Massage Types

Massage Techniques & Philosophy

Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies are just a few combinations of holistic healing practices that involve spiritual, emotional, and physical components. There are over 150 different types of massage styles, and in all of those styles therapists utitlize their training to rub, press, manipulate, and apply various pressure techniques to the muscles and other soft tissues. The overall goal of the massage therapist is to relax the muscles and tissuesso as to increas the blood and oxygen flow. Different types of practice you should review are the various massage techniques to see if a particular approach or philosophy is more suitable for your longterm personal and career goal because massage therapy is not just a physical career it's also a spritual and emotional. Acupressure, Swedish, Rolfing, Reiki, Sports Massage, Shiatsu, Deep Tissue, Deep Muscle, etc. Each technique offers a particular benefit and massage schools may offer training in a variety of these techniques or be highly specialized.

A few examples of different therapy techniques are:

• Shiastsu massage. In this technique a massage therapist uses a form of Japanese massage based on acupressure.
• Deep Tissue. Deep Tissue Massage is used to release chronic muscle tension through slower strokes and more direct pressure or friction applied across the grain of the muscles. This invigorating experience is a process of detection of stiff or painful areas by determining the quality and texture of the deeper layers of musculature, and slowly working into the deep layers of muscle tissue. Specific hand positions and strokes are then used to respond to various tissue qualities. Techniques employing breath and movement are also used for releasing muscular congestion. Massage In Orange County provides this massage technique.
• Trigger Point uses various strokes but applies deeper, more focused pressure on "knots" in the muscle, which can be somewhat painful when pressed.
• Sports Massage. In this technique, the massage therapist helps prevent athletic injuries and keeps the body flexible and heal it should injury occur.
• Swedish massage contains five main strokes to energize the blood flow through the body; petrissage (keading), effleurage (stroking), friction, tapotement (tapping), and vibration. Each and every stroke and manipulation of the Swedish Massage is said to have a specific therapeutic benefit. One of the major benefits of a Swedish Massage is to help speed blood circulation to the extremities. It increases blood flow without increasing heart load. By stretching the ligaments and tendons, this technique helps keep them supple.

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