Here are tips on finding what type of massage right for you.
Can there be anything better than a massage at the end of a stressful day or a full-body drain out of tension and stress? Without a doubt, the answer is a no. But what kind of massage you should take and what benefits does it accrue for your body?
There are several kinds of massage available each focusing on different parts of your body. But before you dive into the benefits, you must know what massage is. Traditional Chinese massage is a practice of physically rubbing various acupressure points and kneading the body parts in order to relax the muscles and joints as well as improve the limbic system. A person trained in giving massage i.e. a massage therapist performs the therapy on your body in a targeted fashion depending on your body’s needs. When massage is combined with acupuncture, the overall benefits can be substantial and long lasting. Even extreme chronic conditions can be treated such as using acupuncture for neuropathy.
Here are the types of massage and the benefits provided by each massage therapy type. Find out which one is best for you.
1. Swedish Massage Therapy
The most common types of massage which most people opt for is Swedish massage known for deep muscle and tissue relaxation. Those who are new to massage and are sensitive to touch are most suitable for this option. It involves long gliding strokes towards the heart, deep circular motions, vibration, kneading of the upper most muscle layers along with light tapping strokes. A 60-90 minute massage can give your body immense relaxation. This is typically a full body massage treatment option rather than a shorter more targeted treatment. There are varying levels of Swedish massage pressure ranging from light to deep tissue depending on your particular needs.
Benefits of Swedish Massage
- Improved blood circulation
- Increased oxygen level in the blood
- Improved flexibility
- Relaxation and decreases tension
- Increase lymphocytes which boost the immunity of the body
2. Aromatherapy Massage
Aromatherapy usually accompanies massage and relaxation as a healing procedure. Massage with specific aromas facilitated by the use of essential oils offer enhanced breathing, relaxation, skin improvements, and long term muscle tension removal.. Aromatherapy is a massage therapy type which involves essential oils while massaging. The essential oils contain several emotional and physical healing properties. Aromatherapy involves soft, gentle and harder pressures with the essential oils mixed into the lotion. These oils are diluted before applying to the skin. The inhaling of the oils benefits you in a number of ways. Usually, the essential oils are applied only for inhaling but sometimes the therapist may give you oils in a diffuser to increase their effects if you need it. Along with a full-body massage, you receive emotional healing and relaxation. A more recent massage therapy trend is the incorporation of CBD oils into both aromatherapy and deep tissue massage providing both muscle and joint relief.
Benefits of Aromatherapy with Massage
- Enhanced Stress and anxiety relief
- Increased mental and physical relaxation
- Helps to fight depression
- Boost your mood
- Decreases muscle tension
- Helps in relieving pain
If you are in search of emotional assistance and healing, aromatherapy is an excellent massage option or addition to your preferred massage type.
3. Sports Therapy Massage
The name of the massage often makes people think that this massage is meant for sports athletes. This is not the case at all. If you have a sports injury or a specific muscle pain and or joint injury, this massage treatment method will target rapid improvement and healing. A sports massage involves deep tissue massage techniques which involves, stretching, friction techniques, trigger point compression, and is often combined with acupuncture. It is very beneficial for muscular discomfort or pain. Sports massages are offered as full body massage or targeted treatment. The massage therapist may focus on certain parts of the body as per your need.
Benefits of Sports Therapy Massage
- Helpful in decreasing muscular pain and discomfort
- Helps in healing muscular injury
- Reduces recovery time after an injury
- Reduces muscle stiffness and soreness
- Reduction in stress
- Increased relaxation
- Improves sleep
4. Hot Bian Stone Massage
What makes a hot Bian stone massage different from a Swedish massage is the specific stone selection and usage. As the name suggests, hot Bian stone massage involves the use of heated stones instead of hands for massaging the body. The smooth heated stones are heated and then placing them on the body and rubbing them. The heat emanating from the stones relaxes the tight muscles while utilizing the natural infrared frequency produced by the human body. The key difference between Bian stones and other stones is the ability to heal using infrared frequency. The different sized smooth stones are generally Bian stones which are used because of their non-porosity. The Bian stones are heated in a machine or hot water and used in a warm compression technique and compressed. The hot stones are placed in clothes and compressed to begin rapid muscle tension and skin blemish reduction as well as decreased inflammation, improved blood circulation to the area, and loosened clogged pores. In addition to the healing capability of Bian stones for muscles, when the stones are heated the skin also quickly gets rid of dirt and excess oils Cold stones are also used in some cases but it is rare. The gentle massage techniques with different stones placed on your body offers an array of benefits.
Benefits of Hot Bian Stone Massage
- Helpful in reducing stress
- Eases muscle spasm and tension
- Improves relaxation and gives a good night’s sleep
- Increases joint flexibility
- Improves blood circulation
- Improves skin appearance
- Utilizes natural infrared within the body for increased healing
- Provides skin and poor clearance from dirt and excess oils
5. Reflexology Massage
Various parts of your body have numerous connections with your nervous system. Working on only certain parts can help restore your natural energy levels. Reflexology is a massage therapy based on this principle. This massage therapy is ideal for you if you run from a massage just because it involves the removal of clothing. In reflexology, the massage therapist will only touch certain points and areas on your feet, hands, head and ears. Each point corresponds to a certain body part or organ. It involves the use of thumb and finger to apply pressure on the points and stimulate your reflex points. Reflexology massage is a specialized option typically for people with targeted treatment needs such as migraines, fibromyalgia, nerve damage, circulation problems, or previous surgery.
Benefits of Reflexology Massage
- Impacts the nervous system directly and increases relaxation
- Helps in getting better sleep
- It clears neural pathways returning your natural energy and flexibility of nerves
- Increases blood circulation
- Toxin removal from your body
- Reduced migraine and headache frequency
- Treatment for women during menstruation and pregnancy
6. Deep Tissue Massage
This massage involves the same techniques as that of a Swedish massage but with more pressure across each acupressure point. The massage therapist will apply more pressure without causing you pain or soreness and will stimulate the deep layers of muscle tissues within your body. It requires you to be prepared for handling some pressure without feeling any pain and can cause slight discomfort during treatment. You can guide your massage therapist if the pressure is too much. It is advised to not hold your breath in order to deal with the pressure. For a person suffering from chronic or muscle pain, a deep tissue massage is an excellent option.
Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage
- Long term muscle and joint pain relief
- Improves joint flexibility
- Reduces injury recovery time
- Improves posture while reducing back pain
- Decreases stress and uplift your mood
7. Trigger Point Massage
If you have a specific condition or issue, then a trigger point massage can be helpful. Trigger points are areas in the body that when pressed firmly and massage impact another area of the body. An example is extreme shoulder tension can lead to headaches, tightened neck muscles, or other nerve issues. Trigger points often surface in the form of small knots in the muscle tissues which cause pain in other areas of the body. So, this massage focuses on the root cause of the problem and hits on relieving trigger points in order to reduce pain in one or more muscle or reflexology areas. The massage involves long flowing strokes while applying deeper pressure to release trigger points. It sometimes involves a little pain as your therapist works on the knots and joints. You need to convey to your therapist the specific areas you want them to target. A full-body trigger point massage is also a good option.
Benefits of Trigger Point Massage
- Helpful in reducing tension headaches
- Helps in reducing Plantar heel pain
- Also helps in low back pain
- Removes muscle and joint stiffness
- Increases joint flexibility
8. Shiatsu Massage
This Japanese massage therapy is a popular one which is widely used even today. Shiatsu means “finger pressure” in Japanese. In this therapy, your massage therapist puts pressure on different parts of your body with their fingers, palms, thumbs, elbows, knees and even feet. The massage is based on the Chinese principle that the body has 12 meridians and the massage therapy focuses on these meridians. This is an excellent complementary massage with acupuncture (learn more here about acupuncture) for complete long term relief.
Benefits of Shiatsu Massage
- Improves blood circulation
- Reduces headaches
- Helpful in back pain
- Helps in restoring the body’s energy
- Helps people suffering from Insomnia
- Improves immune function
9. Prenatal Massage
Like having your feet worked on? The therapist uses finger pressure and techniques such as kneading and rubbing to promote relaxation and healing in the body. By applying pressure to the reflex points, the reflexologist can balance your nervous system and stimulate endorphins, the body’s natural pleasure response, which reduces stress and discomfort.
If you are pregnant, you can still go for a massage to ease pregnancy body aches. In the first trimester, though it is not allowed in most parts of the US. After the first trimester prenatal massage risk is significantly reduced. It is just like a Swedish massage but the major focus areas are lower back, hips, and legs. Our massage therapists are qualified and trained to give prenatal massages. You should consult our doctor before getting a prenatal massage.
Benefits of Prenatal Massage
- Helps to deal with depression during pregnancy
- Helpful in reducing the swelling of joints
- The weight of the uterus on your legs and lower back causes sciatic nerve pain which can be reduced by the use of prenatal massage
- Reduces muscle tension, stress, and anxiety
10. Thai Massage
This massage technique is quite different from other massage techniques where all you need to do is lie on your chest or back. This massage technique involves more stretching and rotating of the limbs in yogic posture to relax your body. The massage therapist uses gentle pressure along with twisting and stretching your body and requires active participation from your side as well. The goals of Thai massage are rapid flexibility improvement, quick stress reduction, and physical therapy combined with other massage benefits.
Benefits of Thai Massage
- Just like other massage therapies, it also helps in reducing stress levels
- The technique works on the energy line or Sen, as they are called, in your body
- Reduces chronic headaches
- The yogic stretching improves the flexibility of your body
Why Vitality Wellness Clinic?
At VWC we take a different approach to treating health conditions. We specialize in massage therapy here in the Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville Texas area. So contact us today to schedule your massage treatment.
Each massage offers different benefits which ultimately help you to achieve both mental and physical relaxation. In order to get a fulfilling experience, you need to find a trained and experienced massage therapist who makes you feel comfortable. We offer fully trained and credentialed therapists, an onsite herbal medicine and OMD (Oriental Medicine Doctor) as well as acupuncture to meet the full spectrum of health needs. Have a conversation with your therapist as to what are your expectations from your massage and what are the problems you want to deal with through the massage.
Choose Vitality Wellness Clinic is a choice. We choose your health.
