Posted on July 9, 2007 in Massage Techniques
Massage therapy plays a vital role in managing stress effectively and is the answer to the anxiety and exhaustion faced by persons in today’s fast-paced society. There are many techniques used in massage therapy and these have evolved over the ages. A Swedish massage, however, rules the roost as far as the most powerful practiced form of massage is concerned. This technique was developed in the 1700’s by a Swedish doctor named Per Henrik Ling and has brought about a revolution in the health and alternative healing industry by helping to restore some of the balance lost by the body in the frenetic pace of modern lifestyles or due to disease/injury.
Focus of Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is mainly directed to the more superficial layers of muscles wherein long strokes, kneading and friction techniques are used against deeper muscles and bones. This is applied in the direction of blood circulation towards the heart. The other focus of Swedish massage is the active and passive movement of joints also incorporated into this specialized treatment.
Features of Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is a unique healing and re-stressing system that helps relieve muscle tension and soreness, enhances overall well-being on the physical and emotional planes and best of all- it’s suitable for all age groups. Swedish massage combines a variety of effective techniques, specifically aimed at relaxing muscles by applying controlled pressure on them keeping in mind the direction of blood flow to the heart, which goes on to improve circulation and general health.
Purpose of Swedish Massage
The primary purpose of Swedish massage is to enhance flow of oxygen in the blood and release toxins from the muscles. This de-toxification and cleansing of the body afforded by Swedish massage reduces recovery time from muscular strain as tissues of lactic and uric acid are flushed out with other metabolic wastes.
Benefits of Swedish Massage
Some Swedish Massage Techniques
Popularly used Swedish massage techniques include long strokes, kneading, friction, tapping, percussion, vibration, effleurage and shaking motions. The normal sequence of practice for these techniques are Effleurage, which has gliding strokes made by the masseur’s palms, thumbs and/or fingertips; Petrissage, which involves kneading movements with hands, thumbs and/or fingers; Friction with circular pressures given by the palms of hands, thumbs and/or fingers and Vibration, which uses oscillatory movements to shake or vibrate the body. The final, cooling down movements are Percussion- requiring the masseur to do brisk hacking/tapping and finish off the Swedish massage with a Passive and active movement of bending and stretching.
October 29th, 2007 at 5:57 am
thanks 4 giving me a greater information.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Dear Sir/Madame
I am a Product Design student at Bournemouth University, currently working to produce my final year design, which i have chosen as a massage/exfoliation/deep cleaning device that can be taken into and used in the shower. I am currently looking at the different massage techniques that are used, and how i can utilise them in my design. As im sure you are aware, there are many hand held massage devices on the market that use techniques to produce different types of massage such as Kneading, Percussive, Vibration, Infa-red etc. I was wondering if it would be posible to get some feedback on the massage techniques that are best suited to what i am trying to do, and some background information on the different techniques currently used. Anything that you could give me in terms of information or advice would be greatly appreciated,
Many Thanks, Carl Norton
July 13th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Great blog, subscribed to your rss feed. Thanks.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Nice post, you got some good points there – thank you.
October 20th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Nice article. Thanks.
Eugene