Tapotement
Tapotement is a type of massage technique that involves rhythmic percussion, most frequently administered with the edge of the hand, a cupped hand or the tips of the fingers. There are five types of tapotement including: beating, slapping, hacking, tapping and cupping.
History[edit | edit source]
The term "tapotement" is derived from the French word "tapoter", which translates to "tap" or "pat" in English. This technique has been used in various forms of massage therapy, including Swedish massage, for centuries.
Technique[edit | edit source]
In tapotement, the hands are lifted repeatedly off the body, creating a percussive and rhythmic effect. The five types of tapotement techniques are:
- Beating: The hands are made into loose fists and used to strike the body lightly and rapidly.
- Slapping: The palms of the hands are used to slap the body, with fingers relaxed so that they can flap against the skin.
- Hacking: The edges of the hands are used to strike the body in rapid succession.
- Tapping: The fingertips are used to tap rapidly on the body.
- Cupping: The hands are cupped and used to strike the body, creating a vacuum effect.
Uses[edit | edit source]
Tapotement is used to stimulate and invigorate areas of the body. It can increase local blood circulation and tone muscles. It is often used in sports massage to help athletes' muscles relax and warm up. It can also be used in respiratory therapy to help loosen mucus in the lungs.
See also[edit | edit source]
Tapotement Resources | |
---|---|
|
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD