Swedish massage was brought to the United States from Sweden in the 1850's by Dr. Charles and Dr. George Taylor. Who should be credited with developing the technique and whether or not it even originated in Sweden is another matter, however! Most sources on the subject have long credited Perh Henrik Ling, a master fencer and gymnastics instructor in Sweden, with developing the technique to cure an elbow injury which he somehow sustained in 1812. Ironically, all the strokes used in Swedish massage have French names and there are several researchers who now credit Johan Georg Mezger, a Dutch who lived between 1838-1909, with adopting these names to describe basic massage strokes. Somewhere down the line, these strokes were incorporated in the technique now known as Swedish massage.
Swedish massage consists of 5 basic strokes: Effleurage, Petrissage, Friction,Tapotement and Vibration.
- Effleurage consists of long, gliding strokes which are used primarily
on the limbs, the shoulder area and along the spine. The thumbs and hands apply pressure to these areas to increase circulation. - Petrissage uses kneading strokes which are applied primarily around the joint areas of the body to help remove toxins.
- Friction stroke uses deep, circular pressure applied with the thumbs and hands to relax knots in the muscles all over the body.
- Tapotement is a rhythmic, tapping motion applied mostly to the back and legs with the tips of the fingers or with the sides of the hands.
- Vibration stokes involves using quick, vibrating motions all over the body.
According to Thomas Claire, in his book "Bodywork: What Type of Massage To Get-And How To Make The Most Of It" there a few notable variations of Swedish massage:
Medical Massage: Medical massage has developed specific variations of Swedish techniques which are used to treat injuries, various illnesses and to help aid in physical therapy or rehabilitation. This type of massage is literally prescribed by Physicians or Chiropractors and the massage therapist is working in accordance with what is prescribed for a particular individual.
Sports Massage: This type of massage, when administered to an athlete before they begin physical activity, helps to boost performance and protect against pain and injury. If it is administered to the athlete after their perfomance, it helps remove lactic acid from the muscles and it aids in restoring normal muscle tone and range of motion.
Trigger Point Therapy: This variation was pioneered by Dr. Janet Travell and it essentially involves locating tender areas, usually tight muscles or muscles which have stayed contracted for a long period of time, and applying enough concentrated pressure to the area to release the knot or contraction in the muscle. These areas are known as "trigger points" because they are the source or trigger of pain which radiates to other areas of the body.
Now you know a little bit more about America's favorite massage technique. In my next blog, I will cover a lesser known technique that is growing in popularity: Shiatsu.
