Swedish Massage History

Swedish body massage is the manipulation of the body's soft tissues with specific techniques to promote or restore health. It was the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who argued that physical touch is the most fundamental of all five senses. Hippocrates was a physician and is generally regarded as the father of medicine. He seems to have understood the benefits of Swedish massage; he used friction movements in the treatment of sprains and dislocations and kneading movements to treat constipation.

The modern Swedish Massage, however, was systemized by Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) a Swedish fencing master and gymnastics instructor. His method, The Swedish Movement Treatment, was derived from Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Chinese techniques. Sweden was the first country to include massage in a college curriculum supervised at government level. Today, the modality incorporating the Ling techniques is called Swedish massage.

Swedish massage currently represents the western ‘standard' for massage therapy. Also commonly known as ‘therapeutic massage', Swedish Massage represents a general massage system that focuses on increasing circulation and promoting relaxation. 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.

Swedish massage techniques encompass many different types of movements. These include: Effleurage, Petrasage, Kneading, Cupping, Hacking, Friction and Nudging. One or all of the Swedish massage techniques can be used in Swedish massage therapy. In the gluteal massage, for example, you can start with effleurage on the gluteal muscles and go straight into kneading. This is a big muscle and can cope with deep manipulation.

Before utilizing any of these Swedish massage techniques, remember that your recipient should always be warm and comfortable. You should therefore encourage him or her to take a warm, aromatic bath prior to treatment. Also, make sure that you have pre-warmed the toweling and the oil. Take the time to oil up the recipient properly, finding any areas of tension that you can relax prior to the Swedish body massage.

Cup, remember not to slap, and keep a rhythmic movement. Then hack the entire gluteal muscle. Ease it out and using the pads of three fingers, make small circular motions down the gluteal muscle. Another example of the many different combination of movements used in Swedish body massage is illustrated in the back of the leg massage. In this area, you would effleurage the entire length of the leg. Remember to lighten up pressure over the back of the knee.

The Swedish massage courses offered by the Queensland Swedish Massage Institute. (QSMI) have been closely derived from the work of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (1852-1943) as presented in his book, The Art of Massage. He is also the founder of Kellog's, the breakfast food company. Kellogg's formal medical study began at the University of Michigan. Because the course offered no clinical training, he left and subsequently enrolled in the Bellevue Hospital Medical School in New York.

To maintain professional certification, therapists must take continuing education courses, and may elect to progress to more advanced forms of Swedish Massage or learn additional techniques. 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.