Geraldine Kilkelly, Swedish Relaxing Massage
Swedish Massage is a system using five basic strokes applied to the body as well as active and passive stretching. It offers many benefits, including deep muscular relaxation, release of stress, pain relief and improvement in circulation. It also enhances the repair of injured and damaged tissues. Researchers sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health, found that a single session of massage caused biological changes. Volunteers who received Swedish Massage experienced significant decreases in levels of the stress hormone cortisol in blood and saliva and in arginine vasopressin, a hormone that can lead to increases in cortisol. They also had increases in the number of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are part of the immune system. Swedish massage integrates the healing power of touch with detailed anatomical knowledge.Swedish Massage is received by applied lotion or oil to the skin. Client is covered and only area worked on being exposed.