STROKING AND KNEADING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 6 September 1913, Page 12

STROKING AND KNEADING.

Massage takes the place of the voluntary muscle movements in promoting the lymph and venous flow"to the heart 11 _the rational direction—that of anatripsis or rubbing "up"—be followed. it is clear that rubbing a leg downwards towards the toes will actually retard those processes it is meant to facilitate. Massage depends upon the virtue inherent in that hoary adage that noture abhors a vacuum." Most of us have rather a prominent vein which runs up irom the inner side of the ankle along the leg to be lost sight of in the thigh. Squeeze along that vein towards the heart, and it will evidently empty itset; the vacuum thus created when the pressure is removed cannot be filled irqm above on account of valves in the vein, and it has therefore to' be replenished from below, which means that the venous circulation has been stimulated It is not possible, however, to perform such a movement without in precisely a similar fashion affecting a number of lymphatic vessels, so that this circula tion is also encouraged at the same time and as the lymph is the fluid most intimately surrounding the ultimate cells these cells will be acted upon, and in the way of a more vigorous life, since the stagnant material loaded with their excretions is the first to depart. That then is what is achieved by simple gentle stroking; and the next process is naturally directed to reaching the deeper tissues, once having cleared a path for superficial material. Deep kneading undertakes the second necessity, and it is in this that the skill is particularly required, for, while some force has to be used, bruising is most particularly to be avoided. As a result of such kneading, muscles are toned and nerves soothed, so that while the total effect is one of sedation, there is afterwards the ability to undertake muscular work should this be needed, no matter what the previous fatigue.