Massage Therapy
Swedish massage is what most people envision when they think of massage therapy. The client is unclothed under a sheet on a table, and the therapist uses oil or lotion to produce long gliding strokes and kneading. There may be stretching and gentle percussive techniques, and the client often feels like spaghetti by the end of the treatment. The focus for Swedish massage is relaxation and increased circulation.
Swedish massage often becomes the base for a variety of other techniques, including trigger point therapy, deep tissue, and positional release. While the therapist is performing a whole body routine, tension areas are discovered and may be treated accordingly. Trigger points, which are spots that “refer” pain to other areas, are treated by deeply pressing the point until the referral pattern decreases. Sometimes other areas need to be released first, and a trigger point “treasure hunt” ensues. Deep tissue may be used to work layer by layer to break up adhesions in muscles and connective tissue. Positional release is useful for correcting spasms and structural issues.
“Regular” massage therapy is generally not a long-term solution for chronic pain and tension. My clients who are looking for long-lasting results almost always gravitate toward Myofascial Release and Shiatsu. Even with the various additions to Swedish massage described in the previous paragraph, only temporary results are achieved. This is because very little of the deeper layers of tension may be accessed once a lubricant is applied. Only part of the connective tissue is being affected, so symptoms often come back quickly. This is not to say that regular massage isn’t useful; it just isn’t as effective as MFR or Shiatsu for certain symptoms.
Benefits of Massage Therapy include:
• stress relief
• improved circulation
• flushing of toxins from your tissues
• stimulation of your immune system
• relaxation
• nurturing touch, an important human need