Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2025

Spring 2025 • 57

Potential Contraindications or Cautions to Using Muscle Stripping • Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications • Local bacterial infections • Bruises • Local skin diseases • Areas of decreased sensation • Fragile skin Steps for Muscle Stripping 1. Assess the area for restrictions. 2. Depth of the stroke is dependent on the area and muscle you’re working. Lighter pressure will be used in areas where the target muscle is superficial, such as the wrist flexors, deeper into muscles like the hamstrings. 3. Pressure is to the client’s tolerance, and a pain level of 7‒8/10 is common. 4. Approximately three attempts should be made in the target area. Client should

be checked for comfort and approval to continue.

5. Petrissage or a stretching technique should be used post stripping to separate contractile mechanisms of the target muscle. 6. Reassess to see if there has been a change to the tissue. Pin and Stretch Techniques: How To and Contraindications Pin and stretch techniques are soft tissue approaches that can be highly effective for working with muscle, tendon and fascia conditions. This approach focuses a stretch to a very precise area of a muscle, tendon or fascia. Knuckles, fingers, thumbs, forearms or elbows can be utilized to apply the focused force. The therapist “pins” the specific area and then takes the joint or tissue toward a stretch.

Pin and stretch technique

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