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Benefits of Massage Therapy

What is massage therapy? What are the benefits of massage therapy? What are the types of massage therapy?

Massage therapy dated back to ancient China, Persia and more. Massage therapy benefits both the mind and the body. It is holistic approach to the treat the human body. It assists in producing peak performance from all systems and organs in the body.

Massage therapy is the application of various types of techniques to the muscular structure and soft tissue. This is generally intended to reduce fatigue and stress by increasing circulation. There are many variations of massage therapy, including but not limited to the following.

The 10 Most Popular Types of Massage Therapy - The Benefits of Massage Therapy

1. Swedish massage is the most common type in the U.S. Often just called massage therapy it uses long smooth strokes and circular movements on superficial muscles. It can be relaxing and gentle and is a good starter if you haven't ever had a massage.
   
   
   
2. Aromatherapy massage is massage therapy with essential oils to address specific needs. The therapist selects the oils that produce the desired effect, be it balancing, energizing, and stress-reducing or other uses.
   
   
   
3. Hot stone massage uses heated stones placed on specific points of the body to loosen tight muscle and find balance in the energy centers in the body. Warm stones are applied and gentle pressure used to produce the comforting effects.
   
   
   
4. Shiatsu is a form of Japanese body work using finger pressure in rhythmic sequence over acupuncture points.
   
   
   
5. Deep tissue massage deals with the layers of deep muscle and connective tissue. Strokes are slower and modest friction is used across the muscle. This is most effective for chronically tight muscles or recovery from injury.
   
   
   
6. Thai massage is similar in purpose to shiatsu. It aligns the energies of the body and uses pressure on certain points. It also incorporates stretches and compression. This is used with your cooperation. The therapist will move you and stretch you to relieve stress.
   
   
   
7. Reflexology is often called foot massage. It is however, more than just a foot massage. Pressure is applied to certain points on the foot that correspond to systems and body organs.
   
   
   
8. Pregnancy massage is used to reduce swelling, stress, anxiety and reduce pain. This is a very individualized form of massage therapy.
   
   
   
9. Sports massage is designed specifically for people who are physically active. The focus is not just on professional athletes but is directed to prevention and treating injuries as well. One benefit of sports massage therapy is loosening muscles and increasing flexibility.
   
   
   
10. Back massage is often offered in short sessions that concentrate solely on the back. If this is your preference you should ask the massage therapist to concentrate solely on your back.

There are no prescriptions, skeletal manipulations, diagnosing or other therapies which require licenses to practice in massage therapy. Practitioners may use multiple techniques to achieve the specifically desired result.

Many of the benefits of massage therapy are to help in stress relief, tension and anxiety of everyday living which has been known to contribute to disease and illness.