Advanced Swedish Massage Techniques

Friction, kneading, rolling and gliding quiet the nervous system and reduce our stress. Vibration, trigger point and deep tissue strokes of advanced Swedish massage, however, pack a punch that employs the body's own resources for healing. Advanced Swedish massage strokes release energy and healing antibodies from the immune system to our muscles and organs. Traditional Swedish massage strokes may reduce our stress, while advanced strokes allow the body to rest and recover.

Vibration

• Low back pain can radiate down the front and back of the legs.

  Vibration is an advanced Swedish massage technique that decreases the tension in muscle spindle cells. These spindle cells maintain tension, stretch and muscle tone. Grasp the muscle portion of the tissue, shake the muscle and tissue beneath the skin, rolling and releasing the muscle fibers. It is easier to complete this procedure on the arms and legs, but also can be performed by shaking the whole body. Small vibrations initially "wake up" the tissue, followed by deeper vibrations that stimulate the entire muscle body. Lighter vibration techniques relax the nervous system and more vigorous vibration can reset the spindle cells in the muscle and the golgi tendons in the joints.

Deep Tissue Manipulation

• Trigger points in the muscles around the shoulder blades hold cervical tension.

  Deep tissue manipulation is another advanced technique of Swedish massage. Grasp the muscle tissue with the fingertips and roll, knead and squeeze the fibers with increasing depth to bring blood flow to the muscle. This increased blood flow allows the massage therapist to reduce adhesions in individual muscle fibers. Knots are lengths of muscle fiber stuck together. Deep tissue strokes break apart these fibers. When activating muscle tissue, it can fill with waste from other parts of the body. Trapped waste in the tissue causes irritation and discomfort. The massage therapist glides over the tissue, working deeper and deeper into the muscle fibers, flattening and stretching the muscle similar to rolling out dough for a piecrust. Swedish massage techniques work the muscle in similar patterns, but this deeper stroke affects the individual muscle fibers.

Stretching

• Knee pain may be related to tension in the quadriceps or iliotibial tract.

  While the client lay in the supine position, stretch the neck and shoulders on both sides by gently holding the back of the head, increasing the gap between the head and neck at a diagonal. Stretch the legs by hanging them off one side of the massage table, one at a time. Press the limb gently at the upper quadriceps, down toward the floor. Similarly, drop one arm off the side of the table while applying slight downward pressure to the upper bicep. To stretch the low back, move the right leg over the left leg while holding the right shoulder down; repeat on both sides. Stretching enhances the effectiveness of traditional Swedish massage strokes.

Trigger Point Manipulation

• Trigger points are irritated areas of muscle fiber that contain trapped toxins. This advanced technique requires additional training to identify trigger point patterns. These irritated areas in the muscle feel tight, stiff, warm or gelatinousness. Similar to the waste build-up in a gas tank, trigger points fill with the waste products of expended muscle energy. Press, squeeze, or knead specific trigger point areas located within the body of the muscle gently; after holding this stroke for several seconds, use a gliding stroke to move the toxins through the body. Flush the muscles with liquid after exercise or massage to reduce soreness and irritation. Water is a valuable source of flushing because the body does not have to process this solution or absorb any nutrients.