Swedish massage is one of the basic and effective methods of massage. Swedish massage particularly allows your body to absorb more oxygen, thus, revitalizing the entire system. It also helps detoxify the body by enhancing toxic waste elimination.
Swedish Massage Techniques
- Effleurage: in the effleurage technique, the masseur uses long, sweeping strokes that cover a large area of the body.
- The reason of effleurage is to connect one part of the body to the other.
- Friction: friction warms up the body, and heat makes the muscles relax. The technique is done by rubbing the palms vigorously on the client’s skin. You may also rub the palms together and then place them on the client’s skin.
- Petrissage: kneading and squeezing the muscles of the body is petrissage. It allows deeper and more penetrating effects of massage.
- Tapottement: strokes that energize the area of the body that the masseur is treating. This is done by ‘chopping’ the area with the sides of the palms or fists.
- Traction: involves pulling the legs and arms, and sometimes the head.
- This stretches the muscles and is always done as the last part of the massage.
- Vibration: shakes up the area of the client’s body. This is done by moving the fingertips or the sides of the palms forward and backward across the skin.
Benefits Swedish Massage Techniques
- Reduces muscle pain and spasm
- Helps relax, rejuvenate and fight stress
- Improves blood circulation
- Releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killers
- Improves lymphatic drainage
- Decreases swelling due to accumulation of fluid in the tissues
- Induces a feeling of wellbeing