Types of Massage Techniques
There are many different methods and techniques used for massage. Some lists include close to a hundred classifications, although many are the slight variations of others. The following list, while far from comprehensive, was created to give you a simple overview of some of the more popular methods:
Aromatherapy Massage
Combining the use of Swedish, deep tissue or hot stone massage with the addition of scented oils gives us what is known as an aromatherapy massage. These special oils, referred to as essential oils, enhance relaxation, increase energy or address a variety of other issues by releasing their scent into the room. Different oils are used depending on the desired effect.
Chair Massage
Rapidly increasing in popularity, chair massages can be found almost anywhere these days — at your local shopping mall, in airports, at conventions and trade shows and within the offices of many major employers. Done with the client remaining fully clothed and usually lasting no more than 10 to 15 minutes, the chair massage is generally focused on relieving tension in the back, neck, shoulders and arms.
Deep Tissue Massage
When the goal is more than simple relaxation or special techniques are needed to target chronic muscle tension or injury, deep tissue massage is often used. The massage therapist works against the grain of the muscle by applying deep, penetrating pressure. The force necessary to break up adhesions that may have formed in the tissue of muscles or tendons can be uncomfortable or even painful and may result in some residual soreness for a few days.
Prenatal Massage
The movement to incorporate natural methods during pregnancy continues to grow and prenatal or pregnancy massage has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years as women look for ways to alleviate stress, anxiety, discomfort and swelling. Just as there are different schools of thought on all aspects of natural childbirth, the same is true with prenatal massage. It is always advisable to consult your physician in advance and do your research to find an experienced and certified prenatal massage therapist.
Reflexology
Although mistakenly referred to as a foot massage, reflexology is considered by many to be far more science than “feel good”. Reflexologists massage or apply pressure to particular areas of the feet that they believe correspond to certain other parts of the body. For example, there is a spot in the very center of the bottom of the big toe that supposedly corresponds to the pituitary gland. To address lower back issues, the practitioner would massage an area on the heel.
Shiatsu
Also referred to as acupressure, shiatsu massage was developed in Japan and is actually based on the ancient Chinese technique of applying pressure along the body’s meridians. It embraces much the same philosophy as acupuncture but does not employ the use of needles. Restoring the natural flow of energy or qi (chi) throughout the body is the goal of shiatsu.
Sports Massage
Sports are big business. The pressure to perform on today’s athletes, amateur and professional alike, creates an atmosphere where injuries are inevitable. The practice of sports massage seeks to treat injuries before they become severe or debilitating and condition healthy muscles and tendons and increase flexibility in an effort to prevent those injuries from ever happening in the first place.
Swedish Massage
By far the most gentle of the massage techniques, the Swedish massage is understandably the most requested. Combining five basic long, smooth strokes — sliding, kneading, rhythmic tapping, friction and vibration or shaking — the practitioner focuses primarily on the superficial layers of muscle and soft tissue. The end result is deep relaxation, increased flexibility and, perhaps most significant, a release of stress and tension.
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