Most people think of Swedish massage when they think of massage. Swedish massage uses five types of long fluid strokes to massage .You may choose to have a total body massage or opt for the focus to be on specific affected areas. Pressure ranges from medium to light, depending on your needs.
Swedish Massage Therapy in Austin
This commonly practiced type of therapy consists mainly of long, gliding strokes called effleurage that are designed to aid in the flow of blood and lymph toward the heart, as well as petrissage, which combines deep, kneading or circular movements aimed at breaking down adhesions, which are knots that result when muscle fibers bind together during the healing process, thus contributing to more flexible muscles and joints.
Swedish therapy can be both relaxing and energizing and may help speed healing after an injury. It has also been shown to be helpful to people with poor circulation.
Swedish Massage Therapy Definition
Swedish massage therapy is the modality that comes to mind when most people think about massage. As the best-known type of bodywork performed today, one of the primary goals of the Swedish massage technique is to relax the entire body. This is accomplished by rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. But Swedish massage therapy goes beyond relaxation. Swedish massage is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while easing tension.
A study conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and published in The New York Times, found that volunteers who received a 45-minute Swedish massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol, as well as arginine vasopressin-a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. Volunteers also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system, and a boost in the immune cells that may help fight colds and the flu.
Swedish Massage Therapy Techniques
Additional Swedish massage techniques include circular pressure applied by the hands and palms, firm kneading, percussion-like tapping, bending and stretching. Before and during your Swedish massage session, communication is encouraged with your professional massage therapist so that your massage is customized to your specific needs.
Swedish Massage Therapy in the News
Regular massages don’t just seem to melt away stress — they may actually lower levels of the stress hormone in your body, a small new study suggests.
The research, first reported by the New York Times and published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, shows that indulging in a massage is linked with decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol and amped-up levels of a vital player in the body’s immune system, white blood cells.
The findings are “very, very intriguing and very, very exciting — and I’m a skeptic,” study researcher Dr. Mark Hyman Rapaport, the chairman of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, told the Times.
The study included 53 adults, 29 of whom had a 45-minute Swedish massage either once a week or twice a week for a five-week period. The other 24 adults underwent a similar massage schedule, but with a light-touch massage instead.
Researchers found that compared to the light-touch massage, study participants who underwent the Swedish massage twice a week experienced decreases in cortisol levels, increased oxytocin levels (also known as the “trust hormone”), and slight evidence of increased white blood cell counts. They also experienced decreased levels of the hormone arginine vasopressin, which the Times pointed out is linked with cortisol rises.
Previously, researchers studied the effects of Swedish massage versus light-touch massage as published in a 2010 study in the same journal. But that study did not examine differences in hormone levels with different frequencies of massage.
The Mayo Clinic points out that other potential health benefits of massage include helping maintain a stable blood pressure, relieving stiffness and pain and even helping with anxiety and depression.
Want to reap the benefits of massage, but not sure where to start? Click through the slideshow to know what to expect at your first massage: