Massage therapy is becoming increasingly accepted as a reliable treatment for many types of pain within the medical community. Knowing what your body needs and communicating it to your massage therapist will guide you to the best treatment option. There are several types of massage that can be used to treat pain, including deep tissue massage, Swedish massage, trigger point massage, and aromatherapy massage. Deep tissue massage focuses on manipulating the upper and deeper layers of muscles and tissues, and often requires intense, concentrated pressure from the therapist.
It is designed to treat severe tension or pain in muscles and connective tissues, and is more suitable for people who do very physical activities, such as running, or for those who have an injury or chronic pain. Deep tissue massage tends to move away from areas with too much recent damage. Swedish massage is a great option for relieving stress and for people who experience the pain of muscle cramps all over the body. Therapists gently help release sore and tight muscles so that the patient can feel some relief and rest.
If you feel pain during or right after your workout, it could be acute muscle pain. For these aches and pains, a Swedish massage works best to provide initial relief and relaxation. Trigger point massage is similar to deep tissue, since it penetrates much deeper into the muscle than Swedish massage. This type of massage therapy is also known as “trigger point massage” because it targets regions of tension and muscle spasm in the back. Neuromuscular massage can sometimes cause pain right from the start, as its pressure is directly focused on sensitive regions.
Deep tissue therapists will be happy to vary your levels at your request, including starting lightly and going deeper throughout the massage. Aromatherapy massage has a simple principle: stimulating the senses, which in turn cures pain. The first mentions of massage occurred in China in 2700 BC. C., and it wasn't long before it spread to the Middle East, Greece and India. Another answer reveals that clients often confuse deep tissue massage with a Swedish hard hand massage. There's no question about it; people looking to feel good again will get incredible benefits from massage.
Deep tissue massage is great for people with chronic pain due to the build-up of scar tissue or for those with stiff and painful areas in the neck, shoulders and back. If you have a low pain threshold or are looking to relieve tight muscles, Swedish massage is more gentle and may be a better option.
