Swedish massage

Swedish massage

Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking.^[27] Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over a period of eight weeks.^[28] It has also been shown to be helpful in individuals with poor circulation^{[citation needed]}. The development of Swedish massage is often inaccurately credited to Per Henrik Ling, though the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes.^[29] The term "Swedish" massage is actually only recognized in English or Dutch speaking countries. Elsewhere the style is referred to as "classic massage".