What services do massage therapists offer

What services do massage therapists offer?

Massage therapy can be an excellent way to relieve soreness in the muscles, restore mobility in the joints, and just relax your body in general.  Since they specialize in manipulating the human body to alleviate aches and pains, massage therapists are expertly qualified for this purpose.

To help you learn more about what massage therapists have to offer, we’ve prepared a guide to their most common services.  As a bonus, we’ve also included references for doctors, yoga studios, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other related services.

Breaking Down Massage Therapy Offerings

Breaking Down Massage Therapy Offerings

Deep Tissue Massages

Deep tissue massages are a specialized type of massage geared towards relieving tension in the muscles and joints.  This technique uses long slow strokes and deep pressure to target particular areas.

Because of this focus, deep tissue massages can provide considerable relief to muscles that aren’t usually used.  It should be noted however that most of these treatments will require your therapist to use considerable pressure and force.

As a result of your muscles being stimulated, it is normal to feel some soreness after receiving a deep tissue massage.  But nevertheless, we’d recommend sticking to gentler massage treatments if you happen to be sore from working out or exercising.


Prenatal Massages

Prenatal massages are offered by massage therapists specifically to help pregnant women handle aches and pains most often in the lower back, knees, and feet.  This type of massage works by using gentle movements to stimulate soft tissues in the body.

Therapists exercise the utmost caution during prenatal massages, electing only to use light pressure and comfortable body positioning to keep mothers and their babies safe.  As an extra precaution, it may also help to consult a pediatrician or general physician prior to a massage.

Reflexology

Reflexology differs from standard massages in that it focuses on applying pressure to the feet, hands, and ears.  Traditionally, it is believed that applying pressure to these areas manipulates our body’s energy and encourages proper flow. 

Generally, this results in reduced pain and a clear feeling of relaxation all throughout the body after treatments.  Scientifically, these benefits have been attributed to the nerve connections between the skin and internal organs.

Sports Massages

Sports massages are administered for the purpose of reducing delayed onset muscle soreness for all types of athletes.  They work by focusing on sore areas and encouraging blood flow thereby removing waste such as lactic acid from the body.

Now, in addition to reducing soreness, sports massages also aid in recovery by circulating more blood to overworked muscle groups.  It’s worth noting however that these massages usually differ from those offered by physiotherapists.

Trigger Point Massages

Much like acupuncture, trigger point massages focus pressure on problem areas caused by sports injuries, overwork, or even poor posture.  While they can be quite painful at first, these massages work well to alleviate pain from knots in our tissue.

While this works well for muscle and soft tissue in general, problems in the joints are better left to chiropractors as they carry a wealth of experience and training in joint adjustment.

With the basics covered, we sincerely hope you have a better understanding of what massage therapists can do.