One of the common misconceptions of the massage industry by the public is what constitutes a massage. One of the comments massage therapists hear from clients at the end of a Swedish massage is, “You didn’t work on my knots.” To which the answer is that you asked for a relaxing Swedish massage. To alleviate this common problem, good communication is needed from both the client and the receptionist and massage therapist.

In the intake process, I always tell the client what will happen during the massage. And what modalities do I use during your massage. When the client books the massage, it may be necessary to explain the difference between the massage modalities. And that the client decides what type of massage suits him best at all times.

The client must take into consideration his health and mental state. If they’re stressed to the max, they might want to consider a nice relaxing massage. If they have many knots (adhesions), tight muscles, or limited range of motion, they may want a therapeutic massage. Or they may want a combination of the two. That said, the client must consider what is best for them.

The first thing to consider is what do you want the massage to accomplish? Are you looking for a good relaxing massage or do you need the masseuse to focus on certain sore, tight, tense or injured muscles? Why don’t we take a look at the first option of a good relaxing massage?

Swedish massage movements

A Swedish massage consists of five types of strokes. The first is effleurage, which are nice long, flowing strokes with light pressure that warm up the muscles. This movement is probably the most common when thinking of a massage.

Next is petrissage. Petrissage is a kind of scooping motion that affects the surface muscles and fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that covers the entire body. Sometimes it gets stuck or stuck and needs to be loosened.

Another movement is vibration. Vibration is the rhythmic movement of the body at its own pace. It feels great and can actually put one to sleep.

An additional movement is called friction. Friction is performed on the muscle fibers in a circular pattern or perpendicular to the way the muscle fiber runs.

The final movement is called tapping and it can be one of several movements, such as cupping, chopping, cawing or hacking, and is probably the second most thought of movement when thinking of a massage. It can be quite noisy so it is not done for long and usually at the end of the session as this helps wake the sleeping client.

All of these movements are part of the basic Swedish massage and can be used by the masseur in any order and at any time.

Flow

The flow of a Swedish massage has a nice, relaxing rhythm. No rush or quick movements in this type of massage, except for the tapping component. Recipients of a good Swedish massage often fall fast asleep. And snoring is a compliment to the therapist.

Benefits

The benefits of a Swedish massage are; hyperemia or reddening of the skin or flushing of the skin, increased blood flow that helps the body’s metabolism, release of endorphins, the amino acids that work as the body’s natural pain relievers, and finally improve immunity by stimulating lymph flow which is part of the body’s natural defense system.

Music

A Swedish massage session usually also has a musical component. Pleasant and relaxing music is played during the massage. The music varies according to the place of the massage. For example, a massage franchise will play the same company-approved music. In a private or group practice, the therapist chooses the music or, in some cases, lets the client choose their music or bring their own CDs to play.

Turning on

Lighting is an important factor in a relaxing massage. After all, it’s hard to relax when you’re under spotlights or those horrible fluorescent lights. Side lighting or lamps are a good source of lighting as long as they have a dimmer control. Some therapists may even use candles in their practice, although fire laws may prohibit the use of candles in an office building.

improvements

There are other things that the therapist can add or add for an additional charge, such as aromatherapy, Reiki, scrubs or wraps, hot stones, and massage cupping. There you have it, all the components of a good relaxing Swedish massage. In the next article, I will cover the topic of a therapeutic massage that uses deep tissue movements as the primary means of achieving the massage.