The Swedish technique is based on specific scientific movements of hands on the body to achieve total effectiveness.
Swedish massage utilizes about four different hand movements upon the body.
Next is petrissage , a grasping, kneading movement on the muscles, which reaches deeper into the muscles than the first movement. Tapotement is a hacking, chopping motion, done firmly, but not hard, with a cupped hand, or sometimes with the outer sides of the hands. This motion, done quickly up and down a muscle, like sticks on a xylophone, has the effect of relaxing the person receiving it while driving out tenseness. Vibration is just what the name implies. This very gentle movement is done by vibrating the fingertips or hands, while pressing gently on the body.