If you’ve ever treated yourself to a massage at a Spa during a special getaway, you probably enjoyed the benefits of Swedish Massage. This is the most popular type of massage offered by holistic health practitioners. Swedish massage involves deep pressure and a variety of intensive massage techniques such as kneading, tapping and stroking.
Many people use Swedish massage as a way to promote relaxation, which is why many people experience their first massage while on vacation. You probably remember how wonderful your body felt during the massage and how rejuvenated you felt afterwards. Swedish massage is a wonderful way to pamper yourself, but it is also an important and effective type of therapy for many people.
Men and women of all ages and physical conditions seek out the benefits of Swedish massage. People rely on Swedish massage therapy to support good health and to manage a variety of health conditions. Swedish massage is used for pain management, to improve circulation and to help individuals recover from injury. It is even used as a form of therapy for anxiety and depression.
How Swedish Massage Benefits the Body
Swedish massage benefits the body because of the specific techniques it involves. The movements and firm pressure involved in Swedish massage affect all systems in the body, including soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments and also nerves and even glands. Holistic health practitioners aren’t just giving you a great muscle rub when you go for a Swedish massage. They apply pressure to your muscles in movements that are in tune with the natural flow of blood back to your heart.
Your body’s lymph system is responsible for moving fluids that contain nutrients and wastes throughout your body. Lymph fluid is circulated during voluntary muscle movement. Swedish massage promotes healthy functioning of your lymph system by directly stimulating and relaxing your muscles. If you’re suffering from muscular strain, Swedish massage can help your body’s lymph system flush metabolic wastes such as lactic acid and uric acid from your muscles. This shortens recovery time and helps you feel better faster.
swedish massage
The lymph system is also an important part of your body’s immune system, as white blood cells are produced and transported through the lymphatic system. Your lymph system is the means by which dead germs are collected in the lymph nodes and removed from the body. Swedish massage helps you stay healthy by supporting your immune system.
Swedish massage is also used as therapy for those suffering from osteoarthritis and other painful and debilitating joint conditions. Swedish massage helps increase flexibility, enhances tissue elasticity and reduces pain. Many individuals benefit from a greater range of joint motion and movement thanks to Swedish massage therapy. In almost all cases, Swedish massage is considered a safe way to improve osteoarthritis conditions in the knees, hips and other areas of the body.
These are three examples of the specific ways Swedish massage can help your body heal itself, but they are by no means the only benefits of Swedish massage. Swedish massage therapy is very effective at relieving anxiety and is often used to help alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Additional Benefits of Swedish Massage
It’s impossible to feel stressed during and after a Swedish massage. The pressure applied during the massage relaxes tight muscles and relieves tension. The stimulation to the skin is deeply relaxing, and it is common to feel a deeper sense of connectedness with your body during a Swedish massage.
You become more aware of the muscles of your body as they are massaged, and this helps clear the mind of anxiety and dissipate depression. Many therapists as well as individuals feel strongly that Swedish massage improves energy flow throughout the body, creating a sense of balance and harmony.
Swedish massage also promotes healthy sleep, which is one more way it helps the body heal itself. Whether insomnia or poor sleep is related to depression, anxiety, the onset of aging, or illness, Swedish massage can promote better sleep. This in turn can support the healthy function of the immune system, relieve anxiety and depression, and support energy levels.
A Multi-faceted Approach to Better Health
Although Swedish massage does not provide all of the same benefits as regular physical exercise, you can think of how it benefits the body in much the same way. Exercising benefits all of the various systems in the body, not just one. It promotes physical as well as mental well-being in a variety of ways. Swedish massage is similar in that it benefits individuals in a broad range of ways.
You may seek out Swedish massage therapy for pain relief, or to help you recover from an injury or to manage depression. Yet, you’ll experience a broad range of welcome side benefits, too. Swedish massage therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee may promote a greater range of motion and alleviate pain, but it may also improve the appearance and health of your skin. It could also reduce the frequency of minor colds you experience and help you stay focused and alert throughout the day.
One added benefit of Swedish massage is that it simply makes you feel great physically, and the feeling lasts if you receive regular treatments. You will feel positive about your body and comfortable in your skin. Swedish massage can help you rediscover how wonderful it can be to enjoy exercising and caring for your body. The long-term benefits of having a healthy attitude towards your body are difficult to measure, but easy to enjoy with Swedish massage therapy.