Several Types of Massage Therapy to Choose From

March 13, 2009 by  
Filed under Massage Therapy

Mental pictures of a hospital or clinic are not pleasant for anyone. Sometimes the tests may be painful or the medical examination may be unpleasant. If anyone tells you that there is a form of therapy where the treatment itself is a pleasure, you would surely jump at the offer. And this is what massage therapy is. There are several types of massage therapy and an equally varied number of benefits of massage therapy. All these types of massage therapy heal injuries, cure anxieties, and tones up the body. We can analyze these to find out how each one works.

One of the common forms of massage therapy is known as relaxation therapy. Here massage is given mostly to the muscles in the back to release the stress and tension that remain knotted there. This is almost a pleasure therapy as the masseur kneads off the tension from the muscles and works to improve blood circulation. This is a general health massage therapy that lots of people opt to get done.

Remedial massage is a form of medical massage therapy that is employed to heal the damaged tissue. When muscles or ligaments sustain a tear or injury, this form of massage therapy is used to heal it. Together with physical therapy, this type of massage can repair the tear in the tissue. After the repair, the cured body would also have a wider range of movement as a result of the massage.

Next is the sports massage therapy which is almost unavoidable for those in different athletic fields. This too has the double function of repairing injuries, and building up the body for better performance. Athletes vastly improve their performance levels by getting sports massage therapy. After alleviating any existing damage to the tissues, this form of massage therapy ensures that the athlete’s body is kept at the optimum functional level necessary for that particular sport.

Aromatherapy is yet another pleasure massage therapy. This is a massage done using normal massage therapy techniques but together with applying aromatic essential oils. Body benefits from the medicinal effects of the oils as well, besides the touch and pressure of massage.

In the massage therapy known as reflexology, thumb and forefingers of the therapist work to loosen the points of reflex on the patient’s feet by controlling the rest of the body through those points.

Acupressure is a form of massage therapy that is gaining popularity day by day. In this form of healing, the therapist identifies sensitive points on the body. In the acupuncture treatment, these points are activated with needles, whereas in acupressure these points are stimulated with pressure through fingers. This form of medical massage therapy can remove the tensions and toxins that remain knotted in the body.

Each one of these different types of massage therapy has its own benefits. To ensure that you get all the benefits of the massage therapy, visit only a professional who has a massage therapy license. Also make sure that you know what type of massage therapy you need.