SWEDISH MASSAGE

RELAX, REFRESH, AND REVITALISE.

It can be confusing to know what massage to choose. Easy enough if it’s a choice between a relaxing therapy or treatment for  musculo-skeletal pain, but the reality isn’t that straightforward. The mind and body work closely together so a massage that calms the nervous system will have a positive effect on muscle tension.

WHICH MASSAGE?

SWEDISH MASSAGE VS REMEDIAL MASSAGE

Swedish Massage works well for soothing, calming, reducing muscle tension. It helps to alleviate aches and pains arising from muscle tension and encourages an overall feeling of wellbeing.

This massage may be lighter than a Remedial & Sports Massage Treatment but it doesn’t mean it’s simply a ‘skin polish’.

PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT

Like Remedial Massage, during a Swedish Massage, the pressure applied is adjustable. You decide what level of pressure is comfortably.

One therapist’s idea of ‘light’ pressure may be different to another’s. Similarly, one clients’ perception of ‘not enough pressure’ is not going to be the same as the next.

How you feel pressure changes throughout your body. Pressure that works on your back won’t necessarily feel good on your calf muscles!

Letting your therapist know how the pressure feels is super important for the most effective outcome.

EFFLEURAGE, PETRISSAGE, FRICTION, TAPOTEMENT

The structure of Remedial & Sports Massage and Swedish Massage can be described as this:-

Swedish Massage follows a set pattern of techniques: Effleurage, Petrissage, Friction and Tapotement. Remedial Massage has no set structure.

While it may not involve some of the deeper Remedial Massage techniques such as Trigger Point Therapy, Swedish Massage allows the nervous system to calm. This encourages homeostasis – a state of balance within the body.

Remedial Massage for a specific injury or pain involves a range of different techniques including some of the Swedish Massage Techniques.

Scottish Massage Schools offer Swedish Massage as the first course a new student will take.

TESTIMONIAL

CLIENT PROBLEM

“….I work off-shore and do a lot of wakeboarding but recently I’ve not done quite as much as I’ve had a lot of pain in my knees and calves due to various injuries I’ve had over the years. My leg muscles get really tight and recently I’ve suffered from pain in the soles of my feet. I’m currently in the process of changing job so things have been pretty full-on.…”

R.O. Age 39

TREATMENT

In this case, I initially used Swedish Massage techniques as this is a great way to reduce stress and tension in the body, restore balanceand promote a feeling of wellbeing within the body. The relaxation effects can have profound benefits on of all the systems of the body, from improvement in circulatory and respiratory systems and skin tone to calming down the central nervous system.

In the subsequent treatments, I used a combination of Remedial Massage and Swedish Massage techniques to maximise the relaxation effects and allow for deeper remedial treatment of the specific issue.

CLIENT FEEDBACK

“I recently had 4 massages 2 weeks apart from Shelagh which have really helped to reduce the ache and loosen my calf muscles. I liked how she assessed my issues, put together a treatment plan and involved me in the process and then treated to relax my-super tight muscles and resolve the specific areas that were bothering me – my feet and calves.

I felt the combination of remedial and relaxing therapies really helped my body to get back feeling good again.”