5 Massage Styles and their Benefits
There are many different types of massage from remedial to lymphatic drainage to eastern styles like shiatsu. How do you know the difference and what do they all do? Well, here’s a list of 5 Massage Styles and their Benefits so you can figure out which massage to go looking for!
Remedial Massage
Remedial massage is in a style of its own when it comes to Massage Therapy. It takes a clinicalesque approach to dealing with relieving pain and tension. The style is not medical but it does contain elements of testing and knowledge gathering in order to figure out what’s happening in your body and why. The massage itself is usually a mix of multiple styles and modalities combined into one because the goal is pain and tension relief and so there are different strokes for different folks, so to speak.
3 Benefits of Remedial Massage include; Great pain reduction, provides a larger amount of information relative to the problem, uses multiple techniques and modalities.
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is a staple of massage across the world. You won’t be able to find a massage centre, studio, hotel, shop or spa that doesn’t offer some form of Swedish Massage! It’s what most relaxation massages are based upon, long strokes with a soft rhythm in order to soothe and relax the recipient. Relaxation massages can invigorate on their own even without the firmer pressure of a Remedial or Deep tissue massage because relaxation sends the body into a peaceful, restorative state.
3 Benefits of Swedish Massage include; Deeper Relaxation, better sleep quality that evening, reduces general stress buildup.
Deep Tissue Massage
Similarly to Swedish, you will be able to find the use of deep tissue anywhere! Some practitioners swear by it because of the deep, long lasting relief it can result in. Deep tissue employs a warmup which will typically deepen as the session goes on. Once the tissues are warmed up we get into the usage of firm fingers, palms and elbows in order to really penetrate through all of the layers within the body. Deep Tissue can be tender and painful at certain points but this will typically ease off in time.
3 Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage; Longer lasting relief, Increased muscle flexibility, Greater chance of pain reduction.
Thai Massage
Thailand has it’s own form of massage that you will see everywhere! Literally everywhere! It has also been brought over to western countries because of the effectiveness of some of the techniques used. Typically a Thai massage will occur on a floor mat and the therapist will use their feet and legs to initiate certain stretches of the clients limbs! A very different approach but effective, especially for leveraging. Thai massage uses firm pressure and will allow the stiffness within the body to disintegrate, restoring the client back to a good level of mobility.
3 Benefits of Thai Massage; Increased general Mobility, Stretches muscle tissue near joints effectively, Allows for very deep pressure with leveraging.
Pregnancy Massage
Would you believe it? Pregnancy massage has its own style! Since pregnancy changes the body in multiple different ways, the approach of a pregnancy massage has to change too. Typically, massage doesn’t occur in the first trimester of a pregnancy and once that period has passed, deep tissue or trigger point therapy is usually avoided! This is to stop pain referral from mother to child and cause any unnecessary discomfort. In addition to this, pregnancy does require different positioning of the client to not block the abdominal aorta. This means side lying massage is the go to!
3 Benefits of Pregnancy Massage; Decreases mother’s stress, Eases back pain in the lumbar region, helps to relax the body in general.
A massage will benefit anyone, but there are definitely types of massage that can suit best for different people! For the best choice possible feel free to drop in for a chat about what your massage therapy needs are!
