Types of Massage Therapy
- Swedish Massage –a system of massage using kneading, stroking and friction techniques to promote relaxation, increase circulation and reduce stress. The therapist, using massage oil, manipulates muscles with a variety of stokes. Active or passive movement of the joints may also be part of the massage.
- Deep Tissue – a massage with firmer pressure that works deeply into the muscles and connective tissues to release chronic aches and pains. It is work that involves slow strokes and deep pressure.
- Sports Massage – to help prevent athletic injury, keep the body flexible and assist in the recovery process. It is sometimes combined with other massage techniques to meet the needs of a particular sport.
- Stone Massage – is deeply relaxing and a great stress reliever. Hot or cold smooth stones are used to massage the body. Often the stones are placed on key energy points, such as Chakras or meridians, in order to improve energy flow and healing.
- Aromatherapy Massage – is massage therapy combined with a blend of essential oils created from the pure essences of plants to create harmony, heal, and balance all aspects of a person from mental to physical to emotional to spiritual.
- CranioSacral Therapy – a light touch manipulation technique of the head and the bottom of the spine which treats cerebral and spinal imbalances or blockages. It is useful for treating sensory, motor or intellectual dysfunction including headaches, whiplash, back pain, jaw problems, and problems of the eyes and ears.
- Lymph Drainage Therapy – a gentle therapeutic technique using rhythmic pumping movements. The process creates movement of stagnant lymphatic fluids around the body to improve health. This therapy is decongestive and reduces excessive amounts of fluid the body may contain.
- Myofascial Release – a form of massage involving manipulation and stretching of the connective tissue (fascia) that surrounds the muscles of the body. Long, gentle sliding and stretching strokes are used to release muscle tension by gently releasing restrictions in the connective tissue layer to rebalance the body.
- Neuromuscular Therapy (NMT) – this treatment applies pressure to specific points in the muscles that are painfully irritated (trigger points) to stop the spasms and pain and restoring structural integrity to the muscle. Also known as Trigger Point Therapy
- Pregnancy Massage – is a specialized massage which focuses on specific needs that arise during and after pregnancy. Helps reduce stress and promote general well-being relieving the some of the aches and pains that are associated with pregnancy.
- Reiki – a light touch or no touch technique for channeling and adjusting levels of energy to promote healing.
- Reflexology – is thumb pressure on specific reflex points of the feet and hands stimulates corresponding areas in other parts of the body; helps improve circulation and promote relaxation.
- Rolfing – a technique of deep muscular manipulation and massage, developed by Ida Rolf, for relief of bodily and emotional tension.
- Seated Massage –is performed in an ergonomically designed chair, using a concise massage protocol, usually with the client fully clothed. The massage protocol is designed to access the areas of chronic tension in the client’s body in a short period of time, from ten to thirty minutes, without the use of oil as a lubricant.
- Shiatsu - a pressure-point massage technique developed in Japan. Finger pressure is applied to specific points along the acupuncture meridians of the body. The goal is to balance the energy flow.
Swedish Massage
When most people think of massage, they think of “Swedish massage”. Swedish massage is a classic western massage technique which combines kneading and long smooth strokes to improve circulation and that relax and loosen muscles. The techniques applied in Swedish massage are gentle and rhythmic.Myotherapy
Myotherapy is a trigger point therapy. Trigger points are localized areas of decreased circulation, increased muscle contractions and increased nerve sensitivity. They often cause immense pain and suffering. They are typically the result of injury to the muscle, or formed at birth. Myotherapy is used to relax these trigger points, relieving muscle stiffness, inflammation, pain and spasms, and improving circulation and range of motion. The myotherapist applies pressure to affected muscles through fingers, knuckles, or elbows. For example, headache pain is often caused by myofascial trigger points in the muscles of the neck. The myotherapist will press his or her fingers deeply into the knotted muscles on the neck of a client suffering from a headache in order to release the trigger points that are causing the pain and tension.
Sports Massage / Deep Tissue Massage
Deep Tissue Massage is a massage technique that focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. It aims to release the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the fiber's of the muscles, tendons and fascia.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy means “treatment using scents”. Aromatherapists use therapeutic oil extracts from plants, flowers, trees, fruits, bark, grasses and seeds. There are approximately 150 essential oils, each having its own distinct therapeutic, psychological, and physiological properties.Hot Stone
This technique uses heated river stones or lava rock to carry warmth deep into muscles, tissues and joints, releasing tension and stress.Acupressure
Acupressure is possibly best thought of as acupuncture without the needles. It is an ancient Chinese technique based on the principles of acupuncture, and involves the use of finger pressure on specific points along the body. Some of these “pressure points” are believed to affect a specific part of the body, while others are more general in their affect.More Articles...
Page 1 of 3
«StartPrev123NextEnd»