Massage therapy is an incredibly beneficial way to improve your health. But it can be difficult to know exactly what massage you would benefit most from, so let’s decode them.
We consulted one of our outstanding instructors, Bridget Brock, who pulled together brief descriptions of four common types of massage. So let’s clear some things up!
- Swedish massage
With Swedish massage, the goal is relaxation. It is a very relaxing and therapeutic style of massage. It combines an array of strokes to help the body improve its circulation. The benefits of Swedish massage are wide-ranging and include relief from aches and pains, decreased stress levels in the body, enhanced mental clarity, improved appearance, and greater flexibility.
2. Deep tissue massage
Deep tissue massage is a form of massage that aims to relieve tension in the deeper layers of tissue in the body. This type of massage focuses on working out knots, trigger points and tender points. Deep tissue massage is a highly effective method for releasing chronic stress areas due to misalignment, repetitive motions, and past lingering injuries. Due to the nature of the deep tissue work, open communication with your therapist during the session is crucial to make sure you don’t get too uncomfortable.
3. Hot stone massage
In hot stone massage, one can expect a massage therapist to utilize smooth, warm stones to relieve pressure. Heat reduces pain, increases blood flow, increases range of motion, improves healing, and can increase collagen extensibility to enhance massage effects. With heat, less force is required to achieve an increase in tissue length. Hot stone massage can be either a Swedish or Deep Tissue massage.
4. Cupping massage
Our final type of massage is cupping. In this service, massage cups are used to create a vacuum to massage the body. This not only helps pull toxins out of the tissue, but also with myofascial release, knots, cellulite and scar tissue. Massage cupping will not irritate the skin or body and feels very relaxing. This cupping technique increases blood circulation to the muscles and skin, which brings nourishment and allows toxins to be removed through the lymph system. This technique is not painful; it actually activates the sedation of the nervous system and allows the client to enter deep relaxation.
Whichever service you decide is best for your needs right now, we highly recommend massage therapy. Who couldn’t use a spa day every now and then?
