Deep Tissue Massage vs Swedish Massage

There are a lot of types of massages that are available today. When you want to feel comfortable with your body, you can choose the right massage for yourself. This article is going to compare the Swedish massage and deep tissue massage. Those massages are very useful for all users who want to improve their health naturally. Both of them have a lot of health benefits for all users. Because of these benefits, many people are interested with both massage types. Here are some important things that you need to know about these two main popular massages. 

Deep Tissue Massage

This is one of the most popular massage types on the market today. This massage is going to focus on the connective tissues on your body. When it is done properly, this massage can be used to relax and support all muscles, bones, organs, and nerves in your own body. This deep massage can be used to treat some muscle problems, poor posture, injuries, acute inflammation, and many other health problems. Most therapists are going to use their thumbs, fingers, forearms, and also fists for performing this type of massage. The main goal of this massage is to improve your posture and movement of your body naturally. 

Swedish Massage

Many people are interested with this type of massage. It is also referred to the classic massage. There are some massage movements that are involved in this activity, for example sliding movements (effleurage), kneading movements (petrissage), rubbing, friction, percussion, and also vibration. The combination of those movements can make you feel comfortable with your body. It is usually used to improve the blood circulation in your body. Some experts believe that Swedish massage can be used to relax your superficial muscles effectively. In certain cases, you are able to treat any joint problems with this type of massage. 

They are some important details that should be considered from both massages. Those massages are recommended for most people because they are good for improving our health. It is a good idea to hire professional therapists who know how to perform any massages safely. Professional therapists are usually trained well, so they can have proper massaging skills and knowledge. They are able to help you achieve your health easily. When you want to improve your overall health, you need to learn how you can massage your body naturally. It is a perfect time for you to choose the best place for getting your favorite massage today.

Foot Reflexology Massage – How it helps Your Health

Foot reflexology massage is safely and effectively used with patients for a variety of health issues that range from asthma, anxiety, cardiovascular issues, kidney function, sinusitis, overall stress relief, PMS, headaches and diabetes. It is also a perfect complement to other treatments and modalities. The process begins with the practitioner conducting a brief history checking for reasons why reflexology is not the best remedy for you. The practitioner will then explain to you how the process works and what will happen during the session. The practitioner will explain to you that the massage is not a substitute for medical treatment and may require you to sign a consent form. 

You are also expected to ask questions and thus, you should feel comfortable communicating with the reflexologist. If the practitioner is dismissive or not responsive, you have the right to terminate the appointment. To begin the process, you will be asked to lie or sit down while remaining fully clothed. You will only be asked to remove your shoes and socks. The practitioner may then wash your feet and soak them in warm water and then position them at his or her chest level.

The first thing that a practitioner does is to access your feet for open wounds, sores, bunions, plantar warts and rashes and he or she will also ask you questions about any foot or leg pain that can hinder treatment. The process mostly lasts between 30 and 60. You can choose to talk or rest during the session at your discretion. You will still receive the benefits of the process even if you fall asleep during the process but feedback during the process is highly encouraged. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable, you can request the practitioner to stop the session. 

During the process, the reflexologist focuses on the entire pattern of the foot reflexology massage irrespective of your health condition starting at your toes working down the foot. However, having a specific condition in mind allows the practitioner to carefully feel and work the area that corresponds with the condition. The reflexologist will work on areas of your foot with gentle pressure, which allows the nerve pathways and congestion to release and relax. This promotes the entire body relaxation. The practitioner uses various different techniques during the process that includes all points on both feet. The practitioner will start at the toes and work down to the heel and then on the sides and top of your foot. 

Working on all points is necessary because it addresses your body’s internal organs and glands in addition to nerves, nerve ganglions, bones and muscle group. If the practitioner comes across tightness or congestion during the process, he or she will apply pressure in order to bring your body back into balance. If the practitioner comes across pain, the area will be worked on until harmony is brought to the area but to release the pain is not the main aim of the practitioner but to bring the whole body into balance. When the body is in balance, the pain will subside. The practitioner only stimulates the nervous system to do the work and it is not him or her who heals, the body rectifies itself. 

Massage Therapy for Health Problems

Massage can be described as one of the oldest healing arts in the world. The massage therapy has undergone tremendous transformation with the evolution of time and today, the modern therapy takes the basic principles of ancient massage and evolves it into a science. You may come across different types of massage therapy and many people with health problem concerns rely on this therapy for to find relief. A few of those conditions are back pain, scoliosis, scar tissue, sciatica and tension headaches.  Here are some of the commonly asked questions that one should be aware of about these common health problems.

How does an experienced massage therapist address your back pain?

Back pain has become an alarming concern for many people. More than 80% of the working population experience pain on the back at some point during their lifetime. The most common cause of back pain is poor body posture and, strain and sprain of the muscles, tendons or ligaments around the spine can lead to this condition as well.

With the help of an experienced therapist, you can eliminate the debilitating pain involved with back pain. Massage therapy increases blood circulation to help you recover from muscle soreness and it relaxes muscles for an improved range of motion. Since massage increases the endorphin levels in your body, managing pain becomes a hassle free process. In order to help you achieve all these benefits, skilled practitioners apply pressure on the affected area and nearby places using fingers knuckles and elbow.  

Is massage an effective option to relieve the effects of scoliosis?

The natural S-shaped curve of your spine provides the much needed balance to your body and scoliosis occurs when your spine curves in an unnatural manner. This condition can lead to pain, fatigue, arthritis and breathing issues, depending on the severity of the problem. Basically, scoliosis can be classified into two categories and they include functional scoliosis and structural scoliosis.

People, who suffer from both these conditions, can depend on massage to relieve pain, improve sleep and increase the ability of the body to conduct daily activities. Everybody knows that massage relaxes your body in the best possible manner and it also improves your flexibility.

A skilled therapist makes use of a combination of massage strokes, sustained pressure, positioning and stretching to bring the much needed balance to your muscles so that relieving or eliminating scoliosis becomes a reality. Since massage offers increased body awareness, you can change your movement habits that contribute to scoliosis. 

Can scar tissues be treated with the help of massage?

Scar tissue is formed is formed from a fragile and inflexible collagen fibrous material and in order to draw the damaged fibers back together, it binds itself to the damaged soft tissue fibers. This process leads to the formation of a bulky mass of fibrous scar tissue that surrounds the injury area. A skilled massage therapist will make use of deep tissue massage, cross fiber friction, myofascial release, active release techniques and contrast therapies to help your body improve the healing process and these techniques also help the body realign the muscle tissues, improve the nerve response and breakup the excess scar tissue.   

Can you treat sciatica with massage therapy?

When you suffer from irritations to sciatic nerve, you experience shooting pain, tingling sensation and numbness in lower back, legs and foot as well. A competent massage therapist will work on all muscles that support the area of the back surrounding and affected by the sciatic nerve and he/she will also advocate specialized stretching exercises to eliminate the pain and discomforts associated with sciatica. 

Is massage therapy effective for tension headaches?

Tension has become an inevitable aspect of this fast paced world and many people suffer from headache due to prolonged tension. Muscles become contracted when you get tense and massage therapy relaxes the contracted muscles to help you relieve the tension. The therapist works on the muscles of scalp, jaw, neck and other related areas to relax the muscles and eventually, the headache involved with the tension disappears.  

The Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage is a type of massage therapy that focuses on rearranging deeper tissues of muscles and connective tissues. It’s very helpful for pains, chronic aches and contracted areas such as upper back pain, stiff neck, low back pain, sore shoulders, and leg muscles tightness.

Some of the strokes used are similar to those of classic massage therapy, but the movement is a bit slower and the pressure is deeper and concentrated on areas of pain and tension in order to reach the sub-layer of muscles as well as the connective tissue surrounding muscles (fascia)

The Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage

Reduces Chronic Pain- Deep tissue massage is more affordable and effective for relieving chronic pain compared to other conventional medicinal remedies. Since this massage improves blood flow through the body, it aids reduce the swelling that causes pain. This type of massage can additionally help reduce muscle tautness that is usually a side-effect of chronic pain by relaxing the tight tissue clusters.

Improves Blood Pressure

This type of massage helps ease tension and stress, which can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Individuals who have had this type of massage have reported that their diastolic blood pressure dropped by approximately 5.3mm Hg and their systolic blood pressure dropped by approximately 10.4mm Hg. This massage can also help increase the body’s production of serotonin; serotonin is a hormone that promotes good feelings and happiness.

Breaks up Scar Tissue

With time, this massage can help break-up and eventually eliminate scar tissue in the body. It achieves this by facilitating lymphatic drainage and circulation to improve adaptability and range of movement in the affected areas. Scar tissue is usually linked with ongoing stiffness and pain; therefore this massage will help improve these symptoms. What’s more, massage therapy is usually recommended to individuals who are recuperating from surgery.

Rehabilitates Injured Muscles

This massage can be a very useful remedy for injured muscles. Given the fact that it improves the motion of pollutants from the muscles and aids stretch twisted or tight muscle mass, this massage can additionally help promote healing. Since massage also aids relax muscles, deep tissue massage can reduce the tensions and agony caused by wounds. This type of massage is regularly used to rehabilitate sports injuries.

Stress Relief

For those individuals who suffer from chronic stress and all of its several, possible side effects such as rigid shoulders, tight muscles, and tension headaches; this massage will be very helpful for you. 

Swedish Massage Therapy

If you are new to a spa, one of the things you need care about is choosing the best massage. This in turn means you have to know about the different types of massage styles available in spas and other facilities offering such services. This post aims at discussing the most common and perhaps the most beneficial type of message referred to as Swedish Massage. 

What is Swedish Massage?

Swedish massage is a style that combines a variety of hands-on techniques including kneading, gliding as well as cross-friction to break up muscle adhesions (also known as muscle knots). It differs from the other types massage (mainly Asian) since it is based on western concepts of physiology and anatomy instead of energy work. Depending on the therapist’s aims, the massage can be gentle and slow, or bracing and vigorous. 

You could be wondering why this message is referred to as Swedish yet it features western concepts of human anatomy and physiology. The technique is the brainchild of Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839) from Smaaland, Sweden, a physiologist and fencing master. Since Swedish massage is scientific, it requires to be performed by qualified and licensed massage therapist. The therapist uses a special massage oil to lubricate the skin with the process taking 50 to 60 minutes for whole body massage. 

The Swedish Massage Techniques 

As already been mentioned, this massage style is based on western medical concepts and it aims at relieving tension in the muscles thereby energizing, relaxing and rejuvenating. It may also with muscle injury following physical exercises. The following are the techniques commonly used in this style of massage: 

Effleurage

This is a French word referring to skim’ or to touch lightly on’. It is used in Swedish massage and characterized by smooth, gliding stroke used to relax soft tissue. 

Petrissage


This is a French word meaning to knead’ and refers to massage movements with applied pressure that are deep and compressing the underlying muscles. This technique is supposed to come right after the effleurage.

Friction


This technique uses deep, circular motions or movements causing layers of superficial and deep tissues to rub against each other thereby increasing blood flow and to stimulate healing of scar tissue. 

Tapotement


This rhythmic percussion is usually administered with the edge of the hands, tip of the fingers or a cupped hand. The types of Tapotement include hacking (uses edge of hand on pinky finger side), beating (closed fist lightly hitting area), tapping (uses just fingertips), slapping (uses of fingers to gently slap), and cupping (hand made to look like cup gently taps the area).

Techniques and Benefits Of Sports Massage Therapy

Sports Massage Therapy is a type of massage that is designed to cater for professional athletes, amateur athletes as well as those people who do regular workouts. The technique encompasses a set of aggressive and sometimes subtle movements that are repeated over and over again depending on the recipients type of sport. 

The therapy is becoming very popular in sports circles as part of the training regimen. It is used by therapists as either a preventative measure or for treatment of injuries incurred during sports. When it is used a preventative measure, it is used to ensure that the muscle and connective tissues have optimum health. It works to ensure that things like symmetry, posture quality and muscle tone are in order either prior or after exercise.

Techniques used for  sports massage therapy.

1) Stroking a group of muscles. This helps to improve the movement of fluids, removing toxins that have built up in the muscle and supplying of fresh oxygen and blood in the muscle.. The movement of fluids is achieved when pressure is applied at the front of the muscle thereby creating a sanction at the back.

2) Targeting specific muscles and applying different motions with varying pressure and strength. The deep massage regulates the fibrous tissue pores allowing for nutrients and fluids to be delivered to the tissue.

3) Choosing a group of muscle and pulling in order to stretch them. The stretching is done sideways and lengthwise following the flow of circulation and tissue. The technique eradicated pressure and tension buildup.

Kindly note that individuals are different. A technique could work on one person but fail to be effective on another. It is, therefore, very crucial to carefully evaluate each patient carefully before settling on a particular technique. The following are important factors to consider before settling on a particular technique.

1) The root cause of the injury
2) The athletes tolerance, size and shape. 

Benefits of Sports Massage Therapy

• The massage therapy targets specific tendons and thereby improving hip reflex movements by a wide margin.
• The therapy can eliminate joint soreness when given either before or after the sports person's exercise. 
• It increases the athlete's endurance and this contributes toward better performance.
• It can eliminate fatigue that is common during regular training hence the athlete is able to work out more. The athlete is also able to perform better during competitions without easily getting tired.
• The massage therapy helps to reduce injuries associated with sports.

Sports Massage therapy could be a great addition to your normal routine. It will help you become a better sports person overall, and it could also greatly reduce the amount of time wasted while recovering from injuries that can be avoided.

The Many Benefits Of Reflexology

The human body is a truly wonderful instrument; one of the most unique things about it is the way the reflexes provide ostensibly unrelated "cause and effect" results in other parts of the body. The primeval Chinese practice of Reflexology, a manual massage therapy focusing on the hands, feet and ears, has recently enjoyed an upsurge in popularity as a modern holistic approach to relieve stress and pain. It is estimated now that over 70% of ailments, aches and injuries can be alleviated by Reflexology that contributes to healing, relief and repair.

Benefits of Reflexology Massage

Nerve Function: As the bodies age, the nerve endings become less responsive in various parts of the body, especially in the extremities. Reflexology massage stimulates over 7000 different nerve endings in one session, thereby augmenting their reactivity and function. Opening and cleaning neural pathways like muscles, can help improve flexibility and functionality of many parts of the body.

Circulation: One of the most verified and well-known benefits of Reflexology is an improvement in blood circulation throughout the body. This means that oxygen and blood are being cycled throughout the body more effectively. This also implies that more oxygen reaches important organs, thereby optimizing their flexibility and functioning.

Energy Levels: By aligning the functioning of different muscle and organ systems, Reflexology can boost metabolism and increase energy creation processes within the body. If you always feels sluggish or wants a boost in the energy, a Reflexology Massage session can help put some vigor back in your life!

Stress Relief: The most obvious benefit of reflexology therapy is stress reduction. The techniques of massage involve thumb or finger walking, where the reflexologist walks the thumb or finger in a set sequence. The experience is smooth and gentle, leaving the recipient feeling extremely peaceful and relaxed afterwards.

Relaxation: The therapy is well known to open neural pathways, resulting in a more relaxed state in the body. It also floods the vital organ systems with a state of calm. It also cures sleep disorders, insomnia and anxiety issues.

Toxin Removal: Reflexology has been proven to improve bladder function and to mitigate urinary tract problems. It eliminates foreign substances and toxins, thereby protecting the body from various health conditions and diseases that can often arise from a convoluted urinary system.

If you enjoy the therapeutic benefits of reflexology massage, you must know that these benefits are compounded when often utilized as a therapy. The more frequently you go, the healthier you feel!

Amazing Benefits of a Massage Therapy

Massage therapy offers people to relax their body, relieve tension and revitalize their system both psychologically and bodily. Most people consider that a body massage offers no health benefits and is just a waste of time and money. However, people who have undergone the treatment have understood its significance and health benefits.

Massage therapy is a significant part of a health program, particularly when training with confrontation. They contain physiological advantages and are an immense way to treat subsequent to harder exercises. A recent study of different types of body massages revealed that the deep body massage following a severe workout caused muscles to expand and develop new mitochondria, which is the source of power of the cells of the human body, and responsible for transforming nutrients into functional energy.

One of the major benefits of the massage therapy is that it accelerates the blood flow all through your body, devoid of straining your heart, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and organs. It assists your body renovate itself, reconstruct tissue, and you take pleasure in a more comfortable, relaxed feeling. 

The massage therapy eases nerves to your organs, which causes connected blood vessels to expand and to increase the blood circulation for curing more complicated disorders. Nearly all internal organs are delivered by nerves, which separate at the spinal cord.

One among the other major benefits is that it kindles the metabolic process to increase the velocity of the flow of lactic acid through the complex lymph system of the human body to either be discharged or reconverted to sugar. 

A study on massage therapy shows that after workouts, a five-minute relaxation causes a muscle revival rate of about 20 %. However, a five-minute body massage, using liquid release methods will enhance the revival rate from 75 % to 100 %. Massage oils used in a body massage can assist the skin to turn out to be more flexible and elastic.

Almost all body massage therapies are planned to make you relaxed and comfortable. People knew the benefits of massage therapy ever since they were existed in caves. Nowadays, massage parlors offer countless body massage therapies to their customers for different reasons. A few are for relief from stress and pain and a few others are there to make you comfortable.

The Swedish body massage is the most uncomplicated and admired body message offered by spas. This body massage therapy is offered with five dissimilar movements such as kneading, siding, shaking, rhythmic tapping and cross fiber. It is useful to lessen joint rigidity and increases the flow of blood in the human body, as well.

The major health benefit you get from a deep tissue body massage therapy is that it releases soreness from deeper muscles and the attached tissues. Back, neck, and shoulder are the appropriate places for a profound tissue massage. It is mostly supportive for sportsmen who exercise their muscles dynamically. The Hot Stone body massage therapy will deal with the smooth round stones that are heated up and positioned above the body. The purpose is to apply pressure and heat to the muscles softly. The stones will discharge heat gradually and the heat goes through the human body deeply. There are other types of massage therapies that are intended to treat special organs of the body.

Useful Tips for Beginners

Ensure that you feel like offering a massage, you have to be relaxed yourself. 

While you massage yourself, decide a Flow Massage Wax that has a pleasant smell.

Play some soothing, relaxing music in the setting. A leisurely style of music will cheer you to work gradually among your massage strokes.

Generate a comfortable position and warm atmosphere.