One of the common misconceptions of the massage industry by the
public is what constitutes a massage. One of the comments heard by
massage therapists from clients when a Swedish massage is through is,
"You didn't work on my knots". To which the reply is, you asked for a
relaxing Swedish Massage. In order to alleviate this common problem good
communication is needed both on the part of the client and the on the
part of the receptionist and the massage therapist.
At the intake
process, I always tell the client what will take place during the
massage. And what modalities I use during their massage. When the client
is booking the massage it may be necessary to explain the difference
between the modalities of massage. And for the client to decide what
type of massage is best for them at the time.
The client must take
into consideration what their health and mental status is. If they're
stressed to the max, they might want to consider a nice relaxing
massage. If they have a lot of knots (adhesions), tightness in their
muscles or a limited range of motion, they might wish to receive a
therapeutic massage. Or they may wish a combination of the two. That
being said, the client must consider what's best for them.
The
first thing is to consider is what do you want the massage to
accomplish? Are you looking for a nice relaxing massage or do you need
the massage therapist to focus on certain sore, strained, tight or
injured muscles? Why don't we take a look at the first choice of a nice
relaxing massage.
The Moves of Swedish Massage
A
Swedish massage consists of five types of strokes. The first is
effleurage which are nice long flowing strokes with light pressure which
warms up the muscles. This move is probably the most common when a
massage is thought about.
The next is petrissage. Petrissage is a
kind of a scooping motion that effects the surface muscles and the
fascia. Fascia is the connective tissue that covers the entire body.
Sometimes it becomes bound or stuck and needs to be loosened.
Another
move is vibration. Vibration is the rhythmic shaking of the body to
it's own rhythm. It feels very good and can actually put one to sleep.
An
additional move is called friction. Friction is done to the muscle
fibers in either a circular pattern or perpendicular to the way the
muscle fiber runs.
The final move is called tapotement and can be
one of several moves such as cupping, chopping, quacking or hacking and
is probably the second most thought of move when one thinks about
massage. It can be quite noisy so it's not done for very long and
usually at the end of the session as this helps to awaken the sleeping
client.
All of these moves are part of the basic Swedish massage and can be used by the massage therapist in any order at any time.
Flow
The
flow of a Swedish massage is at a nice relaxing pace. No rushing or
quick movements in this type of massage, except for the tapotement
component. The recipients of a good Swedish massage usually fall fast
asleep. And snoring is a compliment to the therapist.
Benefits
The
benefits of a Swedish massage are; hyperemia or a reddening of the skin
or a blushing of the skin, increased blood flow which helps the body' s
metabolism, the release of endorphins the amino acids that work as the
body' s natural pain killer, and finally enhance immunity by stimulating
lymph flow which is part of the body' s natural defense system.
Music
A
Swedish massage session usually has a musical component to it as well.
Nice relaxing music is played during the massage. The music varies
according to the place of massage. For instance a massage franchise will
play all of the same music approved by corporate. In a private or group
practice, the therapist picks the music or in some cases lets the
client pick their music or bring in their own CD's to play.
Lighting
Lighting
is an important factor in a relaxing massage. After all, it's hard to
relax when you're under spotlights or those God awful fluorescent
lights. Side lighting or lamps are a good source of lighting as long as
they have a dimmer control on them. Some therapists may even use candles
in their practice, although fire laws may prevent the use of candles in
an office building.
Enhancements
There are other
things the therapist may add or add for an additional charge, such as
aroma therapy, Reiki, scrubs or wraps, hot stones and massage cupping.
There you have it, all the components of a nice relaxing Swedish
massage. In the next article, I'll cover the topic of a therapeutic
massage which uses deep tissue moves as the primary means to accomplish
the massage.
Keith Deveau is a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) and a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) in Massachusetts. He currently practices in Hanover, MA. For more details go to: South Shore Wellness Massage [http://www.southshorewellnessmassage.com]
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