Why is it called “swedish massage”?

Swedish MassageIn North America especially, a massage is almost by default a swedish massage. In other parts of the world people simply use “oil massage” or “classical massage”, but we all agree this term is by far the most commonly used in North Maerica.

But why is it called Swedish? And does it really come from Sweden? Or is a misnomer, like “french” fries (when they should actually be named Belgium fries)?

Pretty much all history books attribute the creation of the swedish massage technique to a…Swede named Peter Henry Ling. Mister Ling was the founder of the Royal Central Gymnastic Institute in Stocklonm in 1813 and is said to have used massage techniques borrowed from many parts of the world to create this new technique that spread all over the Western hemisphere in the mid 1800s.

Funny thing is, there is no such thing as swedish massage and never was. Contrary to popular beliefs, Ling never used those techniques in his school and never talked about them! It is one of those historical mistakes that still persevere today

Actually, swedish massage techniques should instead be called French Massage, or French- Dutch massage if we want to be historically correct. A Dutch man named Johan Georg Mezger was the first to name specific massage techniques and used French terms. These terms are the basis of today’s swedish massage, or classical massage

So what are those four original French terms?

  • Effleurage (stroking)
  • Petrissage (kneading)
  • Tapotement (striking)
  • Frictions (rubbing)

These days anybody can associate these terms with the swedish massage techniques, created more than 150 years ago….by a French-speaking Dutch guy.


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Massage sheets: stains, colors and budget

Massage SheetsAs a massage therapist or professional, we do not have to tell you that massage sheets are the cornerstone of any successful practice. Sheets can quickly become expensive and making sure you will always have a clean set can be a challenge.

Here a few tricks that can be useful:

- Some therapists recommend only using sheets with patterns because a stain is much more visible on solid white, no matter how small

- Why not try and do what mechanics do to remove their oil stains? Ammonia. Some therapists add a bit of ammonia with regular detergent and apparently it works well.

- Dishwasher detergents has been known to be very useful too

- Always wash your sheets within 24 hours of “usage” otherwise a dried oil stain can be almost impossible to remove

- Many people recommend line drying your sheets instead of using a dryer because drying them with a machine will somehow heat the oil on the sheet and not remove it completely

- Buy quality sheets. There is no points saving a few bucks here and there if the sheets will become thin after a few weeks. Any customer expect the best when he/she lies down for a massage, and having so so sheets is definitely a huge turn off (and he/she will probably never come back!)

That being said, you eventually need to replace your sheets after a while, no matter how hard you try! This is why having a good supplier is essential otherwise you will quickly get unpleasant surprises in your budget.Imagine, you have to change sheets for every customer: the costs add up very fast!

You can either get in touch with a wholesaler, look for good discounts online or again find a reliable source.

Here at Massage Emporium we know how important massage sheets costs are for your practice and we always try to bring you the best products at the best prices. We are talking to numerous suppliers around the world to get the best for our customers without compromising on quality

So remember before you start a practice, never underestimate your massage sheets budget


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A few facts about massage therapy

We’ve seen an explosion in demand in the last decade for massage therapy services, especially in North America. In today’s
stressful world, where more and more workers spend their days in front of a computer, people want to take the time to relax and more
importantly take better care of their body.

But how far this profession and industry have become really? We’ve compiled a few facts about the industry and profession.

  • Today it is estimated there are more than 100,000 certified massage therapists in North America.
  • The vast majority of massage therapists are women (80%)
  • To become a certified massage therapist, the student has to go through between 500 and 1,000 hours or class and practice.
  • Massage therapy is considered one of the best part-time job out there, earning an average of $20 an hour.
  • An average certified massage therapist will give 40 massages every month
  • On average, a quarter of all adult Americans will get at least one massage this year
  • On average, for every man who gets a massage, two women will use this service
  • Spas are the most popular places to receive massage therapy
  • The Spa industry is a 11 Billion a year market, and it is estimated there are over 15,000 spa centers in North America alone
  • The most popular reasons to get a massage are, in order:  pain relief, injury treatment and then wellness. People go for massage predominately for therapeutic reasons and treatments.

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