Surprising Facts About a Swedish Relaxation Massage

Posted: March 29th, 2014

Massages have been used to help aid people in healing and relaxation since ancient times. A Swedish relaxation massage is one type of massage that is popular and will help relax your body, reduce tension in your muscles, and overall improve the way you feel. Swedish massage developed in Sweden and was originally named the Swedish Movement Cure. Per Henrik Ling is responsible for creating this way of massage. He was able to develop this massage by combining what he knew about physiology and gymnastics from other cultures such as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians. The Swedish massage was introduced in the United States officially in 1858. Many people around the world refer to a Swedish relaxation massage simply as Classic Massage. A Swedish relaxation massage is performed by using long strokes to massage the body. These strokes all lead back to the heart to help improve circulation and relax the muscles. A Swedish massage may also include other things such as kneading, stretching, circular pressure and more. This type of massage will help improve the circulation of blood in the body, assist in flexibility, and also decrease toxins in the muscles. Stress hormones are also significantly decreased and a boost in white blood cells from the massage will help ward off illness and boost your immune system. There are many interesting facts about how beneficial massage is for your body. Take a look below:

• One massage equivocates to an 8 hour sleep for your body
• Massage therapy is considered one of the leading alternative medicine options
• Massage will help release endorphins which will naturally help you feel better and fight off pain
• Swedish massage with help increase blood flow
• Improves muscle activity, reduces spasms, and will boost red cell production
• Helps relax the body
• Helps aid in chronic pain and inflammation

There are five main techniques used including:

1. Petrissage

This technique is used to help get deeper into the muscles and knead them. The knuckles and thumbs are primarily used in this technique to prep the muscles.

2. Effleurage

This technique is the long gliding and stroking motion of the hands over the body. This helps reduce tension in the muscles and can fluctuate between light and medium pressures.

3. Friction

In this technique, heat is produced using friction and then applied to the body. Your massage therapist will rub his or her hands together very quickly to produce heat and then place it on your muscles to help warm them.

4. Rhythmic Tapping

This technique is performed with a cupped hand that will help perform a rhythmic tapping on your body. This technique is ideal because it helps relax and loosen the muscles that are being worked.

5. Vibration

The heel of the hand is used, but fingertips may also be used. This motion is a back and forth motion on the body and will help loosen and relax your muscles. The hands are used to help shake your muscles. Swedish relaxation massages have been used for many years to help improve the way people move and alleviate their pain. This type of massage is very beneficial to individuals and helps improve the body.