Rosebay House, Eastbourne 01323 503211 (David)

Massage involves manipulating the body's soft tissue. As an approach to health care it dates back to ancient times. In the early 1800s Per Henrik Ling developed a healing art which he based on ancient oriental practices. With his knowledge of physiology and massage skills acquired in China, he developed what was then known as Ling's Swedish System, a combination of therapeutic massage with stretching exercises for muscles and joints.

Originally developed as a medical treatment, Swedish Massage emphasises several basic strokes - effleurage, kneading, petrisage, friction, percussion and joint mobilisation. Each manipulation is applied in a specific way for a particular purpose. Nowadays the focus has shifted from the purely physical to a more holistic approach which involves treating the mind and spirit as well as the body.