Forearm Positioning in Massage | Sports Massage | Remedial Soft Tissue Therapy | Susan Findlay
One of the biggest mistakes in deep tissue massage is squishing soft tissue into bone instead of gliding through muscle layers. In this video, we demonstrate how to use a long forearm stroke to achieve effective depth while maintaining client comfort and therapist control.
This technique is ideal for massage therapy students, sports massage therapists, remedial therapists, and bodyworkers refining their forearm mechanics.
What you’ll learn:
✔ How to avoid compressing tissue into bone
✔ How to create depth using a controlled long stroke
✔ Proper therapist stance and body alignment
✔ How to generate pressure safely without bending forward
✔ How to use your back leg to power the stroke
Top technique tips:
💫 Increase the distance between your feet to maintain torso-leg alignment
💫 Avoid bending forward to initiate contact, as this reduces control and can be too intense for most clients
💫 Push off with your back leg to move your forearm
💫 Keep the distance between your upper arm and torso consistent throughout the stroke
If you found this helpful, comment below with the technique you’d like demonstrated next and subscribe for more massage therapy education and clinical technique videos.
More about our Level 5 course in London: https://www.nlssm.com/diploma/
⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Introduction: How to Address Tight Calves
00:26 – Proper Stance & Foot Positioning
00:41 – Maintaining a Softness in your Wrist
00:52 – Using your Forearm as the Applicator
01:06 – Key Technique Recap