Many massage therapy practitioners, and recipients alike, believe that a massage will boost your body’s immune system. In other words, massage may reduce anxiety, allow blood to flow more smoothly, reduce your blood pressure, stimulate muscles that may not get the exercise they deserve, and above all others, massage is known to alleviate pain.
When seeking massage therapy, whether it be for relaxation, pain relief, or rehabilitation, there are several types of massage that you’ll want to be aware of prior to visiting a massage therapist:
1. Deep Tissue Massage – This type of massage is designed to relieve muscle tension by applying focused pressure on sensitive areas caused from stiffness or pain. Deep tissue massage is a type of massage recommended for individuals who experience consistent pain or chronic pain caused from work related activities, car accidents, or some other form of physical injury.
2. Acupressure – This technique was derived from acupuncturists, but for those of you who are afraid of needles, not to worry. Acupressure is administered through the hand or elbow, and sometimes with specially designed devices. Rather than use acupuncture needles to attack specific areas causing pain or discomfort, acupressure practitioners use a non-invasive approach.
3. Reflexology – Is often referred to as an alternative medicine technique, one that involves applying pressure, often with the hands, to a patient’s feet, sometimes hands, and sometimes ears too. Reflexology is the practice of massaging the feet in a manner that allows the practitioner to stimulate other parts of the patients body in effort to reduce discomfort, mild to moderate pain, and rumored to improve muscle movement and blood flow.
4. Manipulation Under Anesthesia – This is a massage technique that is for patients with extreme pain and chronic pain, caused from work related activities and severe injuries, such as those caused from a car accident. Only a qualified manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) chiropractor can administer this “last resort” form of pain relief and involves the patient being put under with an anesthetic for the duration of the procedure, often between 15 and 20 minutes.
See more:
10 Popular Types of Massage Therapy
Reflexology Chart
Additional Massage Therapy Info