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Swedish Massage
does anyone really give just a swedish massage anymore? i have not found one client that doesn't require more specific techniques in various areas. even someone coming for relaxation purposes usually has knots and tight muscles SOMEWHERE. I'm curious, cause we all list it, but i've yet to use it soley.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jessi Talbot on
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Ditto! I'm not even sure I could give a purely "swedish relaxation" massage...
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Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on
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I Love giving Swedish Massages. This is what I do 95% of the time. My clients love it.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on
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so i'm just curious...the clients that love pure swedish...do they not have any knots or tightness that require some more specific work?
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:I Love giving Swedish Massages. This is what I do 95% of the time. My clients love it.
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The reason they come to me is for pure swedish nothing else. They just want to relax and they do not want me knot picking.
Lisa said:so i'm just curious...the clients that love pure swedish...do they not have any knots or tightness that require some more specific work?
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:I Love giving Swedish Massages. This is what I do 95% of the time. My clients love it.
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ok but just to throw something into the debate (i'm a Libra so forgive me)...if they come in wanting to just relax and you come across an area of severe tightness, etc...isn't it almost our obligation as caregivers to address that? even if it's just a little?
would it not be like going to the doctor for, let's say, a hangnail and them finding a sprained ankle and just ignoring it? probably not the best analogy i can think of right off the bat.
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:The reason they come to me is for pure swedish nothing else. They just want to relax and they do not want me knot picking.
Lisa said:so i'm just curious...the clients that love pure swedish...do they not have any knots or tightness that require some more specific work?
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:I Love giving Swedish Massages. This is what I do 95% of the time. My clients love it.
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I was taught that the client dictates the massage not the therapist. It does not take a lot of pressure to relax muscles. That's the part of massage that a lot of therapists miss. Especially those that are into knot picking. I have had clients come to me and tell me they have had Deep Pressure or Deep Tissue massage and the relaxing lighter pressure is much more beneficial. I can attest to that fact myself from my own life experience of being rear ended by a drunk driver at a high rate of speed. The lighter pressure is much more beneficial for me and my knoty back. Plus it does not leave them or me in pain.
Lisa said:ok but just to throw something into the debate (i'm a Libra so forgive me)...if they come in wanting to just relax and you come across an area of severe tightness, etc...isn't it almost our obligation as caregivers to address that? even if it's just a little?
would it not be like going to the doctor for, let's say, a hangnail and them finding a sprained ankle and just ignoring it? probably not the best analogy i can think of right off the bat.
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:The reason they come to me is for pure swedish nothing else. They just want to relax and they do not want me knot picking.
Lisa said:so i'm just curious...the clients that love pure swedish...do they not have any knots or tightness that require some more specific work?
Darcy Neibaur BS LMT NCTMB said:I Love giving Swedish Massages. This is what I do 95% of the time. My clients love it.
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i agree the client dictates the massage. i was taught the same. hope you didn't think i was being sassy. just adding a little debate. :)
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Permalink Reply by Beulah on
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I havent given a pure Swedish Massage since I got out of school there is allways something else that needs to be adressed , I love useing several different techniques and no two massages even on the same person are ever the same .
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Permalink Reply by Will Tice on
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Yes, I agree with Emma on this one. And also, with so many tense souls running around, a real nice swedish can be just the ticket.
Emma Torsey CLMT said:Hi Lisa,
I will use swedish on an elderly client,or someone on like a blood thinning med.But,I know what you mean,it is hard to do a massage with out using at least a couple of modalities.
Peace,Emma
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Permalink Reply by Quincy Brown on
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Just a little thought on the matter...
Clients are well educated now, some clients that request swedish know that they have problem areas but just want to relax and not deal the the deep breathing, minor discomfort and anything else that may go into working out the knots and kinks. If a client request swedish from me, I inform them before habd that it means i will not work out any problems and that is for pure relaxation. It took me a while to get use to doing that because as a massage therapist you want to help everyone you touch in the best way possible.
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Permalink Reply by Darren Buford on
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Great question!
It just so happens that this is the feature article for the November/December 2009 issue of Massage & Bodywork magazine. Read Anne Williams’s article “Is Swedish Massage Dead?” in the digital edition of the magazine: http://massagebodywork.idigitaledition.com/issues/9/
The article, complete with video techniques, begins on page 36.
Darren Buford
Managing Editor
Massage & Bodywork
Join the Massage & Bodywork group at Massageprofessionals.com
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Permalink Reply by I. Paul Dunsdon on
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Hi Lisa,
I totally agree with you. It was one of the first questions I had when I made up my price list. But let me share this... When I was in school our instructors gave us this advice;
Regardless of the price menu, you should always apply deep pressure effleurage as part of your routine. So if Swedish is $50/hr and deep tissue is $65/hr and hot stone is $95/hr (for example) the client should always feel the benefit of your work. Your effort should not reflect the amount they pay. In my opinion he is right so I reserve my Swedish style for people who are new to massage, not conditioned for deep tissue or are in it for the touch connection as apposed to the therapeutic aspect.
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