The following is based on articles and books I've read a while ago so, take with a grain of salt, as you should many other things said here on TT 😛 :
It has to do with the amount of pressure you put into your movements. By putting a good amount of pressure into whatever massage you are giving, you'll feel more relaxed then tickly. On the flip side, using a light amount of pressure is way more likely to produce tickly results. Both things depend on your sensitivity of course. (Some people are just way too sensitive to sit or lie through massages and vice versa, some people aren't ticklish, nuff said) Another thing is the type of hand motion that is being used. Most massages are done with the palm of the hand and the wrist, with fingers used, mostly, only for kneading flesh and then they're kept together, not moving independently.
Again, take with a grain of salt! 🙂
