What Does Massage Do? 5 Benefits of Swedish Massage
20 July 2021
What Does Massage Do? 5 Benefits of Swedish Massage
What Is Swedish massage and what does massage do? Well In Sweden, Swedish massage is known as 'Classic Massage' as it's offered in most salons. Typically confused with Deep Tissue Massage, Swedish Massage uses softer strokes with firmer pressure being applied to the areas with thicker muscles, producing tons of benefits for both mental and physical well-being.
What does a Swedish full-body massage include? Our massage therapists work on your muscles from head to toe using 5 main types of massage techniques, these include Effleurage, Petrissage, Tapotement, Friction, and Vibration (basically, stroking & gliding, kneading & rubbing, tapping & pounding & vibration). These techniques make a full-body Swedish a dream to get, especially if you need help with:
- Easing muscular strain
- Loosening up Ligaments & Tendons
- Improving blood circulation
- Relieving chronic back pain
- Reducing physical and emotional stress
As one of our most popular massages in the salon we thought we would compile the five main benefits of a Swedish massage to hopefully encourage you to check-in at the salon and put your own well-being as a top priority - something we are ALL guilty of not doing as often as we should.
1. Improved Sleep
There's a reason that we've put this as the first out of five benefits. One in three of us suffers from poor sleep, with work and stress being the main culprit. Not getting enough sleep, or not getting good enough sleep can have major impacts on our physical & mental well-being. Getting a regular massage whether it be a Swedish massage or something else, improves blood circulation, lowers your heart rate and relaxes your muscles - the perfect concoction for a better nights rest. During the week we are open as late as 9 and 10 pm at night - perfect for booking your massage last thing so you can head straight home and hit the hay.2. Lowered Stress Levels
'Cortisol' the Stress hormone, is why we feel anxious, feelings of sadness and pain. Just a 60- minute Swedish massage can reduce cortisol levels by an average of 30%, boosting Serotonin, your body's natural mood stabiliser. Meaning there's a high chance you will hop off the massage bed in a better mood than you were in before.
3. Calm Your Mind
There are lots of physical benefits to a Swedish massage, but booking in for one allows you to switch off, calm your mind and truly relax and give in to the moment. You're doing something just for you - and don't get us wrong you may find your thoughts are still going one million mph but with the combination of touch, relaxing oils and hormones balancing themselves out you should feel much better by the end of it - if not, try our 80-minute Swedish massage - the longer the better right?!4. Promote Wellbeing
When people connect physically, whether it be a hug or touch, we release a hormone called Oxytocin. This promotes deep feelings of comfort and wellbeing, so whilst massage guns are all the rage right now there's nothing quite like a therapists touch. A lot of people through lockdown never seen anyone let alone hugged someone, booking in for a massage is a great way to get back to normality and to build a sense of ease.5. Relieves Tension
This may seem like an obvious one and it's probably the most common reason people book in for a Swedish massage but there's nothing quite like relieving muscle tightness. Muscle tension is often triggered by stress and whilst we touched on how massage can lower stress levels, stress adversely affects your nervous system which includes your nerves and how they function - increased stress causes pressure on blood vessels, reducing the supply of blood to your muscles - something they so desperately need to operate effectively.
Massage also encourages lymphatic drainage, the lymphatic system relies on the movement of smooth muscles to transport fluid through the lymph vessels, so muscle tension, especially knots in your muscles, can be really counterproductive as our lymphatic system is a part of our immune system, it helps protect us from infection & disease.
So if you've got tight hamstrings, stiff lower back, tight neck muscles and stress then what are you waiting for? Book in for a massage below!
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