Balanced Energy Body through Swedish Massage

Come and experience the additional benefits of Swedish massage. Through the application of different strokes, a massage therapist improves circulation, moves toxins towards lymph nodes, stretches muscles and ligaments, and offers increased joint mobility through passive range of motion exercises.

In addition to feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, detoxed, and energized you’ll enjoy:

• Improved circulation
• Improved muscle health from detoxification
• Better range of motion and limberness
• Greater muscle strength
• Swedish Massage Techniques​​​​​​​

The OM Shoppe & Spa in Sarasota uses six types of massage techniques in our Full Body Swedish Massage.

Effleurage, Petrissage, Tapotement, Friction, Vibration, Reflexology

Each of these strokes offers a different benefit to the muscle group being massaged. This full body treatment is customized to your comfort level, including scalp, face and pectoral muscles of the body, and of course back, neck, arms, legs hands and feet! (You will have the opportunity to discuss your unique needs with your therapist before they begin and have them note if there are any specific areas that need additional attention or that you would prefer not be worked on)

Our treatment goes beyond normal Swedish massage by incorporating the OM Spa Advantage extras: customized sound wave energy healing, chromotherapy, bio-mat infrared therapy and organic aromatherapy to improve energy flow through the meridians or chakras. An added benefit from our Swedish massages is better energy flow and revitalization of energy to all areas of the body. In addition, your Swedish massage includes  reflexology massage which focuses on pressure points found in the hands and feet. Each pressure point addresses a different area of the body and allows your therapist to access to organs and deeper tissue that may not be accessible to massage.

The Effleurage Stroke

The Effleurage stroke is a very long stroke that begins with gentle pressure as a way to introduce the massage therapist’s hands to your body. This stroke is used to apply oil and begin the massage. As the pressure from the stroke builds, the area becomes warm from friction. The strokes are directed toward the major joints. The lymph nodes, found throughout our body, sit near major joints such as the elbow, shoulder, groin, and knees. The benefit behind the Effleurage stroke is to move toxins that pool in muscles towards the lymph nodes.

The lymph node is part of our immune system, and its primary job is to transport defensive cells, such as white blood cells, around the body. Moving toxins towards the lymph node allows the body to remove the toxins creating a healthier environment in which your cells thrive.

The Petrissage Stroke

The Petrissage Stroke is a deeper stroke that your massage therapists uses primarily on larger, longer muscle groups. This is a kneading stroke where the muscle is lifted, squeezed, and pressed. You’ll feel deeper pressure from the thumbs and knuckles as your massage therapist applies the petrissage stroke. This is a stroke that is essential for deep tissue massage and therapy.

One of the goals of the petrissage stroke is to break up muscle tension and adhesion. In so doing, the petrissage stroke prepares the muscles and ligaments for additional Swedish massage techniques. Massage therapists at The OM Shoppe & Spa day spa in Sarasota have trained to provide a well rounded Swedish massage that includes the petrissage stroke for deep tissue therapy.

The Tapotement Stroke

The Tapotement stroke uses a rhythmic tapping with cupped hands or with the hands in a vertical position. The cupped stroke uses physical force and sound to penetrate deep into muscles. Sound travels throughout the body, so the Tapotement stroke with cupped hands helps to treat muscles that are behind bones, connective tissue, and even organs! When this “chopping” stroke is used, with the hands vertical, on larger muscle groups, it helps break up the tension and increase circulation to those muscles. The Swedish massage benefits of the Tapotement stroke is to energize the muscles by freeing them of tension. With increased circulation, oxygen and nutrients are transported to each cell and toxins are transported away from the muscles.

The Friction Stroke

Friction is a free form of heat, and thus the friction stroke is used to heat muscles. The Swedish massage therapy benefit of the Friction stroke is to increase circulatory activity while diminishing inflammation. Massage is not just about rubbing the muscles, but also about working with the body’s natural systems to provide a benefit. In the case of the Friction stroke, the benefit is better blood flow and circulation. Blood is essential to cellular health as red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells and transport toxins and metabolic waste away.

The Vibration Stroke

This is a move that is less of a stroke and more of a benefit of gravity. By gently shaking a limb or muscle group, gravity works to free muscles, break up adhesion, and increase circulation. This is a move that may also accompany range of motion exercises on joints. Joints often are points of pain and passive range of motion helps increase free joint movement. Gently shaking the entire limb causes the relaxed muscles to vibrate and at the same time exercises all of the ligaments and connective tissue in those muscle groups. The Swedish massage benefits of the vibration stroke are increase blood flow, increase range of motion, and decrease in toxins within the muscles.