{"id":25325,"date":"2023-10-20T18:32:18","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T22:32:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/?p=25325"},"modified":"2023-10-20T18:32:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T22:32:30","slug":"what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes a Swedish Massage &#8220;Swedish&#8221; (and Also French)?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Swedish massage is the most widely recognized and used massage modality in the world. A technique that focuses on relaxation, circulation, and overall wellness, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/massage-techniques\/swedish-massage?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=editorial\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Swedish massage<\/a> is highly effective at easing both physical and emotional tension. In most of the world, this modality is actually referred to as \u201cclassical massage,\u201d with only English- and Dutch-speaking countries, plus Hungary, using the moniker \u201cSwedish massage\u201d&#8230;but we\u2019ll get to that topic in a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Swedish massage is characterized by five specific techniques:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Effleurage<\/strong> &#8211; This technique is characterized by long, connected, gliding strokes along the surface of the body. This is typically used both as an \u201cintroduction\u201d when the therapist is first starting to work on an area of the body and at the end of that area\u2019s massage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Petrissage<\/strong> &#8211; In this technique, the therapist can employ a variety of kneading, squeezing, and wringing techniques to loosen and relax muscles and fascia. Petrissage is highly effective for relieving muscle tension and targeting adhesions (AKA muscle knots).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Friction<\/strong> &#8211; Here the massage therapist uses an area as small as their fingertip or as big as their forearm to apply targeted, deeper massage to a specific area, typically along the same direction as the muscle fibers\u2014i.e. \u201cwith the grain.\u201d When applying <em>cross-fiber <\/em>friction, the therapist performs this movement perpendicular to the orientation of your muscle fibers, or <em>against<\/em> the grain.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Vibration<\/strong> &#8211; Like the name suggests, vibration is a technique of applying gentle, rhythmic shaking to a specific area. This can be done at varying speeds, based on particularities of the body part and the client\u2019s needs. Vibration and shaking are generally used to help relieve tension and promote relaxation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tapotement<\/strong> &#8211; this is a rhythmic persuasive stroke that can involve tapping with fingertips, beating with a loose fist, hacking (loose, light karate chops), and slapping. Tapotement is used to stimulate the nervous system in a specific area.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know this, it\u2019s reasonable to wonder, \u201c<strong>Why is it called <em>Swedish<\/em> massage? \u2026and why are there French-sounding names in a supposedly Swedish massage?<\/strong>\u201d That answer lies in its history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordreference.com\/display\/10.1093\/oi\/authority.20110803100107412\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pehr Henrik Ling<\/a> (1776-1839) was the principal of the Royal Gymnastic Central Institute in Stockholm, Sweden when it opened in 1813. He developed a program of \u201c<strong>medical gymnastics<\/strong>\u201d that later became known abroad as the <strong>Swedish Movement System<\/strong>. This system of active and passive movements combined massage with exercise in order to provide relief from movement-related discomfort and injury. He documented this early physiotherapy protocol extensively, passing this legacy on to numerous pupils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast-forward a generation to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.massagemag.com\/magazine-2002-issue100-history100-24026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Johann Georg Mezger<\/a> (1838-1909), a Dutch physician considered by some to be the father of physiotherapy and a practitioner of many of Ling\u2019s same techniques. In a time when musculoskeletal injuries were braced, bandaged, and prescribed absolute rest, Mezger would instead prescribe remedial gymnastics and administer massage on a regular basis to his patients\u2014utilizing many of the same principles and techniques codified in Ling\u2019s Swedish Movement System.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mezger eventually standardized his approach to massage therapy and assigned names to five strokes used in this modality\u2014the very same listed at the beginning of this article. So why were those names French? Simply because French was considered the international language of diplomacy at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Mezger and Ling are notable for standardizing and rigorously documenting their work in this field. Though Mezger is considered by many to be the more official creator of Swedish massage, it wouldn\u2019t be considered \u201cSwedish\u201d if not for the earlier contributions of Swede Pehr Ling before him. Together, a generation apart, they formed a foundation that is considered the gold standard for massage therapy to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeking an easy way to erase your stress, calm tension, reduce muscle pain, improve joint function, lower blood pressure, or increase blood circulation? Great \u2013 we\u2019ll come to you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/massage-on-demand\/services?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=editorial\" style=\"border-radius:4px;background-color:#333333\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Book a Massage at Home<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Swedish massage is the most widely recognized and used massage modality in the world. A technique that focuses on relaxation, circulation, and overall wellness, Swedish massage is highly effective at easing both physical and emotional tension. In most of the world, this modality is actually referred to as \u201cclassical massage,\u201d with only English- and Dutch-speaking&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":25326,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1304],"tags":[2137,2139,2040,2143,2138,2142,1114,2140,2141],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-25325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-massage","tag-effleurage","tag-friction-massage","tag-massage-history","tag-movement-therapy","tag-petrissage","tag-physiotherapy","tag-swedish-massage","tag-tapotement","tag-vibration-massage"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Makes a Swedish Massage &quot;Swedish&quot; (and Also French)? - Zeel<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Makes a Swedish Massage &quot;Swedish&quot; (and Also French)? - Zeel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Swedish massage is the most widely recognized and used massage modality in the world. A technique that focuses on relaxation, circulation, and overall wellness, Swedish massage is highly effective at easing both physical and emotional tension. In most of the world, this modality is actually referred to as \u201cclassical massage,\u201d with only English- and Dutch-speaking&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zeel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/GetZeel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-20T22:32:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-20T22:32:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/swedish-massage-feat.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Melanie Peddle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@GetZeel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@GetZeel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Melanie Peddle\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/\",\"name\":\"What Makes a Swedish Massage \\\"Swedish\\\" (and Also French)? - Zeel\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/swedish-massage-feat.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-20T22:32:18+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-20T22:32:30+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/09dbfa1ad483f0808e6de9b6d908e612\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/swedish-massage-feat.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/swedish-massage-feat.jpg\",\"width\":1300,\"height\":800,\"caption\":\"What Makes Swedish Massage Swedish?\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/massage\/what-makes-a-swedish-massage-swedish-and-also-french\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"What Makes a Swedish Massage &#8220;Swedish&#8221; (and Also French)?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Zeel\",\"description\":\"Premium wellness delivered, on location and on demand.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/09dbfa1ad483f0808e6de9b6d908e612\",\"name\":\"Melanie Peddle\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Melanie-Peddle-LMT2-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zeel.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/Melanie-Peddle-LMT2-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Melanie Peddle\"},\"description\":\"Melanie Peddle holds a MS in Mechanical Engineering and has been practicing massage since 2012. 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