Massage.
TechniquepetrissageDraft

Wringing

A petrissage stroke where the hands lift the tissue and push and pull it across the body in opposite directions, like wringing out a towel.

Purpose
  • Lift and stretch large muscle groups across their width
  • Warm and soften broad areas quickly after effleurage
  • Add a firmer, rhythmical stroke to a relaxation sequence
Pressure
3–6 / 10 · pressure scale
RhythmSteady and rhythmical, the hands crossing about once a second.
HandsPalms and fingers of both hands, working in opposite directions
Cautions
  • Keep enough grip to lift the tissue but not so much oil that the hands slide, or so little that the skin burns.
  • Avoid pulling across the spine or pinching the skin between your hands.
  • Keep the stroke light over the sides of the ribs and the front of the thigh near the groin.

Step by step

1 / 6
  1. 01 / 06

    Stand side-on

    Stand in a horse stance beside the table, facing the client, knees soft. You will be working across the body, not along it.

  2. 02 / 06
    Both palms rest side by side on the far side of the thigh

    Place the hands

    Place both palms on the far side of the limb or back, side by side, fingers pointing away from you. Your hands should mould to the curve of the body.

  3. 03 / 06
    One hand pulls towards you while the other pushes away, wringing the tissue between them

    Push and pull

    Pull one hand towards you while the other pushes away, lifting the tissue between them. The muscle is gently twisted between your hands.

  4. 04 / 06

    Cross and reverse

    Let the hands pass each other in the middle, then reverse the direction. Keep the whole palm in contact as the hands cross.

  5. 05 / 06
    Keep wringing as the hands travel up and down the length of the thigh

    Travel along the area

    Keep the rhythm going as you move slowly up and down the length of the area, overlapping each stroke with the last.

  6. 06 / 06

    Finish

    Close with a few long effleurage strokes to smooth the area and link to the next technique.

Common mistakes

  • Sliding over the skin instead of lifting the tissue between the hands.
  • Pinching the skin as the hands cross.
  • Reaching across with a bent back instead of moving your weight from side to side.
  • Going too fast so the stroke becomes jerky.

How it should feel

  • Giver: your weight rocks gently from foot to foot and the tissue rolls between your hands.
  • Receiver: a broad, rhythmical twist and stretch across the muscle, never a pinch or burn.

Self-check

Drills

Wringing is one of the petrissage family, alongside kneading and Skin rolling. It works best on broad muscle groups you can lift and hold, such as the Latissimus dorsi along the side of the back, the Quadriceps and Hamstrings of the thigh, and the calf.

Because it moves the tissue across its length, it is a good contrast to the lengthwise glide of Effleurage. See Petrissage for the basic kneading action.

Muscles

  • Latissimus dorsi — Broad, flat, fan-shaped muscle of the lower and middle back that extends, adducts and medially rotates the arm.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Gastrocnemius — Two-headed superficial calf muscle that runs from above the knee to the heel and points the foot and helps bend the knee.

Used in routines

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Petrissage
  2. Massage Therapy Reference: How to massage (basic techniques)