Massage.
TechniquefrictionDraft

Transverse friction

Short back-and-forth strokes across the direction of the muscle or tendon fibres, with the finger and skin moving together.

Purpose
  • Work across a specific band of muscle or tendon rather than along it
  • Focus attention on one small area after general warming
  • Introduce the principles behind the deeper cross-fibre friction used in remedial work
Pressure
3–7 / 10 · pressure scale
RhythmShort, even strokes about 2–3 a second, for a short time on each spot.
HandsPad of the index finger reinforced by the middle finger, or the pad of the thumb
Cautions
  • Use no oil; the finger must move the skin, not slide over it.
  • Keep each spot short and ask for feedback, as the area can feel tender afterwards.
  • Stop if the client reports sharp pain, and avoid bony points and broken skin.

Step by step

1 / 6
  1. 01 / 06
    Find which way the fibres run before you start

    Find the fibre direction

    Warm the area, then palpate to feel which way the fibres run. The stroke will go at right angles to them.

  2. 02 / 06

    Place the finger

    Rest the pad of your index finger on the spot, with the middle finger on top to support it. Keep the wrist straight.

  3. 03 / 06
    Finger and skin move together, back and forth across the fibres

    Move across the fibres

    Press in, then move the finger and skin together back and forth across the fibres. The finger does not slide over the skin.

  4. 04 / 06

    Keep strokes short

    Use short strokes that cover the width of the band you are working. Keep the pressure even in both directions.

  5. 05 / 06
    Short strokes across the fibres, moving along the structure a little at a time

    Work along the structure

    After a short time on one spot, move a little way along the band and repeat, keeping the strokes across the fibres.

  6. 06 / 06

    Soothe the area

    Finish with effleurage along the length of the fibres.

Common mistakes

  • Using oil, so the finger slides over the skin.
  • Stroking along the fibres instead of across them.
  • Using an unsupported finger or a hyperextended thumb.
  • Staying too long or pressing too hard in a relaxation session.

How it should feel

  • Giver: the finger and skin move as one unit and you can feel the band roll under the finger.
  • Receiver: a focused, strumming pressure that is intense but tolerable.

Self-check

Drills

Transverse friction moves across the fibres, while Circular friction moves in circles. At Cert IV level it is a short, gentle version of the stroke, used on areas such as the Wrist extensors and along the Erector spinae.

The deeper, longer version developed by James Cyriax (deep transverse or cross-fibre friction) is remedial work and sits outside relaxation massage.

Muscles

  • Wrist extensors — Group of muscles on the back of the forearm, mostly arising from the common extensor tendon at the lateral epicondyle, that straighten and lift the wrist and fingers.
  • 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.
  • Trapezius — Large diamond-shaped muscle of the upper back and neck that moves and stabilises the scapula.
  • Gastrocnemius — Two-headed superficial calf muscle that runs from above the knee to the heel and points the foot and helps bend the knee.

More videos

Course units

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Swedish massage
  2. Physiopedia: Deep friction massage (Page blocked automated fetches; content checked via a search-engine summary.)
  3. Human Kinetics: Common massage techniques