Swedish massage therapy is perhaps the most widely known and widely applied form of remedial massage, and for the perfect reason.
This style of massage seeks to focus on improving mobility, reducing swelling, and improving muscular function while soothing and loosening tight muscles.
What is a Swedish Massage?
Swedish massage is a series of gentle, medium-forceful strokes and kneading movements of the soft tissue and joints. It causes deep relaxation, increased circulation, lowered muscle tension, better flexibility and lightens pain in all body parts.
The masseuse can positively affect the muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments by applying the fingertips’ consistent, light pressure. It results in an increase in blood flow, circulation, and nutrients to the affected areas.
This style of massage was developed by an educator named Pehr Henrik Ling, who created his system for treating injuries and illnesses. Through his work, techniques for Swedish massage were put together that is now used by over 100 countries.
Three different strokes used
Today, many masseuses use firmer, shorter strokes that focus more on the deeper tissue. A professional would use three different strokes in most cases:
- Effleurage
- Gliding strokes
- Tapping.
Effleurage uses long, flowing strokes that stimulate the body, while gliding strokes cause the muscles to relax and widen the skin’s pores. Tapping movements are a combination of effleurage and tapping movements, alternated in time.
Benefits of Swedish Massage
One of the best things about Swedish massage is its ability to soothe and relax frayed muscles while helping to break up any types of scars or other marks from past injuries.
1. Relieve tension and promote healing
One of the benefits of Swedish massage is its ability to relieve tension and promote healing. Anxiety is often one of the leading causes of soreness and pain throughout the body.
Many people experience tension in the neck, shoulders, back, legs, or shoulders regularly. Other common culprits are stress and repetitive movements such as lifting weights, typing on a keyboard, or other jobs that require a lot of manual tension.
Swedish massage involves a series of gentle kneading actions to release tight knots of stress and tension, improving circulation and allowing muscles to relax and relieve muscle spasms. It helps to improve overall flexibility.
This relaxing and relieving technique also promotes increased relaxation and healing in the nervous system and the endocrine glands. These two areas of the body are essential to overall health and well-being and a high level of vitality, and a healthy emotional state.
2. Promotes blood circulation
Swedish massage also increases circulation, as well as nourishes and soothes tired muscles and tendons.
Its deep stretching actions loosen tight muscles and tendons, allow them to stretch further, and promote the body’s release of built-up toxins and tension.
These “toxins” are eliminated through the increased blood flow and the lymphatic drainage process.
Massage increases the lymphatic system’s ability to deliver nutrients to the cells through the blood, resulting in healthy cells and boosting the immune system.
3. Relax muscles and feel energized
There are many benefits of Swedish massage to your mental, physical and emotional state.
The soothing muscles that are kneaded will relax you, allowing you to have a better disposition as well as a better state of relaxation.
You will notice that your muscles and joints feel loose and ache less once you get a Swedish massage.
Once you have been getting one for some time, you will find that your body feels more energized and more limber.
4. Relieves stress
Many people who have stress issues or have difficulty dealing with their stress issues also suffer from poor circulation.
They also say that poor circulation can cause sore muscles and even hurt mental health. People who have circulation problems will often complain of headaches.
They also will often notice a reduction in their cognitive ability when under a significant amount of stress.
5. Reduce pain
One of the main reasons people choose Swedish massage is that it can help reduce pain. The therapist uses their hands on the major muscle groups to work on the tension and aches in these areas.
Swedish massage helps loosen up tight muscles, and they also help relieve the aches and pains that people have that they do not think to have any effect on.
6. Remove toxins from your body
When you have the Swedish massage done, it will also help stimulate the lymph system, which will allow your body to remove toxins.
It will, in turn, reduce the swelling that can occur after an injury. Many people who have arthritis say that the swelling occurs because the lymph system does not transport the toxins out of the body properly.
When the lymph system is stimulated, it helps to clear these toxins.
My Recommended Massage Oil
Swedish massage is one of the best ways to have a great massage, and it’s easy to do it with the help of some products like Swedish massage oils.
Lavender essential oil
One of the best oils used during a Swedish massage treatment is called Lavender essential oil. This type of oil is perfect for relaxing the mind of the person receiving the massage, and it has a highly soothing effect on the body and the mind.
You should, first of all, make sure that your masseuse is using the right amount of oil. The right amount of lubricant is needed to prevent the person’s skin getting the massage from becoming too dry or too oily.
It is also essential that the oil they are using is 100% natural. To make sure that the oil is genuine, you can check the label, and if it says that it is from nature, then it is very likely to be so and should therefore be used.
Difference between Swedish massage and Regular massage
1. Swedish massage
When performing a Swedish massage, you would knead the muscles manually or with a specialized mallet tool to help the massage therapist achieve the best results possible.
The kneading is not just done to help the therapist work the knots out of the muscles but to help create a smooth surface on which the massage therapist can better perform the rubbing strokes.
The tapping of the fingers, on the other hand, helps to stimulate the blood vessels and capillaries and release any muscle tension.
As you can see, both the rubbing and the tapping of the fingers are necessary for this massage technique to help get the blood flowing throughout the body. In contrast, the friction of the chair massage helps to loosen any tight muscles in the body.
2. Regular massage
Regular massage techniques like a Swedish massage or a prenatal sports massage are designed in much the same way as the Swedish massage.
However, it has a slightly different pattern of movement. Many massage therapists use sports massage movements to help relieve sports injuries and strains.
When you perform a regular massage, you want to move in short, circular motions that are still gentle and help warm up the muscles.
You may need to alternately rub the upper and lower limbs to target the area that needs treatment adequately.
Performing a sports massage several times a week should give you enough flexibility to offer different treatments, significantly reducing the amount of pain they experience during the procedure.
Swedish massage vs. Deep tissue massage
Many people have very different opinions about the best way to relax and whether Swedish massage therapy is better than deep tissue massage.
1. Swedish Massage
Swedish massage uses smooth strokes, long and low strokes, and kneading movements to work the muscles and connective tissues of the body.
Swedish massage therapy has been used for thousands of years and is still a prevalent technique in today’s world. Many therapists also employ hot oil, cold compresses, and even electrical stimulation to work the muscles and stimulate the nerves.
2. Deep tissue massage
Deep tissue massage uses the muscles and connective tissues in your body in a more severe manner to work them out of balance and help them heal.
On the other hand, deep tissue massage uses slow, very firm strokes and minimal movement or sensation on the part of the patient.
So which one should you choose to relax your mind and body?
There are many similarities between Swedish massage and deep tissue massage, but there are some apparent differences.
When it comes to relaxation, both types of massage can help to ease stress and muscle tension and provide a deeper, more relaxing massage.
However, they do not have the same effects on the body. They will not be nearly as effective if you suffer from chronic muscle pain or injury.
Does Swedish massage hurt?
Swedish massages are becoming more popular among people of all ages. There are many reasons for this, and it doesn’t hurt you if your therapist appropriately does massage.
Some of them are:
- A Swedish massage is good for you.
- Swedish massage has been known to improve blood circulation, relieve stress, and help you sleep better.
- It also helps ease anxiety and depression.
What do you wear during a Swedish massage?
When we think of the word “Swedish,” many people imagine long gowns and gloves.
Still, Swedish massages are done with loose-fitting clothing, such as a pair of loose-fitting jeans.
Suppose you wear a heavy dress or any costume during a Swedish massage. In that case, you will likely have some discomfort for the remainder of the session.
You must choose the correct attire for the massage to ensure your safety.
Conclusion
A Swedish massage is a treatment designed to relax the body by gently rubbing stretching muscles in long gliding, circular strokes in the direction of lymphatic flow, bringing more blood back to the heart.
However, the advantages of Swedish massage go further than relaxation.
When you use effleurage or circular kneading strokes, it stimulates the capillary vessels. It increases blood flow to the tissues of the body, thereby relieving muscle tension.
