Swedish Massage - What is it?
Gentle and Soothing
Swedish massage involves using gentle, traditional massage strokes to relieve muscular aches and pains, ease physical & mental tension and promote overall health & wellbeing in the body and mind.
By gently manipulating and stretching the tissues and muscles an increase of blood and oxygen is delivered to the treated areas, improving circulation, removing toxins and increasing muscle tone and suppleness. This helps the muscles to relax and work more efficiently.
Physical and Mental Stress Relief
Muscular relaxation in turn decreases both physical and mental stress, enabling the body's own healing mechanisms to work more efficiently and protecting against the development of stress-related conditions that can occur when the body is out of balance.
When used in conjunction with other massage disciplines, such as Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage and ScarWork Therapy, Swedish massage can also assist in the rehabilitation of muscular injuries and chronic areas of tension.
Foot Massage
We tend to spend a lot of our time on our feet and aches and pains in our feet are common - but very often ignored! A professional foot massage is very effective in relieving tension and pain in the foot muscles, particularly in the muscles in the arch of the foot which when tight, cause our feet to ache and feel sore.
Plantar Fascitis
One common and painful condition in the foot is called plantar fasciitis, where the thick ligament that connects the heel to the front of the foot (the plantar fascia) becomes damaged, fibrous and inflamed. The pain can often be felt like a stabbing sensation and is often worse in the morning, when first putting pressure on the inflamed area after a night of resting. This condition is particularly common among athletes who exercise on hard surfaces, among people with tight calf muscles, where someone has recently started doing a lot more exercise in general or where shoes with poor cushioning are worn. Gentle massage (alongside stretches, strengthening exercises and wearing the correct footwear) can greatly improve the discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis by helping to loosen the tendons and fascia that have become painfully tight over time.
Foot Massage and Relaxation
As well as targeting physical discomfort, due to the many reflexology points that are stimulated during a foot massage, a deep state of relaxation can be felt in the whole body and mind, so a foot massage is very effective for overall relaxation. A foot massage can be particularly suitable for people with complex health conditions where massage to specific areas of pain is contraindicated but who can really benefit from the overall physical & psychological relaxation that a foot massage can bring to both body and mind.
A foot massage can be given on it's own (typically lasting 30 minutes) or can be incorporated into a longer massage treatment as required. A foot massage is best given lying on a massage table or sitting in a comfortable chair with lower legs and feet elevated. A little massage oil is typically used.