When you check the listings for various clinics and spas, you can see that the term massage covers a wide variety of bodywork styles. There are hundreds of types of massage therapy. Each type offers different benefits. Whether you’re getting a massage to treat a painful condition or just relaxing, it’s important that you choose a style that suits you. Let’s take a look at the things you need to consider as you choose from the different types of massage therapy to find the right one for you.
First consider why you are getting a massage.
You may have chronic pain that has been hanging around for a while and you want relief from. You may have acute pain that you woke up with that morning. You may just want to relax. Your reasons for getting a massage are one of the most important things to consider when you are trying to decide which type of massage to get.
Different styles of massage work to affect the body in different ways. Generally massage helps improve circulation and reduce stress hormones. The deeper forms of massage such as neuromuscular therapy and deep tissue massage help relieve chronic and acute pain, but they are not relaxing. Therapeutic methods like Rolfing are notorious for being painful. Gentle massage styles such as the Swedish basic massage or the Esalen massage are great for calming the nerves and leaving you feeling completely relaxed. There are even more gentle forms of body work like CranioSacral therapy which have therapeutic purposes and are also quite relaxing.
The arrangement with which you receive your massage may also affect how you feel about it. Some people prefer the clinical setting. You usually receive more of a therapeutic form of massage in a clinical setting. Clinics usually cater to people who are looking for a massage to relieve some type of problem, but you can sometimes get a relaxing style massage at the clinic too. Today spas offer all kinds of services from therapy to relaxation. This is good for people who are more attracted to a calming environment than a spa setting.
How do I choose the right type of massage?
The amount of time you are willing to spend on a massage and the price you are willing to pay can also affect what type of massage you get. Many venues offer sessions as short as half an hour or as long as two hours. Some types of massage therapy such as Thai massage are most effective when given in sessions that are longer than one hour. The longer and more specialized the massage you receive the more you can expect to pay. Take these things into account when you book appointments.
After making this decision, you will be ready to order your massage. Knowing why you want a massage, the type of environment you want to massage in Article Submission, how much time you want to send and what you expect to pay will help you choose the best type of massage therapy to suit your needs. Knowing what you want will make your massage a more enjoyable experience.