#TACTIX :: Massage Therapy Explained
What is Massage Therapy?
Performed by a licensed massage therapist, massage therapy involves using different pressures, movements, and techniques to manipulate muscles and other soft tissues in the body. With the goal of slowing down your nervous system, massage therapy releases stress and tension, provide relief from symptoms, heal injuries, and support wellness.
Benefits of Massage Therapy
Massage can help treat a wide variety of stress-related and physical conditions, including anxiety and depression, fatigue, headaches and migraines, repetitive stress injuries, sports injuries, soft tissue strains. It can even help with back, shoulder, and neck pain. Accordingly, massage is also a great tool for relaxation, pain relief, easing muscle tension, and more.
Types of Massage Therapy
Pregnancy Massage
Prenatal massage can be a safe way for women to get a massage during pregnancy because it can help reduce pregnancy body aches, reduce stress, and ease muscle tension.
Active Release Massage
ART is a movement-based massage technique that treats problems with various tissues. During treatment, the doctor uses his hands to evaluate the texture, tightness, and movement of muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, and nerves. In addition, this technique treats problems such as back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, tennis elbow, and more.
Paraffin Therapy
Paraffin treatments can be used on the hands, elbows, shoulders, back, feet, knees, and more. It can be a great addition to your massage. Not only does paraffin exfoliate the skin and give deeper moisturizing treatment, it similairly helps with deep pain relief and relieves sore, tired muscles.
Shiatsu Massage
Shiatsu massage is best for people who want to feel relaxed and relieve stress, pain, and tension and uses the hands, palms, and fingers.
Trigger Point Therapy
who have injuries, chronic pain, or a specific issue or condition. Sometimes areas of tightness in the muscle tissues, known as trigger points, can cause pain in other parts of the body. By focusing on relieving trigger points, this type of massage can reduce pain.
Deep tissue massage
Deep tissue massage is a good option if you have chronic muscle problems, such as soreness, injury, or imbalance. This massage helps to relieve tight muscles, chronic muscle pain, and anxiety.
Neuromuscular Therapy
Using the fingers, knuckles, or elbows, neuromuscular therapy consists of alternating levels of concentrated pressure on the areas of muscle spasm.
Reflexology
Reflexology is best for people who are looking to relax or restore their natural energy levels through gentle to firm pressure on different pressure points of the feet, hands, and ears.
Polarity Massage
This massage uses a variety of techniques to manipulate energy flow and balance. The most common of which is touch or physical manipulation. For instance, by using bipolar contact, the massage involves applying both hands to the body at once, with each hand on an “opposing location”.
Swedish Massage
Swedish massage is a gentle type of full-body massage that can help release muscle knots. In addition it’s also a good choice for when you want to fully relax during a massage.
Hot Stone Massage
Hot stone massage is best for people who have muscle pain and tension or who simply want to relax. The massage therapist uses heated stones in lieu of or in addition to their hands. It eases muscle tension, improves blood flow, and relieves pain by using heated stones.
Discuss with your massage therapist what issues you are experiencing. They will help you decide on the therapy that works best for resolving the problem area.
Where to start
Chiropractix Professional Massage Center is home to some of the Wyoming Valley’s best-licensed massage therapists. Trained in a variety of massage therapy techniques, including all the techniques listed in this blog, the massage therapists can offer you the relief you need. Make an appointment today.