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Swedish Massage 101: Light-hearted on
Sirius
Cody Landis (‘03), LMT
On Tuesday, September 30, 2008, Cody Landis, a faculty member and clinic supervisor,
was a guest on “Whole Living” on Martha Stewart Radio on the Sirius satellite network.
Host Emily Hoffman interviewed Cody about Swedish massage. The two shared a talk that
was light-hearted, yet delivered basic information about massage with a good mix of
clarity and candor. The live broadcast went so well that the show called the next
day to invite Cody back in November to talk about Shiatsu. No surprise that he did
so well, as Cody was a theatre arts major at George Washington University and knows
a thing or two about reaching an audience. (Cody Landis and
Janine Strenta, in white lab coats, with students at the
Massage Therapy Clinic.)
Ms. Hoffman started the segment on massage by bringing up a common reason people
seek it. “People are a little stressed these days,” she began. “Maybe you need to
take a big breath and say wait a second, I need to go on a vacation. If I can’t go
on vacation, maybe I can create a little rest for myself right here. That’s why I
wanted to have Cody Landis here; he’s a licensed massage therapist. Welcome
to the show, Cody.”
Ms. Hoffman wanted to give listeners a crash course in Swedish massage, and asked
about its origins. “It started in Sweden,” Cody replied, “put together
as a system by a man named Per Henrik Ling. It came to the U.S. in the late 19th
century and one of the places it came to was the Swedish Institute, which has been
around since 1916.
“Stress reduction is really the key to all of the work we do. The stress response affects
everything—the endocrine system, digestive system, respiratory system. If someone is at a
very high stress level, the body isn’t working in an optimum way. It’s working in a way
that will allow someone to deal with crisis, which is not the way the body wants to be
operating at all times.”
Cody went on to describe how the therapist will create an environment conducive to relaxation,
which may include dimmed lights, music and aromatherapy. He explained the strokes of Swedish
massage, as they move from a general aspect of warming up the tissue and getting the blood
flowing, to preparing for deeper work. Ms. Hoffman interrupted. “When you say deeper work,
that’s really a key issue for Swedish massage. What should we expect as far as our pain
threshold? Should it hurt?”
“That’s a complicated question in some ways,” Cody replied. “A lot of it depends on what you’re
there for. If someone comes to me and is looking mainly to de-stress, I’m not really going
to approach any pain thresholds in the course of my work. But if they come to me and they
realize their stress is causing pain or dysfunction, then we might work in a more specific
way with a little more pressure, but always within the range of what’s comfortable for the
client. A therapist should never go beyond what the client is willing to take. Which brings
up an important point: the client is always in the driver’s seat. You should always let the
therapist know what you like and what feels uncomfortable.”
When asked about particular kinds of physical problems Cody treats with Swedish massage, he
used a recent experience with a client as an example. “In my practice I see a lot of people
with HIV/AIDS. One of the side effects of the medications, which have saved so many lives
and are amazing, is something called peripheral neuropathy. It’s a feeling of numbness or
shooting pains primarily in the feet, sometimes in the hands as well. People with diabetes
or undergoing treatment for cancer also sometimes suffer with this.
“What’s hard to imagine is someone in constant pain every day, all day long. One gentleman
I worked with had peripheral neuropathy and I worked on his feet for about a half hour once
a week. I was the first person to give him massage. After about two months he said to me, “It’s
like I’ve been walking through a desert, and I found an oasis.”
Ms. Hoffman paused and with appreciation in her voice said, “That’s fantastic. How rewarding.
What are some of the other ailments people might turn to Swedish massage for help?”
Cody was quick to point out that an adequate education is crucial for any therapist working
with medical conditions. “Levels of training vary considerably from state to state. First and
foremost is that you work with someone who licensed or registered in your state (go to
amtamassage.org, or swedishinstitute.edu). “But to go back to the question, massage has been
shown to be good for all kinds of joint and muscle aches, pulled muscle, low back pain,
headaches, migraine, sinus problems; fibromyalgia can sometimes be helped.”
Ms. Hoffman tried to understand how massage can be so beneficial. “If something hurts, the
natural response is to touch the spot. And it feels better. But to tell you the truth, the
exact mechanisms aren’t well understood,” Cody explained. “Some of it is a physiological
response, and some of it is psychological and emotional. It’s complex.”
“But the healing power of touch is there,” said Ms. Hoffman. And Cody agreed. Yes, well
understood or not, the healing power of touch is there.
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