Tapping
Tapping is a light percussion (also known as tapotement) movement.
The tapping movement is much lighter than the other percussion movements (such as cupping, hacking, pounding, plucking etc..) and need not be performed at the same rate / speed.
During a tapping movement the therapist's hands are poised over the area to be worked on while loose and relaxed. The tips of the fingers are then used to gently tap the area. Tapping is usually gentle but with sufficient intensity to produce a slightly hollow sound on contact with the client. Movements should be kept light. Different finges may be used.
As with other tapotement techniques, tapping is usually only performed for relatively short periods of time before moving on the the next movement in the sequence.
Tapping is often appropriate for small areas of the body, and even delicate areas such as the head and face - because this is a very light percussion movement. It is often used in Indian Head Massage treatments.
Note: If in doubt about the safety of a massage movement don't perform it - seek advice from a tutor or other appropriately qualified person.
This section consists of short summaries about the classical massage movements. This list of massage techniques is not exhaustive. For more general information about massage see also:
This page is in the section about massage manipulation techniques.
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