Swedish or Shiatsu? What's The Difference?
Our bodies can under go a lot of stress in our lives, and this stress lives in our muscles. It can either build up to eventually be too much and we start to feel pain, or it can be triggered by pulling, straining, or injuring your muscles.
At this point you are probably thinking about going to get a massage to help. There are two types of massage that are the most well known: Shiatsu, and Swedish Massage.
Our bodies can under go a lot of stress in our lives, and this stress lives in our muscles. It can either build up to eventually be too much and we start to feel pain, or it can be triggered by pulling, straining, or injuring your muscles.
At this point you are probably thinking about going to get a massage to help. There are two types of massage that are the most well known: Shiatsu, and Swedish Massage.
Origins
Swedish massage did not originate in Sweden and wasn't invented by a Swede, despite its name. In Sweden and the rest of Europe, the term "classic massage" is used instead. Although the exact origin of Swedish massage is unknown, the term may have stemmed from Swedish Movement System, which was a foundation of physical education and medicine in the early 1800s in Sweden. In the last half of the 19th century, the name was transposed to Swedish Massage System, according to Robert Noah Calvert, founder and CEO of "Massage" magazine. Although shiatsu massage -- literally meaning "finger pressure" -- originated in Japan, seitai shiatsu is one of the more common modalities used in the United States. The seitai method, which means "whole body," was developed after World War II by various practitioners, according to Dr. Kuniake Imoto. It focuses on the healing the body as a whole rather than just certain parts.
Structural Anatomy Vs. Meridians
While Swedish massage focuses on stroking muscles, connective tissues and joints, shiatsu massage uses the traditional Chinese acupuncture meridians as a guide to address pain and illnesses. Swedish massage practitioners learn to massage based on traditional human anatomy, identifying the origin and insertion of muscles and understanding how joints move. Shiatsu practitioners study the meridians of the entire body and compress specific points of the body, such as the back shu points, which run along the sides of the spine. These points connect to every meridian in the body, serving as the starting point for shiatsu bodywork, according to acupuncturist and shiatsu therapist Thomas Crooks.
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