Therapeutic massage represents a form of preventative massage therapy—an important part of every person's well being.

Graph source: Massage Today Magazine, June 2001 Issue
www.massagetoday.com

Basic Swedish Massage | Background
Swedish Deep-Tissue | Other Deep-Tissue Therapies

Swedish massage currently represents the western "standard" for therapeutic massage. It focuses on:

• Improving the health of tissues by increasing circulation;
• Reducing stress and anxiety by promoting relaxation; and,
• Satisfying a basic human need for compassionate, nurturing touch.

Most massage therapists in the United States receive initial training in Swedish massage techniques as part of their certification and licensing process.

When you picture massage, you're probably thinking of Swedish massage or a derivative. Spas, salons, and health and fitness clubs typically offer this form of massage. Consumers can also find Swedish massage offered in many chiropractic offices.

Basic Swedish Massage represents the most common form of massage in the United States. Therapists frequently develop their own unique styles of massage based on the fundamental moves from the Swedish "school" of massage.

The Swedish approach classifies five different types of massage strokes:

• Effleurage - gliding
• Petrissage - kneading
• Friction - rubbing
• Tapotement - pounding
• Vibration - shaking

Therapists focus most often on either client relaxation or invigoration, depending on how the strokes get combined. Swedish massage also relies on the use of oils, lotions, and/or creams. Clients typically receive a full-body massage that lasts 60 to 90 minutes.

Modern U.S. massage began to develop in Europe in the 19th century. A Swedish physiologist and gymnastics instructor, named Pehr Henrik Ling, developed and promoted his own system of massage. He primarily classified the massage techniques used by the Greeks and Romans in ancient times. Ling's system, which he called Medical Gymnastics, became more commonly known as Swedish massage.

In the United States, Pehr Ling is also considered the "father of physical therapy". Massage only constituted approximately 10% of the techniques used by Ling when providing treatments. [Ironically, I have met massage therapists native to Sweden, that trained in Sweden, and never heard of Pehr Ling].

Later, a Dutch physician, named Johann Mezger, promoted Swedish massage using a medical model. Most credit Mezger with introducing and popularizing the use of French terminology to describe the system.

Physicians in the United States used massage and other manual therapies quite extensively into the 1930's. However, with new advances in surgical techniques and pharmaceutical medicine, massage slipped from the mainstream U.S. medical model. After World War II, the general population frequently associated massage with prostitution.

Meanwhile, most other nations advanced physical medicine practices and integrated it with modern medical techniques. Great advances in massage and manual therapies have come from other continents, including Europe, Asia, and Australia. For example, the Russian Medical Community recognizes 3 schools of Western massage:

• Swedish - Restored massage treatment to the arsenal of modern medicine. Introduced the Western general public to the benefits of massage.

• Finnish - First system of Sports Massage, originating from Swedish massage. Important in the development of modern neuromuscular therapy.

• Russian - Began as traditional medicine among Slavic tribes in the 4th-5th centuries A.D. Recognized and used since the 1800's as an effective treatment for disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Further developed in 1900's as a result of research and development of medical massage treatment methods in Germany, Russia, France, and England.

Although traditional U.S. medicine (i.e., allopathic medicine, biomedicine) no longer recognizes massage as a popular method of treatment, massage has slowly been gaining recognition once again. (See Medical Massage).

Modified Swedish techniques have now evolved into whole new systems of massage therapy, mostly based on the combining, packaging and marketing of existing techniques.

The format of a session, not just the type of massage strokes, also differentiates modern techniques. Many of the newer techniques incorporate Swedish massage with additional, ancillary strokes taken from other systems of massage.

Deep-tissue refers to many, many different things to different people in the context of massage. Good luck finding a standard definition.

I find that it generally means that clients prefer a greater amount of pressure, bordering on pain.

In the context of Swedish massage, deep-tissue work most often consists of slower strokes and more pressure. To keep from "sliding" over the lubricated skin, the therapist must use greater pressure to access the deeper tissues of the body.

With deep-tissue Swedish, the therapist targets deeper muscle groups after first warming the skin and more superficial soft tissues of the body. Therapists also use greater pressure and deep-tissue Swedish massage to help break up scar tissue.

Simply using more pressure, however, will not necessarily improve results, and can frequently aggravate existing conditions.

Other [non-Swedish] massage techniques also represent deep-tissue work, but do not rely on greater pressure to achieve the desired results. These include:

• Connective Tissue Massage - frequently referred to as Rolfing®;
• Neuromuscular and Trigger Point therapies; and,
• Muscle Energy Techniques (MET).

Because of the modesty inherent in ancient Oriental cultures, most oriental massage techniques use no oil or lotion; and, the client remains fully dressed. But, these techniques also address the deeper tissues and systems of the body.

For example, acupressure applies deep pressure to special points in the soft-tissue, much like western myofascial trigger point therapy. And, techniques such as Thai Massage and Shiatsu rely on deep compression and stretching techniques, much like western Sports Massage.

Many historical accounts claim that acupuncture, or the use of needles on acupoints, resulted from the need to avoid even "touching" the client. It was primarily applied by physicians to royalty, while the village doctors, monks, and and martial artists still relied on manual acupressure techniques. Practitioners today still debate which technique offers more effective results.