The goal of Swedish massage is to improve your circulation and promote relaxation through soothing your muscles. It’s therefore quite different from deep tissue massage or sports massage. The techniques involve soft strokes over areas which are more prone to pain, or without much muscle coverage. If you’ve ever heard of someone getting a massage recently, they were likely getting the Swedish massage, one of the most common relaxation methods that people often seek out. This type is much more rhythmic, in which your therapist will use longer and softer strokes to relax your muscles. He or she will us tapping strokes, kneading, petrissage which is a type of squeezing or rolling after a gliding stroke, and friction with deep, circular movements to increase blood flow.
Your massage therapist will know the best massage technique depending on the reason for your appointment. They can also customize your massage to provide multiple techniques depending on your current needs and your body’s response. When you try to do it yourself or use an at-home device to relax your muscles, you don’t have the kind of control of a therapist in the pressure, the technique, or the trigger point. Your therapist is more likely to be able to pinpoint the source of the pain as well. That’s a look at the types of massage and their benefits and the types of massage techniques that you may experience at your next massage.
