06/10/2026
There are 12 main modalities of massage. We learn about all of them in school but unless you specialize, you may not practice all forms regularly.
Swedish is the first modality on my list of 12. A Swedish massage like all massage has the goal of muscle tension relief and relaxation. Dating back to early 19th century, Per Henrik Ling, a Swedish physical therapist and gymnast laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Swedish massage. It wasn't until Johan Georg Mezger, a Dutch physician, refined techniques. Mezger gave these 5 techniques the names that we learn today.
There are 5 core techniques utilized during a treatment. Effleurage has nice gliding motions while petrissage is more of a kneading motion. Friction goes a little deeper to provide increase in your mobility. Tapotement and vibration are nice together. During tapotement, you tap the body to stimulate nerves. Can you guess what we do during the vibration technique? Yep, I gently shake or rock the client to relax the muscles.
If you would like to schedule a treatment with me, call or text. 540.589.6738.
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