Swedish Massage Benefits & Techniques Explained
Swedish massage, as its name implies, originated in Europe in the 19th century. There is some debate as to who should receive credit as the originator of Swedish massage, but so what? Swedish massage benefits and techniques are characterized by a variety of effective strokes that promote relaxation and enhance overall health. (These will be outlined shortly).
Classic Swedish massage focuses on the manipulation of soft tissues and the circulation of body fluids.
In short, Swedish massage is based specifically on knowledge of human anatomy and physiology. It follows the circulatory pattern of the blood and lymphatic fluids through the body. It aims to calm the central nervous system for deep relaxation. Hence, the primary goal of Swedish massage is to improve the circulation of these fluids, which benefits many body systems.
Benefits of Swedish Massage
- Increased blood circulation, bringing more oxygen to the body’s cells to improve cell function and general health.
- Increased lymph circulation, which stimulates the body’s immune system.
- Soothing of the central nervous system, triggering the body’s natural healing responses allowing the body and mind to work together to restore balance.
- Relieving muscle tension through manual manipulation of body tissue structures.
Swedish Technique
It can be applied with different pressures to target the body’s structure, easing tight muscles and enhancing flexibility.
Five Basic Strokes
- Effleurage – long smooth strokes towards the heart
- Petrissage – kneading with the hands and fingers in a side to side motion
- Friction – creating heat using rapid short strokes over a specific area
- Vibration – penetrating “stroke” that intense
- Percussion/Tapotement/Hacking – rapidly, rhythmically striking the body with soft fists, cupped hands, …etc.
Sports massage is basically a subset of Swedish massage that uses Swedish massage strokes in order to help an athlete prepare for, or recover from an event.
Swedish massage is available globally in luxury spas, celebrity salons, hot spring baths, and community clinics. In home Swedish massage is provided by Mobile Massage Companies like Body Well. Sometimes the only difference may be the price tag, which could range anywhere from $20 to $300 per hour!
Studying Swedish Massage at Massage School
Almost all of the massage schools in the United States (and there are thousands of them) use Swedish massage as the standard foundation for massage education. The first reason for this is, to put it simply, that Swedish massage is by far the most popular form of massage in the United States and Europe. The second reason is because Swedish massage relies heavily on the actual science of human anatomy and physiology. Recognition of the underlying science at play helps massage to achieve more (well deserved) legitimacy as a form of therapy – not simply something that feels good for about an hour.
Don’t let all this talk about “science” give you the wrong idea. While massage can be clinical and accepted by medical insurers, Swedish massage can also be spiritual and include an energetic side. 
Art or Science?
The best Swedish massage is an art supported by science. Even the most gifted painters first learn to use the tools of their trade – various brushes, paints and canvasses, and study the fundamentals of fine art – basic shapes, the use of lighting, creating three dimensional space and so on. Once mastered, artists can freely express themselves without worrying about the fundamentals they learned. Swedish massage is really no different. Once a therapist has learned and incorporated the science of massage into his or her knowledge, the therapist is free to create art, and even sometimes – magic!
