Swedish vs Deep Tissue
Pick Your Pleasure

The 2 most common types of massage clients tend to book their massage for are either Swedish or a deep tissue massage. And many clients don’t understand what they are asking for, so let's clear up all this massage confusion, shall we?

What are your massage needs? Knowing what results you will like from your session will greatly help you pick the correct service with the correct therapist. Let’s get into the knitty-gritty of Swedish vs deep tissue. 

 Swedish massage is actually the most popular massage clients receive. But what is a Swedish massage really? This modality is your general relaxation services. Light, long flowing strokes are used throughout your session. The whole point of this services is to help calm your mind and body and to bring you to a place of total relaxation. While you are on the table just allow all that chatter in your mind to shut off and go to your happy place. This is great service to help melt away all your stress from the mind and body. The pressure of the strokes are on the lighter side and this massage tends to be a full body. If you don’t want your abdominal or face worked on let your therapist know ahead of time.

People who tend to like lighter work will really enjoy a Swedish massage.

But what if you want the deep stuff? Then you need to book a deep tissue massage. Just like the name implies the work is deeper, slower and more focused. If you are having low back and neck pain this maybe a better choice for you. You need to keep in mind this probably won’t be a full body session if you only book an hour. Deep tissue is more focused work, so extra attention will be paid to those areas that are bothering you. If you would like more areas of your body worked then you need to make sure you book a long enough session. It is also important that you speak up if the work is feeling uncomfortable and or painful.  

What is a Swedish massage?

The actual definition of a Swedish massage is, a popular general-purpose system of massage, devised in Sweden. Oil and or massage cream is always used. The strokes are long and flowing, which helps connect the whole body part that's being worked on to feel balanced. This is called effleurage. Kneading back and forth strokes in a smaller area aka petrissage are also blended in with effeurage. Every massage therapist over time develops their own Swedish massage routine. Timing of the session is important. It is easy as a massage therapist to spend too much time on one area and not have enough time to fit in the whole body. In a one-hour session it is supposed to be  30 minutes on the stomach, prone. And 30 minutes on the back, supine. Just a side note. I do not work on the face unless I have been asked to as part of the consultation. This is because many people have skin sensitivities that can get irritated from a face massage 

Clients that are looking to reduce their stress, Swedish massage is a perfect match. It helps to improve circulation. And the calming effect of the massage can help improve sleep over the next few evenings. The pressure can be adjusted as needed. Many clients confuse deep tissue massage with actually wanting deep pressure.  You can learn more about Swedish massage HERE

What is deep tissue massage?

Deep tissue massage from the medical dictionary means, a group of massage techniques designed to access multiple layers of muscle and fascia to improve alignment, reduce levels of resting tension, and create more efficient postural and movement patterns. How I like to describe deep tissue massage to clients is detailed, focused work. 

People that have a chronic pain point tend to be looking for this type of massage. The area that is worked on is smaller. The strokes used are repetitive to help warm up each layer of tissue. If the therapist goes too deep too fast, the client can actually get hurt. Neck and shoulders tend to need some extra warm up time. As a client if you are feeling like things are taking too long to address your pain. Please be patient. The warm up time is important for client safety and to create long term lasting effects from the massage. The goal is not just to relax, but to create structural changes in the muscles.   

I wrote more about benefits of deep tissue massage in this BLOG POST

Key differences between Swedish vs deep tissue

Here are the main takeaways for the key differences between a Swedish and deep tissue massage. Swedish is a general full body massage, where  deep tissue is detailed focused work. Most clients looking to unwind and relax generally are looking for Swedish.  Those that need pain relief and muscle recovery tend to gravitate towards deep tissue.  The techniques for the strokes are different. Swedish strokes are flowing and rhythmic like a dance. Deep tissue is slow and targeted. Both techniques  can have a calming effect on the clients nervous system. Clients can be sore after a deep tissue massage for about 48 hours. Whereas a Swedish massage usually does not leave a client feeling tender afterwards. 

Which massage should you choose

Still unsure which technique fits your needs? The best place to start is to know what your goal is for your massage session. Go with the Swedish massage if: 

• You want to relax and destress
• You are feel mentally and physically drained
• First time massage client
• Not a fan of deep work 

Swedish massage helps your body to unwind and give your nervous system a much needed break from life's daily stressors   

Choose deep tissue massage if:

•  You have chronic tightness and pain
• You have a specific problem area
• You stand and or sit for extended periods of time
• You like detailed focused work

Deep tissue massage is a good choice for those clients looking for pain relief rather than relaxation. 

Here’s a pro tip: During the session it’s always important to let your therapist know if the pressure makes you feel uncomfortable. Switching from Swedish to a deep tissue massage can be done, you just need to speak up. Do not worry about offending the massage therapist, we are here to serve the clients individual needs.

Can you combine Swedish and deep tissue?

Honestly it really depends on what your massage goals are. During the consultation I like to go over in great detail about what your needs are for the massage session. We talk about how often you get a massage. When was the last time you had body-work? What are your current pain points? How sore do you get after a deep tissue massage? And the biggest factor is, how long is the session that was booked.  

If you book an hour massage. Chances are there is not going to be enough time to do a combination session of Swedish and deep tissue massage. Here is an example why an hour is not enough time. I work with a lot of clients who complain about upper back and neck pain. Depending on how much pain the client is in and the individual symptoms. To give the client much needed relief; the upper back, neck and shoulders is going to be a minimum of 30 minutes. This leaves the last 30 minutes to gloss over the rest of the body. I usually tell clients that want an one hour session, an area is going to need to be skipped. It is usually the arms. I do offer 90 minute and two hour massages to help manage these types of time crunches.

Final thoughts

Both styles of massages are a great choice! Swedish and deep tissue massage both helps clients feel better. There is no one size fits all when it comes to bodywork. As a client it is a good idea to have a session goal in mind. Let your therapist know what type of pressure you enjoy. We also need to know how your body response to deep work. This is going to help the therapist figure out what is going to be the best direction for you based on your past experiences with massage therapy.  

FAQ

If you are in the West Boylston, MA area and are ready to book you next massage with me. You can just use my online calendar HERE . All my massage sessions are tailored to my clients individual needs on that day.