SWEDISH MASSAGE THERAPY

Massage therapy has been practiced for centuries, however while it seems that massage has always been viewed as a luxury, it is only just beginning to surface again as a form of therapy.  So, what exactly is massage therapy, and what exactly are the benefits it offers to people?  Massage therapy is an organised method of intentional touch that stimulates the body in various methods to promote a state of health and wellbeing.  While there are specific types of massage such as Hawaiian, Sports Injury and Oriental, Swedish massage is primarily for relaxation. 

Touch is instinctive.  It expresses emotion and produces a calming and nurturing environment for the individual.  Mothers hold their children and gently rock them to sleep; we hug a friend when they are in need of caring; place an arm around a loved one to let them feel supported... touch is necessary for humans and gives us a sense of worth.  This is why massage therapy utilises the modality of touch - to relax the client and assist in the effectiveness of the treatment.  As well as working on this fundamental level, the modality of touch allows the therapist to directly manipulate the soft tissues of the body.  This means that while the therapist is not permitted to manipulate the bones themselves, they are allowed to stimulate or subdue activity certain areas of the body in order to assist the client in achieving a state of wellbeing.

Swedish massage therapy is an excellent way of invigorating the body.  It does this by removing waste products produced by excercise and work, stimulating blood circulation to enhance the supply of oxygen and nutrition to the body's cells, relaxing the muscles and by soothing the nervous system (Ashgrove Sports Injuries Clinic). Another important factor is that it will show the spirit that the body is not always such a bad place to be, thereby grounding energies and bringing people back to reality.  In this way, massage therapy may assist people suffering from anorexia, in that it puts them back in touch with what things are really like in the physical rather than creating an image for them.  Also, it can be of tremendous benefit to someone who has been touched in the wrong way, letting them know that not all physical interactions are painful and putting them in control of the situation.

How does massage therapy do all this?  Massage stimulates the release of hormones such as Oxytocin and Endorphins.  This often brings suppressed issues to the surface, causing the client to burst into tears or start talking about an issue they had been suppressing for years.  Oxytocin is a hormone that helps normalise body functions and aids in the feeling of connectedness.  Endorphins are released in the body to ease pain; slowing the heart beat, rate of respiration and brain frequency to bring on a state of relaxation.  Therapy has also been shown to synchronise left and right brain activity, allowing the client to achieve the state of relaxation similar to that of meditation.

It is extremely important that the massage therapist gains the client's informed consent before working on them, and again before trying anything new with the client.  Keeping a tab on client feedback allows the therapist to tailor the massage to best suit the individual.    If you are the client and feel pain at any time during the massage, then TELL THE THERAPIST.  The phrase "no pain, no gain" does not apply to massage!

Some possible contraindications for maa client may have are:

Skeletal Problems

Pregnancy

Sunburn/ Skin Sensitivities

Emotional Problems

Torn Muscle

Heart Conditions (such as high blood pressure)

Headache

Recent Surgery

Due to these contraindications, it is important that ALL Informed Consent forms are filled out correctly.  For the sake of record keeping, the therapist should fill out the details of EVERY massage session, regardless of the client's purpose of receiving the treatment.  ALWAYS ask the client before doing anything (this also acts as a warning mechanism).  These procedures are not merely common courtesy - it is also for the future - if the therapist were to be taken to court for abusing these procedures or therapy session, then the necessary paperwork would already be complete.  On a less serious issue, it may also be useful for the client's health practitioner to see what kind of treatment the client is receiving and benefitting from.

The informed consent procedure consists of informing the client of the benefits (as well as possible undesirable effects) of massage therapy.  The therapist should also introduce themselves to the client, explain what type of massage they wish to  give and for what reasons.  They should also check for any contraindications of the area they will be working on (as mentioned previously) and ask the client "Is that all right?".  If at any time during the massage a client feels uncomfortable or wishes for the therapist to stop their work, then they should feel free to say so and the massage therapist should then cease work and drape the client correctly.

The most common massage that a Swedish Masseuse give is the back massage.  Often they will have the client on a massage table or chair (see pictures above).  It depends largely on the therapist's preferences and what areas the client is happy for the therapist to work on.  The client should be properly draped, with no more than the area that the therapist is working on revealed (for reasons of warmth as well as client privacy).  The massage then begins gradually, the therapist first applying light pressure and gradually increasing the pressure as the massage continues.  This prepares the tissue for deep work and avoids shocking the client (for the first 15 minutes of the massage the client will be in sympathetic shock response - the nervous system's "fight or flight" syndrome).  It is only after this that the client truly relaxes and so any deep tissue work should be saved until around the 20 minute mark.

After performing deep tissue massage, the therapist should then relax the tissues once more and ease off on the pressure.  Another thing to remember while massaging is that all work should be done up the inside of the body and down the outside.  This is to follow the direction of the energy flow.  All lymphatic fluid and blood should be pushed towards the heart.  Massage manipulations done in the opposite direction may cause harm to the area.

All of the above information is designed to be a guide to the basics of massage therapy and its benefits.  For more detailed information concerning massage therapy from a therapists' point of view, the book "Massage Therapy - Principles and Practice" by Susan G Salvo is recommended.  Below are some links to useful massage sites.

THE AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF NATURAL MEDICINE

ATHLEGEN and FIRM-N-FOLD massage equipment suppliers

THE ASSOCIATION OF MASSAGE THERAPISTS AUSTRALIA

ASHGROVE SPORTS INJURIES CLINIC

RELAXATION MASSAGE

THE MASSAGE MATRIX

ACCUPUNCTURE | HOME | AROMATHERAPY

SIGN | GUESTBOOK | VIEW

!!! E-MAIL ME !!!