Swedish massage is the one most people picture when they think of a massage. Long, flowing strokes, steady pressure and a rhythm that stays the same rather than stopping to work on one spot. It is the gentlest of the massage treatments we offer in Bromley, and for a lot of people it is the right place to start.
What Swedish massage actually is
It is a full body treatment built around five basic strokes: gliding, kneading, friction, tapping and vibration. The therapist works across whole muscle groups rather than digging into a single knot, using oil so the hands move smoothly over the skin.
The point is circulation and relaxation. Warming the tissue, moving blood through the muscle, and giving the nervous system long enough at a steady pace to let go. You should finish feeling looser and calmer rather than worked over.
How it differs from deep tissue and sports massage
This is the question we get asked most, so here it is plainly.
Swedish massage is lighter, covers the whole body and is about relaxation and circulation. You should not be bracing against the pressure at any point.
Deep tissue massage goes slower and firmer into the layers underneath, usually on a smaller area, to reach tension that has been there a long time. It can be uncomfortable while it is happening.
Sports massage is targeted at a specific problem or a specific demand on the body, often around training, and includes assessment and techniques aimed at that one issue.
None of them is better than the others. They do different jobs. If you are stressed, stiff all over and want to feel human again, Swedish is the one. If something specific hurts, you want deep tissue or sports massage.
What happens in a session
We start with a short conversation about what you want from the treatment, anything sore, and anything we should avoid. If you have never had a massage before, say so, because it changes how we start.
You undress to your comfort level and lie under a towel. Only the area being worked on is uncovered at any point. The therapist works through the back, shoulders and neck, then arms, legs and feet, adjusting pressure as they go.
Tell us if the pressure is wrong. Swedish massage should never have you gritting your teeth. People often assume they should put up with it, and there is nothing to put up with here.
What it helps with
Swedish massage is a general wellbeing treatment rather than a clinical one, and it is honest to say so. What people come back for is feeling less wound up after a stretch of stressful weeks, sleeping better for a few nights afterwards, loosening the all over stiffness that builds from sitting, standing or carrying tension in the shoulders, getting some circulation into legs that feel heavy, and simply having an hour where nothing is asked of them.
If you have a specific injury, a trapped nerve, or pain that has lasted weeks, book a free posture analysis or an initial consultation instead and we will work out what actually needs doing. The conditions we treat page lists the problems we see most often.
Who it suits
It suits people who are new to massage and unsure what to expect, people who find deep tissue work too intense, people who are stressed rather than injured, and people who want the whole body covered rather than one area.
It also works well as maintenance between heavier treatments. Plenty of our regulars alternate, using sports massage when something flares up and Swedish massage in the weeks in between.
If you are pregnant, we have a separate pregnancy massage treatment that is adapted properly for it, with side lying positioning and full support. That is the one to book rather than this.
How you might feel afterwards
Most people feel loose and a bit sleepy for the rest of the day. That is normal and it is worth not booking anything demanding straight afterwards if you can avoid it.
Occasionally people feel mildly tender the next day, particularly if it is their first massage in a long time. It should be the dull ache of muscles that have been worked, not sharp pain, and it should settle within a day. Drink water, keep moving gently, and do not push into a hard training session that evening.
If anything feels wrong rather than just achy, ring us. We would rather hear about it.
How often is worth it
There is no rule, and anyone who tells you there is one is usually selling a package.
If you are using it for stress and general stiffness, once a month keeps most people comfortable. If you are in a heavy stretch at work or training hard, every two or three weeks makes more difference. If you just want it occasionally when things build up, that is a perfectly reasonable way to use it too.
We will tell you what we think after we have treated you once, based on what we actually find, not on a schedule decided in advance.
What it costs
Swedish massage at our Bromley clinic is 45 pounds for 30 minutes covering back, neck and shoulder, 55 pounds for 45 minutes full body, 65 pounds for an hour full body, and 105 pounds for 90 minutes full body.
Every time quoted includes a brief consultation and time to change, not just the hands on work. If you are not sure which treatment you need, the 10 minute posture analysis is free and we will tell you honestly if Swedish massage is the wrong choice for what you have come in with. Full prices for every treatment are listed separately.
Booking
We are at Carlton Chambers, 5 Station Road, Bromley BR2 0EY. The entrance is the red side gate to the right of the building, a three-minute walk from Shortlands station.
Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 5pm. Call 07896 257328 or book online. Our location page has directions and parking.
Not sure this is the right treatment? Our guide to massage in Bromley compares all five and helps you pick.