Today, if you need or want a massage, you can choose from among 80 massage therapy styles with a wide variety of pressures, movements, and techniques. Swedish massage is just one of the many techniques out there but here we will focus more on that.
Swedish massage is considered as one of the best-known type of bodywork performed today. In fact, it’s what most people think of first when they hear the word massage. One of its primary goals is to relax the entire body and it involves soft, long, kneading strokes, as well as light, rhythmic, tapping strokes, on topmost layers of muscles. This is also combined with movement of the joints, depending on the therapist’s technique.
Swedish massage therapy goes beyond relaxation though. It is also beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while also easing tension. In effect, your tissues are better supplied with oxygen, your muscles are relieved from acids, and you become totally relaxed as a whole.
Although not really crucial to know, there are common strokes that a massage therapist can do to you in a Swedish massage session:
- Effleurage is a smooth, gliding stroke used to relax soft tissue
- Petrissage involves squeezing, rolling, or kneading that follows after effleurage
- Friction, on the other hand, involves deep, circular movements that cause layers of tissue to rub against each other, helping to increase blood flow and break down scar tissue
- Finally, tapotement is a short, alternating tap done with cupped hands, fingers, or the edge of the hand
So, have you decided to have Swedish massage today to relax? Do tell us about your experience! What about the other types of massage? Have you tried them yourself?
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