Swedish massage
& deep tissue
What is swedish massage?
Swedish Massage is the most common form of massage and the basis for most sessions. It's purpose is to warm up the muscle tissue and fascia to prepare for deeper work. This entrails strokes that glide, lift and lengthen the tissue with a purposeful touch.
​
Benefits of Swedish Massage include:
-
Increase Circulation: A swedish massage uses long gliding strokes to engage tissue and boost circulation towards the heart. Increased blood flow means that your body can deliver more nutrients to working tissue and remove toxins from the body
​
-
Reduce Stress: The therapeutic touch in a safe environment should offer you a chance to relax by lowering the cortisol production by your body. Benefits of reducing stress mean a better state of mind, higher quality sleep, more energy, and less headaches.
​
-
Stronger Immune system: with the improved circulation in your body and reduced cortisol it allows for a strong healing response and boosting your immune system. This means you will have a reduced chance of getting sick and keep doing the things you love.
​
-
Recover from injures: Using deep and engaging strokes called frictions, therapists can help to break up adhesions and loosen muscles. This blends in will with trigger point therapy which is releasing extremely tight muscles fibers that stay contracted until released.
​
-
Increase Flexibility: When the muscles are relaxed, have increased blood flow, and do not have as many adhesions or trigger points they are able to extend further than before any body work. The mechanorecptors are also inhibited allowing for a greater stretch tolerance.
​
-
Pain Management: By reducing trigger points and increasing circulation pain is reduced in the muscle fibers. This is also accomplished by stimulating nerve endings and stimulating the lymphatic drainage of the treated regions.
Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is similiar to swedish friction strokes. However, the intent of this technique is not to just glide over the muscles, but to sink down to the muscle tissue and lengthen it. The slower speed and specific pressure promotes the muscles, fascia and tendons to relax and realign. This is often used to help reduce muscle pain, rehab overactive muscles, releive muscle spasms, and relieve chronic tension in the muscle fibers.
​
How to understand the difference between deep tissue and swedish.
Swedish strokes and Deep tissue sound similar so here is a good example of the difference between them. Think of the muscle tissue as warmed up play-dough. A swedish friction stroke would simply glide over the top of the material. A deep tissue stroke would sink down to a point where it firmly engages the tissue. The stroke then slowly moves up the muscle belly allowing it to lengthen and break apart adhesion. Due to this deep work it is important to make sure the area is properly warmed up and you are well hydrated.
