hamstrings and Quadriceps, and for loosening a whole arm or leg.

Its gentler, whole-body relative is Rocking.

Muscles

  • Gastrocnemius — Two-headed superficial calf muscle that runs from above the knee to the heel and points the foot and helps bend the knee.
  • Hamstrings — Group of three muscles on the back of the thigh, running from the sitting bone to below the knee, that bend the knee and extend the hip.
  • Quadriceps — Group of four large muscles on the front of the thigh that join into one tendon over the kneecap and are the only muscles that straighten the knee.
  • Deltoid — Thick, triangular muscle that caps the shoulder and is the main muscle for lifting the arm out to the side.

Used in routines

Modalities

  • Sports massage — Massage adapted to people who train or compete, with brisk pre-event work, calming post-event work and maintenance sessions between.

Sources

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