Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is the most commonly offered and best known type of massage in the United States. It was developed by a Swedish physiologist, Henri Peter Ling at the University of Stockholm in 1812.
Massage therapists use long, smooth strokes, kneading and other movements focused on superficial layers of muscle using massage oil or lotion. Swedish massage employs five different movements:
* long, gliding strokes
* kneading of individual muscles
* friction
* hacking or tapping
* vibration
Swedish massage is done with the person covered by a sheet, a technique called "draping". One part of the body uncovered, massaged, and then covered up before moving on to another part of the body.
Swedish massage is the foundation for other types of Western massage, including sports, deep tissue and aromatherapy.
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