Different Types of Massages
A massage is a powerful method to help you take care of your health and well-being. This is a term for putting pressure, rubbing, and manipulating your body’s muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Its range of intensity can be from light stroking to deep pressure. Several medical professionals recommend massages to reduce any tension in your muscles and joints.
There are various types of spa massages available, and knowing which one is right for you can provide massive benefits to your health.
Swedish Massage
This gentle full-body massage is perfect for individuals who are new to massages or if they just want to release the tension on their bodies.
This massage uses long strokes, deep, circular movements, and tapping to help your body relax and energize. A Swedish massage usually takes between 60 to 90 minutes.
Hot Stone Massage
If you have muscle pain or tension, this type of massage is perfect for you. This massage uses smooth, flat, heated stones made of basalt—a kind of volcanic stone that retains heat—to put on specific parts of your body.
It helps release stress and anxiety in you and helps you sleep well. It also relieves autoimmune disease and cancer symptoms and boosts your immune system.
The therapist might also hold the stone while doing a Swedish massage technique with gentle pressure, and there are times that they will also use cold stones. The massage usually takes 90 minutes.
Deep Tissue Massage
This type of massage uses more pressure than Swedish massage because it deals with soreness, injuries, imbalance, and chronic muscle pains in your body.
The therapist will use slow strokes and deep finger pressure to help you relieve the tension from deep within the layers of your muscles and connective tissues. Deep tissue massages usually take 60 to 90 minutes.
Aromatherapy Massage
For people who enjoy scents and looking for emotional healing, aromatherapy massage will definitely suit you. It will help boost your mood, reduce stress, relieve the tension in your body, and reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
This massage is a combination of gentle pressure and essential oils. You can let your therapist decide what kind of essential oil is perfect for you, or you could also suggest something that you want.
There are times that this massage will focus on your back, shoulders, and head. This massage will take 60 to 90 minutes of your time.
Sports Massage
This one is perfect for athletes or people who love sports. Sports or any form of physical activity will cause your muscles to ache, or repetitive injuries may happen.
This massage is a significant help in preventing yourself from getting injured.
Sports massage can help to improve athletic performance, increase flexibility, and relieve muscle tension. This may be recommended to you by your personal trainer to improve your athletic endurance and performance.
Furthermore, it can be performed on the entire body or specific body areas. This massage will take 60 to 90 minutes.
Trigger Point Massage
This one is best suited for those who have injuries, chronic pain, or a specific condition because it will deal with and focuses on the trigger points—the tightness in the muscle tissues—that cause the pain in your body.
This type of massage uses alternating pressure levels to relieve tension in the trigger point area.
The therapist will work on your entire body, but there are times that they will focus on a body part that needs to be released. This massage will take 60 to 90 minutes.
Reflexology
This type of massage uses gentle to firm pressure on different pressure points of your feet, hands, and ears. It will help you relax, improve your sleep, reduce pain and fatigue, and boost your mood.
If you want to relax or restore your natural energy or you are not comfortable being touched on other parts of your body, this one is recommended for you.
Reflexology was found to help reduce the anxiety of the patients undergoing cardiovascular procedures. This type of massage will take 30 to 60 minutes.
Massages cannot only be performed on specific massage spas because home service is also available. Coordinate with a licensed and professional therapist if you want to get one at home.
For other forms of treatment, you may also choose to opt for a chiropractor or physiotherapy instead.
Remember that you are the expert on your own body, so work with your massage therapist to ensure that your desired outcome from the type of massage you select is met. On your next payday, remember to treat yourself with a massage, as it can be the best way you can destress physically, emotionally, and mentally.