Swedish massage in Palo Alto: what happens and what it costs

The therapist works one area at a time with oil, in long, flowing strokes, usually starting on your back while you lie face down and moving on to the backs of the legs. You then turn over for the fronts of the legs, the arms, and the neck and shoulders. The exact order varies from therapist to therapist, and you can ask for more time on any area.

Swedish, also called classical massage, is the most common form of massage in Western countries, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Each area gets some mix of these strokes:

Only as far as you are comfortable, and many people keep their underwear on. You lie under a sheet or towel, and the therapist uncovers only the area being worked, then covers it again before moving on, so the rest of you stays draped for the whole session. The therapist usually steps out while you undress and get onto the table.

Light to medium, unless you ask for more. Say what you want in the first few minutes rather than at the end, and give a number if you can: "about a five out of ten" tells the therapist more than "deep" does. Name any area you want left alone, and mention a recent injury, sunburn or pregnancy before the session starts.

Sixty minutes, for a first massage or a full-body session at an even pace. Choose 30 or 45 minutes if you mainly want the back, neck and shoulders, and 90 or 120 if you want every area worked slowly without the therapist watching the clock.

Each step from 30 to 45 to 60 minutes adds $10, the smallest steps on the list; going from 60 to 75 adds $20. If one area needs more attention, you can ask for more of the hour to go there before paying for a longer session.

Book Swedish to relax or for a first massage, and deep tissue if you have one stubborn area and like firm pressure. Swedish covers the whole body with flowing strokes at light to medium pressure. Deep tissue slows down and works into the deeper layers of muscle, usually around the neck, shoulders, lower back and hips.

They are separate bookings at W Spa, and deep tissue costs more at every length the two share: an hour is $90, which is $10 more than Swedish.

In a 2011 trial of 401 adults with chronic low back pain, relaxation (Swedish-style) massage and structural massage, which targets specific soft-tissue problems, improved function by similar amounts at 10 weeks, and both did better than usual care. Separately, NCCIH notes that some of the rare serious side effects reported after massage, such as a blood clot, nerve injury or bone fracture, involved vigorous styles like deep tissue, or people at higher risk of injury such as older adults.

You can still ask for firmer pressure on a Swedish booking. If you find yourself asking for more every few minutes, or you want ten minutes spent on one knot, book deep tissue next time. The deep tissue massage page has all six of its lengths and prices.

Four hands adds a second therapist, and aromatherapy adds essential oils. Both are relaxation massages, usually at gentle to medium pressure, so neither one is the booking for firmer work.

Two therapists work on you at the same time, covering both sides of the body in matching strokes. It costs $130 for 45 minutes, $150 for 60 and $240 for 90, and the price is for one guest and both therapists. The four hands massage page has more on how it works.

Aromatherapy massage blends essential oils into the massage oil. An hour is $100, $20 more than Swedish, and it also comes at 45 minutes for $85, 90 for $150 and 120 for $200. If a scent bothers you, or you are pregnant, say so before the session starts.

Three, each a paid 10 minute extra on top of the massage: hot stone, cupping and a body scrub. Add them on Fresha when you book, or ask when you call. A 60 minute Swedish with hot stone comes to $100.

It may help you feel calmer for a while afterward. A 2004 meta-analysis of 37 randomized studies found that one session lowered state anxiety, meaning how anxious you feel in the moment, along with blood pressure and heart rate. Single sessions did not lower cortisol, negative mood or immediate pain. The largest effects, on trait anxiety (a general tendency to feel anxious) and on depression, came from a course of sessions.

Swedish massage has also been tested by name. In a trial of 47 adults with untreated generalized anxiety disorder, twice-weekly Swedish massage for 6 weeks lowered scores on a clinician-rated anxiety scale by 11.7 points, against 8.4 for a light-touch comparison. The authors called it a proof of concept, and it remains a single small trial rather than an established treatment.

Mayo Clinic lists reduced stress and increased relaxation among the benefits that studies of massage have found. The evidence is not all positive: NCCIH reports that in a 2015 review of fibromyalgia studies, most massage styles improved quality of life, but Swedish may be an exception, as its 2 studies, with 56 participants between them, did not show a benefit.

W Spa is at 441 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301, half a block off University Avenue downtown. Book a Swedish massage in Palo Alto on Fresha, or call (650) 272-6881. The spa is open every day from 9:30 AM to 10 PM.

If you drive, there is free street parking right outside and on the streets around the spa; posted signs show the time limit. The Palo Alto Caltrain station is roughly a 10-minute walk down University Avenue.