Swedish Massage
Swedish Massage, also known as Classic Massage, is the traditional form of massage practiced in this country and most commonly used for general relaxation. It uses a variety of movements, predominantly long and flowing strokes, which most clients find to be extremely relaxing. It works with all of the soft tissues of the body and so can also be considered a soft tissue treatment.
Swedish Massage is predominantly used for relaxation, well-being and good mental health. It is not designed to treat any specific physical conditions, injuries, mobility or pain for this please see my Clinical Treatments section. It can, however, work with mental, emotional and psychological issues. It works by decreasing stress levels and has wonderful restorative effects – helping with stress-related conditions such as depression and anxiety. Swedish Massage can be a significant and regular support for your mental health and well-being, as demonstrated in medical research studies.
Significant improvements were found for the anxiety, depression, vitality, general health, and positive well-being subscales of the General Well-being Schedule and for Perceived Stress among the massage participants compared to guided relaxation.”
Swedish Massage is compromised of five basic massage strokes listed below. Effleurage, the main stroke which people associate with massage, can vary greatly depending on the pressure used – from the lightest touch in manual lymphatic drainage to the strength of power effleurage.
The Benefits of Classical Swedish Massage
Swedish massage can help:
- Stretch muscles
- Flush metabolic waste
- Release toxins from the muscles
- Increase lymph and lymphatic flow
- Increase oxygen flow
- Boost circulation
- Stimulate skin
- Stimulate Parasympathetic Nervous System (Relaxation: ‘Rest and Digest’)
- Soothe Sympathetic Nervous System (Stress: ‘Fight and Flight’)
- Cleanse and nourish the soft tissues
- Body and Mind to relax naturally, many clients reporting:
- increased well-being
- improved sleep
- stress reduction
Swedish Massage – The Five Main Techniques
• Effleurage: long, flowing strokes, the pressure can be varied from light to strong
• Petrissage: squeezing and kneading of the muscles
• Friction: deep, penetrating strokes in circular movements
• Pressures: pressure is applied to small, localized areas
• Tapotement: tapping the muscles with fingers or hands