Types of Massage

There are a variety of different styles, types and techniques of massage utilized by massage therapists. We've provided a description of some of the more popular and well known types of massage being used today.

» Thermal Palms®
» Deep Tissue Massage
» Myofascial Release
» Sports Massage
» Yogassage
» Swedish Massage
» Positional Release
» Medical Massage

Thermal Palms®

Thermal Palms Massage

The alternative soft, heated massage that results in deeper relaxation.

For the client in pain, heat disrupts the pain cycle by:

Decreasing muscle spasm – normal blood flow is established and irritating metabolites are flushed from the tissues.

Decreasing pain – heat creates an analgesic effect and reduces pain.

Decreasing ischemia – increased blood flow within the muscle washes away pain-causing chemicals.

Stimulates lymphatic flow –opening lymphatic pathways to release waste products from the tissues that are flushed out through the lymph system.

By combining heat and massage the knockout power is doubled when it comes to fighting tension, pain and ischemia.
Extra bonuses include the natural perspiration response from the body cooling itself and enhancing waste product removal. In addition, massaging with heat
can reduce muscle and soft tissue tenderness the next day.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue massage is designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia. This type of massage focuses on the muscles located below the surface of the top muscles. Deep tissue massage is often recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain, are involved in heavy physical activity, such as athletes, and patients who have sustained physical injury. It is also not uncommon for receivers of Deep Tissue Massage to have their pain replaced with a new muscle ache for a day or two. Deep tissue work varies greatly. What one calls deep tissue another will call light. When receiving deep tissue work it is important to communicate what you are feeling.[2]

Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue therapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.[2]

Sports Massage

Sports massage is actually a form of Swedish massage that is delivered to athletes. Most commonly, sports massage focuses on increasing blood and lymphatic fluid flow, reducing and eliminating pain as well as tender trigger points, and increasing range of motion of the affected area. Sports massages can be broken into 4 distinct types - the pre-event sports massage, the post-event sports massage, the restorative sports massage and the rehabilitative sports massage. As the names indicate, each type of sports massage has a different focus for the athlete as they are delivered at different times during their training and performance schedule.[1]

Yogassage

Yogassage is for those who want to enhance the natural and complete movements of the body, including joint and connective tissue.

Yogassage brings focused awareness into movement through applied pressure and support of the therapist.

The Yogassage experience is quite unique. Yogassage uses many techniques to bring the body into balance, including, Simple Stretches, Myofascial Release, PNF, Cross Fiber, Deep Tissue Techniques, Body Mobilization Techniques, and Range of Motion.

Your Yogassage session will vary depending on your specific needs and goals.

Respect for self-awareness in a safe, positive environment empowers the body to make subtle changes moving through resistance to a focused awareness creating enhanced physical suppleness.

Swedish Massage

Swedish massage uses five styles of long, flowing strokes to massage. The five basic strokes are effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking. Swedish massage has shown to be helpful in reducing pain, joint stiffness, and improving function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over a period of eight weeks. It has also been shown to be helpful in individuals with poor circulation. The development of Swedish massage is credited to Per Henrik Ling, though the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes. The term "Swedish" massage is not really known in the country of Sweden, where it is called "classic massage".[2]

Positional Release

Positional Release, unlike other physical re-education modalities, is a comfortable re-balancing of the body’s compensation patterns from repeated stress or injury.

Positional Release finds a position of comfort, so that the body relaxes resulting in a natural physical harmony.

The Positional Release therapist follows the body’s guidance to rediscover balance and comfort releasing held patterns of tension and mis-alignment.

If there is pain in a specific point or area, Positional Release seeks to find a position that lessens or eliminates the pain.

When a release position is found, compression is usually applied. Compression combines muscular and neurological information to the body, creating a softening of the tissue and overall relaxation.

Medical Massage

The majority of massage clients have complaints in the neck, shoulder and back areas of the body. The constant strain of repetitive motion or a sports injury will misalign the body, creating muscle imbalances, that cause persistent pain. Massage therapy is clearly the most effective treatment for muscle misalignment.

The neuromuscular and myofascial techniques used in Medical Massage can achieve a 90% recovery rate.

Medical massage can be used to effectively treat:

WHIPLASH

FROZEN SHOULDER

CERVICAL STRAIN

ROTATOR CUFF STRAIN

SCIATICA

TENNIS ELBOW

R.O.M. LIMITATIONS