Swedish Medical Massage • Lund • Skåne

Evidence: Swedish Medical Massage is beneficial for neuro muscular facilitation.

Massage is a clinical intervention that influences sensory processing, autonomic balance, and motor output — supporting pain modulation, movement quality, and recovery in everyday life.

Book a session Scientific sources
Pain modulation Massage alters nociceptive processing through spinal and supraspinal mechanisms, influencing how pain is perceived rather than mechanically “fixing” tissue.
Autonomic regulation Manual therapy is associated with increased parasympathetic activity and reduced sympathetic dominance, supporting recovery and stress regulation.
Hormonal response Massage has been linked to reductions in cortisol and changes in oxytocin and serotonin, hormones involved in stress modulation and perceived safety.

What Swedish Medical Massage is

Swedish Medical Massage is a structured, goal-oriented intervention. Treatment is selected based on physical load, stress exposure, movement demands, and nervous system state — not routine.

Everyday-life function

Daily life creates predictable stressors: prolonged sitting or standing, repetitive tasks, cognitive load, and limited recovery. Massage provides non-threatening sensory input that can reduce protective muscle tone and improve movement tolerance.

Work-life function

Occupational demands accumulate load over time. Massage supports regulation of muscle tone and autonomic balance, which may improve comfort, endurance, and functional capacity at work.

Session components

  • Swedish classic massage techniques
  • Deep tissue (dose-dependent)
  • Trigger point modulation
  • Myofascial techniques
  • PNF / PIR and therapeutic stretching
  • Movement integration

History of Swedish medical massage

Swedish medical massage originates from the 19th-century tradition of Swedish medical gymnastics and structured movement-based healthcare. Its development reflects an early understanding of the relationship between movement, touch, and nervous system regulation.

Pehr Henrik Ling and medical gymnastics

Pehr Henrik Ling is commonly associated with the foundations of Swedish medical gymnastics. His work emphasized structured movement, manual techniques, and physiological regulation as part of health and rehabilitation practice.

From national method to global practice

Outside Sweden, these techniques became known as “Swedish massage.” While terminology differs, the core principles of structured touch, movement, and therapeutic intent have influenced massage education worldwide.

Massage therapy in Sweden and the EU

Massage therapy operates within a broader health and wellbeing ecosystem, including occupational health, rehabilitation, and preventive care.

Sweden

In Sweden, massage therapists are classified within national occupational statistics, reflecting its role as an established profession within wellness and health services.

European context

Across Europe, massage and related manual therapies are commonly included in surveys of complementary and integrative health practices, particularly for musculoskeletal discomfort and stress-related conditions.

Workplace wellness

Employer-supported wellness initiatives, such as Sweden’s Friskvårdsbidrag, reflect growing recognition of preventive and recovery-oriented health interventions.

Scientific background

  1. Melzack R, Wall PD. Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science, 1965.
  2. Field T. Massage therapy research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.
  3. Rapaport MH et al. Effects of massage therapy on the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

This information is educational and reflects current understanding of neurophysiology and stress regulation. Massage therapy is not a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment.