What Massage Should I Get?-
People ask me all the time what kind of massage I recommend. It’s actually one of the most asked questions about massage on the web. There are so many modalities out there these days it’s hard to know what is best for your needs and situation. I’m going to share my favorite modalities for muscle tension relief, detoxification, injury recovery, stress and more.
Swedish Massage
This is the best type of massage for relaxation and stress relief. It is a gentle pressure massage with long, sweeping strokes and it should be slow and rhythmic. If you ever receive a Swedish massage and it feels rushed don’t hesitate to ask the therapist to slow down. In order for the body to go in to deep relaxation the massage needs to be slow so that the body can move in to the parasympathetic state, or our rest and digest part of our nervous system. This is where our body does its healing work and detoxifies any stress hormones we may have had pumping through us during the day. Aromatherapy is a fantastic add-on to any massage but especially Swedish in my opinion. Essential oils can really bring the body in to a deeper state of relaxation. Try lavender, chamomile and vetiver.
Deep Tissue Massage
This is the best type of massage to receive for knots and muscular tension. If you have a job that causes repetitive stress or if you do something in one position all day, like working at a computer, deep tissue can bring a lot of relief. This is a deeper pressure modality compared to Swedish. Current research shows that intense deep tissue over a long period of time can be damaging to tissue so it’s best to work with a trusted therapist who will not go too deep. You want to feel sensation but you should never be in pain to the point that your muscles tense up. This will have the opposite effect of what you want. Communication is always important with your massage therapist during a session but especially during deep tissue so the therapist does not go to deep and cause any pain.
Ashiatsu Massage
This massage is a unique type of deep tissue. A massage therapist uses bars above the massage table to balance while they use their feet to massage the client. It is incredibly beneficial and I have a whole article here about what Ashiatsu is and its benefits.
Manual Lymph Drainage
This modality is for detoxing, reducing swelling, helping recovery after surgery or injury, lymphedema, cancer recovery and general inflammation as well as stress relief and immune enhancement. It applies very light pressure while stretching the skin so that the lymph nodes can be drained and your immune system can function more optimally. This technique is also incredible at putting you in the parasympathetic state we talked about earlier and will bring you in to a state of deep relaxation.
Sports Therapy Massage
This type of massage is very different depending on which type of sports therapy work the therapist was trained in. I was trained in a style called Soft Tissue Release (STR) and as with most sports therapy massage, it is about lengthening muscle. In this style of massage you will most likely experience passive and active stretching to your muscles during the session. It’s often performed with clothes on but can also be incorporated in to a deep tissue massage. Many modalities can be blended like this and these two pair well together for athletes but anyone with jobs that cause repetitive stress injuries such as musicians and office workers.
Thai Yoga Massage
Thai Yoga Massage is traditionally done on a mat on the floor with the client wearing loose, comfortable clothing. The therapist uses acupressure, massage techniques and yoga stretching to release blocked energy channels called Sen line in the body. This modality is like receiving multiple types of bodywork at once. It is incredibly relaxing and brings more mobility to the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the body. I have a detailed article here if you would like to learn more.
There are so many more modalities so I’ll have to write a second and maybe even a third part to this article! Let me know if there is any other type of massage you would like to know more about. I love sharing what I know and my own experiences giving and receiving massage!