The world of massage can be an intimidating place for what is such a healing modality. When you are not familiar with what can happen when you schedule a massage appointment can lead to uncertainty of expectations when making an appointment. Here we will discuss the many different kinds of massage that are available and what sort of benefits they can provide. There are hundreds of types of massages in many different cultures. Here we will discuss the most popular and widely known that you can find many places around the world. Once familiar you will be more confident to know what kind of massage to book.
There are many well known massages at Boston massage spa as well as those that can be designed particularly for someone’s particular needs. The most popular types include shiatsu, Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, Thai massage, and cranial sacral massage. The specialty massages often deal with particular injury or pregnancy. Massage is a powerful tool that needs to take illness, injury, or pregnancy into consideration.
SHIATSU MASSAGE
Shiatsu massage is a type meant to stimulate the circulatory, lymphatic, nervous and hormonal system. It utilizes the fingers, thumbs, palms to apply pressure to the body. Like swedish, it is also a deep relaxing experience meant to provide overall wellness to the client. Many common ailments can be addressed with shiatsu. Benefits include relief from sciatica, sinusitis, joint pain, lowering blood pressure and an increase of endorphins. In this practice blockages in energy flow create disturbances the client is coming to relieve. With other massage techniques it is much more physically based. In Shiatsu energetics and the physical come together.
SWEDISH MASSAGE
This is one of the most recognizable names in massage and it involves deep relaxation and releasing cramped muscles. It involves sweeping strokes from the top to the bottom of major muscle groups. Kneading and rolling of muscles with varying pressure as well as friction and tapping to get muscles to release and relax. This often is a massage done on the entire body or can be focused on particular places of the body.
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
As it’s title this type of massage goes deeply into different muscles and muscle groups all the way down to the bone. It has many of the same features as swedish massage but not so much focused on relaxation as healing deep scar tissue, releasing knots. Its benefits are best utilized by people with chronic pain due to build up of scar tissue. If you are looking for a relaxing experience and to leave in a relaxed state, this is not for you. It is important that during deep tissue that communication is kept open and you feel free to voice what is comfortable and what is not.
THAI MASSAGE
Is one of the more traditional forms of massage that is thousands of years old. For this massage you may keep your clothes on for the entire process. For many other types of massage it is important for less clothing in order to access skin and muscle. In Thai massage the practitioner always remains in contact with the client, first giving them assisted stretches. Rather than kneading and pressing, Thai massage stretches, pulls, compresses and rocks the body. Benefits include deep relaxation and relief from joint and muscle pain.
CRANIAL SACRAL MASSAGE
The primary focus of this massage is the head. There can also be attention paid to the neck and spine. Very subtle adjustments and massage is done all over the head including face to access tissue, fascia, muscles and tendons that culminate in the head area.