What is "shearing" in Swedish massage? | If you are a therapist school, executive academy Osaka | Blog

What is "shearing" in Swedish massage?

Shearing is a force that moves tissues such as skin and muscles not by simply pressing down from above, but by sliding them sideways.

The human body is not like a single flat sheet, but is made up of many layers, including skin, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and muscles.

Shear stress creates "slips" or "slides" between these layers.

This "shifting" rather than "pressing" motion is very important in Swedish massage.


① Create a "smoothness" within the organization

The tissues of the body naturally move while gliding smoothly between them.

However, if you maintain the same posture for an extended period or your body is tense, the smooth movement between tissues can worsen.

When shearing applies lateral movement to tissue, it leads to improved gliding between layers such as skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia.

Instead of "pressing hard on a hard spot to loosen it,"
We will create a state where the organization itself can function effectively.

This is a major characteristic of shearing.


② Promote changes in blood flow and skin temperature

The irritation to the skin and tissues caused by shearing also affects local circulation.

Swedish massage, in particular, doesn't involve using a lot of oil to make the skin slide; instead, it moves the skin while maintaining a moderate amount of friction.

Therefore, after the procedure

* The skin becomes warm.
* Improves complexion
* My body feels warm and cozy.

You may notice changes like these.

This is thought to be one of the results of changes in circulation caused by mechanical stimulation to the skin and tissues.


③ It works not only on the muscles but also on the surrounding tissues.

When muscles are stiff, we tend to think, "Let's try to loosen the muscles directly."

However, body movements are not determined solely by muscles.

The body moves smoothly because surrounding tissues such as the skin, subcutaneous tissue, and fascia move together.

Shearing acts as a stimulus to bring about these kinds of movements between tissues.

As a result, your body may feel easier to move and lighter.


④ It can trigger a release of tension through the nerves.

The skin has receptors that can sense stimuli such as touch, pressure, stretching, and movement.

Slow, sustained stimuli caused by shearing are also transmitted to the nervous system through these sensory receptors.

When pleasant stimulation is repeated slowly, the body becomes more likely to feel that "it's okay to relax now," and as a result, muscle tension may ease.

In other words,

Rather than directly trying to relax the muscles, the tension throughout the entire body is released through the nervous system.

This is also an important aspect of Swedish massage.


⑤ This is different from "pressing deeply".

This is very important for understanding shear.

Shearing is not simply about applying strong pressure.

Rather,

It's not about how deeply you pushed, but how well you understood the organization and guided it in the right direction.

That's where the meaning lies.

When you try to move tissue by pressing too hard, the recipient's body may tense up defensively.

On the other hand, when the recipient relaxes and entrusts their body to the practitioner's hands, the tissue moves naturally, and the shearing stimulus is more easily transmitted.

That's why shearing in Swedish massage isn't achieved through "force" alone.

The practitioner's body mechanics, hand contact, direction and speed of pressure, and the recipient's relaxation.

Only when all these factors come together can high-quality shearing be achieved.

As a result, the body develops a sense of "smoothness," "warmth," "lightness," and "relaxation."

I believe this is a major appeal of shearing in Swedish massage.

KAORI