Swedish Massage
What is Swedish Massage?
Swedish Massage was developed by a Swedish physiologist by the name of Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839), and is comprised of five styles of long flowing massaging strokes. These five strokes are:
- Effleurage - Long, gliding strokes
- Petrissage - Lifting & kneading the muscles
- Friction - Firm, deep, & circular rubbing movements
- Tapotement - Brisk tapping, or percussive movements
- Vibration - Rapidly shaking or vibrating specific muscles.
Many massage techniques that exist today can be traced back to the Swedish massage and its principles.
How does it work?
Swedish Massage is often used as a foundation technique administered to a recipient, upon which applicable techniques may be applied in order to relax a recipient and improve their sense of well-being. Swedish massage works by manipulating soft tissue within the body; skin, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and fascia for example, through the use of a practitioner’s hands performing long and flowing massage techniques that vary in degrees of pressure that stretch the skin.
As mentioned above, long and flowing massage techniques are administered to the recipient, and it is because of this that oil is a common feature of Swedish massage in order to allow the ease of movement that is required between the skin contact. Whilst the practitioner will get a feel for the level of pressure they are administering to the recipient, they will also ask whether the pressure being applied is too much or too little, and will adjust accordingly.
What can it treat?
Swedish Massage has been shown to be effective in helping to reduce pain, stiffness in the joints, and improving knee function of individuals suffering from osteoarthritis. It has also been shown to be effective in helping individuals who suffer from poor circulation.
What can I expect from a treatment session?
During the first treatment session, an individual can expect to answer a number of medical questions that the practitioner may need to know the answers for in order to determine whether or not the individual has any contra-indications, i.e. physical conditions that may limit the extent of a massage treatment.
Ordinarily, a full-body massage session will typically take up to an hour, however many practitioners offer much shorter sessions that focus specifically on targeted problematic areas such as the back, shoulders, neck, or any other area of the body that is causing the recipient discomfort.
During a Swedish massage, the recipient remains in control as they are only required to undress to their level of comfort and modesty. They are then asked to lie down on a massage couch, and any part of the body that is not being massaged will be covered with a large sheet/towel known as ‘draping’. No part of the body will be worked upon without the consent of the recipient. Therefore, a Swedish massage can be just as a recipient wants it to be.
As the environment in which a massage takes place is integral to the whole experience, the room should be peaceful, and comfortably warm. Low level lighting, soft music and a pleasant aroma are commonly used to create an optimal massage environment.
