The main type of massage therapy learned in massage school, at least in Texas, is Swedish massage. Swedish massage is used some in chair massage, but almost always in table massage.

A Sweden-born gym instructor named Pehr Henrik Ling, who lived from 1776 until 1839 is the father of this type of massage. Interestingly, Ling is also the father of physical therapy. He taught his techniques at the Royal Central Institute of Gymnastics in Stockholm, Sweden from 1813 through 1839. He taught his students movements and stretches to relax people by improving circulation and range of motion.

Today when you get a table massage, it will usually be a Swedish massage. This is the basic type of bodywork usually learned in American massage therapy schools. Some schools, depending on the state they are located in, give classes on other types of bodywork as well during the beginning certification classes. Other schools offer additional types of bodywork only in advanced classes andin continuing education classes.

Mastering the massage strokes takes a lot of time and practice. It is best to learn them through watching your massage instructor. I am a visual learner and my instructor was fabulous in showing me some of the strokes over and over again, ever so patiently! Practice as often as you can on family members or on a soft pillow until they are perfect.

1. When performing table massage, make sure your hands are warm. Wash them in warm water, not cold, prior to giving massage.

2. Do not pour massage oil or lotion directly on the client. Always pour the lubricant in your hand and rub both hands together to warm it before applying it to your client's body. Your client will be much happier if you do this.

3. Keep the room temperature fairly warm since clients will be undressed when you perform Swedish massage. 74 degrees Fahrenheit is a good starting temperature. In the summer, do not blast the air conditioner on your client. You may even want to supply a light blanket along with the top sheet for your client, especially in winter or if the client is a senior citizen.

4. Play calming massage music or sounds of nature during your massage on a CD. Use the repeat button on the CD player so you do not have to stop the massage and push buttons on the CD player. Make sure the music or nature sounds are not too loud or that will be upsetting and distracting to both you and your client.

5. Remember to use bolsters or pillows under the knees and ankles when appropriate. Your client's comfort is important. Put a pillow case or towel on the pillow or bolster to keep it sanitary.

6. Prior to performing massage, make sure that the client fills out a client intake form and that you interview him or her to make sure that there is no reason why the massage should not take place. Remember your list of contraindications from massage school and follow them.

7. Always wash your hands in between clients.This is to prevent spreading germs.

8. Always change sheets in between clients. Wash them as soon as possible so they are ready for clients. You never want to be caught without clean sheets.

9. Wipe down your massage table according to what you learned in massage school at least once a week. If any body fluids come in contact with the table, wash it immediately.

10. Make sure that you have massage therapy liability insurance before you touch your first client. This is very important so if something goes wrong and you get sued, you will not lose your personal assets.

11. Stay current by reading the latest massage magazines, in hard copy and online.

12. Take as many CEU classes as you can to learn all of the latest techniques.

This popular type of massage has five categories of strokes:

Effleurage

Petrissage

Friction

Vibration

Tapotement

Effleurage means to glide or flow and is the first category in Swedish massage. Use effleurage to apply lubricant, whether oil, cream, lotion, or powder. This stroke is also used to get the client used to your touch.

Glide your fingers, hands or forearms over an area of the body, slowly, letting yourself sink down deep into the skin and the underlying muscles. Repeat this several times in the same area and follow the shape of your client's body with this stroke over the entire body part you are working on. This is a good stroke for palpating the tissue and feeling for any tightness in the muscles and soft tissues.

Effleurage moves lymph and blood and gets the soft tissues warmed up and prepared for additional strokes. Sometimes it is the only stroke you need to perform as a massage therapist to make a client's pain go away.

It is the stroke that not only starts a massage, but also ends it. Once all of the other massage strokes have been completed, you will once again perform this stroke to finish off the massage.

It can be performed with one hand or two. When working on the arms and legs, the most important thing to remember is to make sure the blood flows toward the heart and not away from it to promote venous blood flow. So you would start from the bottom of the area such as the foot or hand and move up to the next joint.

The second most important thing to remember about this stroke is to perform it slowly, allowing your fingers to sink down deep into the tissue. Really let the client feel it. Don't be rough. Just move slowly and deeply. It will really benefit the client that way.

The next stroke is petrissage, which means to knead. Grasp the soft tissue firmly in your hand and lift and squeeze, letting go, and grasping more tissue and repeating the process all the way across the body part. This is most effective on the tissues when it is done firmly and slowly. Repeat this several times using the same technique and then change to another variation of this type of stroke.

Everyone loves a good back massage. While I perform variations of this kneading stroke on the back during table massage, a good deal of my clients doze off.

Petrissage empties the soft tissues of waste and toxins and allows them to fill with freshly oxygenated blood to nourish them. This stroke also flattens and stretches the tissues.

There are several variations such as one or two-handed, fulling, and skin rolling to name a few.

Another Swedish massage stroke is friction. This comes from a Latin word that means to rub. It is also known as compression because you push down and squeeze the tissue together.

The compression stroke increases circulation and is good for massaging bony areas like the ankles, knees and the back of the neck, along with tendons and ligaments. This type of stroke includes superficial warming, deep compression, chucking wringing, rolling, cross-fiber, and circular.

You can lightly slide your hands back and forth across the client's skin to warm it for superficial warming. The skin reddens as new blood flows into the skin.

Cross-fiber is moving your fingers or the heels of your hands across the pattern of fibers on the muscles, perpendicular to them. Cross-fiber is great for treating muscle injuries. It is important to know what direction the muscle fibers run prior to using this technique. Anatomy is so important to know in massage therapy.

Next there is vibration. This stroke comes from a Latin word that means shaker. It is fast shaking, trembling, and slower rhythmic rocking using your fingertips, hands, and sometimes electrical appliances.

A word of caution--Always be careful of the electric cord if this is the route you choose. I, myself, do not use electric vibrators on clients as they can create an uncomfortable numbness for the client and they can damage the massage therapist's hand nerves.

The variations of vibration are rocking, coarse, and fine. The fine variation of this stroke works very well to stimulate your client's digestive system and promote what is known as peristalsis.This is especially helpful to your clients who suffer from constipation.

Jostling is another word for the coarse variation of vibration. Jostling loosens muscles that surround joints.

Rocking is comforting to the client, much like when you rock a baby to sleep. You use your hands to rock the client's body or a specific body part on the table. This relaxes your client, increases circulation, relieves pain, and relieves congestion in the upper respiratory tract.

The final Swedish massage stroke we will talk about is tapotement. This is a French word that means a light blow. This is repeated strikes of the hands on a body part delivered with rhythm. There are six main types that you should be taught in the practical portion of your massage class. These are the most popular Swedish massage movements for the students to learn and practice. Talk about fun--It is so much fun to hear the students trying out all of these noise-making strokes in class on each other!

Variations of this popular stroke are tapping, slapping, cupping, hacking, pinching, and soft-fisted beating. The names sound sort of violent, but they are not. They should always be done lightly and should not hurt at all. Make sure that you learn them well in massage school before attempting them on clients.

A word of caution--Do not apply tapotement on any endangerment site on the body, such as the lower back area where the kidneys and floating ribs are located.You should have learned this in massage school repeatedly.

Tapping and slapping on the back are great when the client's lungs are congested. This can help the phlegm to release.

If you don't want to use quite as much force or noise, a diffused variation of tapotement can also be used.

To do this, lay one hand flat on the body part to be worked on. Strike your flat hand with the other hand using the form of strike of your choice. This is best when used over the abdomen to protect the organs that are not covered with bone.

Swedish massage requires some sort of lubricant applied to the client's skin so the massage therapist's hands glide over the client's skin easily. Lubricants are also known as massage media. Their function is to reduce the friction between the therapist's hands and the client's skin.

If the massage therapist does not use enough lubricant, the client will feel as though his or her skin is burning. If too much is used, the therapist cannot get a good grip on the soft tissue and, therefore, cannot perform his or her job correctly.

The amount of massage therapy lubricant used depends on several things: how softening it is in nature, how dry the client's skin is, how much body hair the client has, and the type of massage being performed.

There are several types of massage therapy lubricants. Oil, cream and lotion are popular choices and are used most often. Powder, cocoa butter, and liniment may be used, too. My favorite to use is hypoallergenic massage lotion.

Hopefully, this information will help to answer any questions you have on Swedish massage.