Jason Gamble/40AM Lucas Nevarez What is Swedish Massage?

When you ask for a Swedish massage you can expect to come to a room that has a padded massage table with sheets draped over it. There will be some oils and lotions available for use during the massage, and typically a lowly lit room with gentle relaxing music will be used. The massage is done with skin to skin contact between the client and the massage therapist; sheets are used to cover up the regions of the body not being worked on at the time. At no time are private regions, or areas of concern addressed by the client to be manipulated. Clients can expect to experience five basic strokes to occur during their massage. A stroke that returns venous blood flow and lymphatics towards the heart is the Effleurage, also very relaxing due to the long gliding stokes involved. Another stroke that will be experienced is the Petrissage recognized by the kneading movement performed with the whole palm or finger tips. The Petrissage softens the layers of skin and decreases muscle tension. Another of the basic strokes is Friction, used for assessment of the underlying structures and to break up local adhesions and scar tissue through the use of fingers or palms sinking in and moving deeper tissues. There is also Vibration, used to stimulate the nerve activity and even internal organs. Vibration is done through trembling fingers that are sunk into tissue bodies. And there is Tapotement, a lose wrist drumming like motion that tones the muscles and softens the tissues. These are the foundation of a Swedish massage. The style and strokes were founded by Pehr Henrik Ling (1776-1839), a Swedish physiologist who used these techniques to heal his own joint injuries and rheumatism, and turned to teaching the strokes. Later Swedish was introduced to America in 1856 by George and Charles Taylor whom wrote the first American textbook on Swedish massage. And massage spread to Chicago where: The American Association of Masseurs & Masseuses was formed expanding the horizons of massage across America leading to the development of the: National Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork in 1992.