What is a Therapeutic Massage?
Are you in need of some relaxation and self-care? A massage may be the answer. In fact, research shows that massage therapy can help reduce anxiety and depression. But which type of massage should you choose?
Most people are familiar with Swedish, deep tissue and shiatsu massage, but what is a therapeutic massage? Let’s take a closer look at this unique therapy style and its benefits.
What is a Therapeutic Massage?
Most types of massage therapy focus on relaxation. Therapeutic massage takes a different approach. The aim is to target problem areas to alleviate pain and help promote healing.
In other words, this type of massage aims to achieve a therapeutic benefit in the body.
By manipulating your muscles, tendons, fascia and other soft tissue, massage can help alleviate tension and even pain in specific areas of the body.
Therapeutic massage can be used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including:
- Chronic pain
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
It’s often combined with other treatments to maximize the results. A variety of massage techniques may be used to achieve results.
How Do You Know That Therapeutic Massage is Right for You?
If you're considering massage therapy, your first step should be to speak with your doctor to ensure it’s a safe choice for you.
Once you have the green light, consider the following to determine whether this type of massage is right for you:
- Your goals: What do you want to achieve with massage therapy? Do you have specific areas of the body that have tension or pain? Or do you simply want to relax? Knowing your goals will help you make your decision.
- Your physical condition: Do you have any existing injuries or health conditions that may benefit specifically from massage therapy? If you have chronic pain, for example, you may find that therapeutic massage is ideal.
- Your personal preferences: Do you have an issue with pressure intensity? Therapeutic massage can be more intense than other forms.
With these points in mind, you can determine whether therapeutic massage will be a good fit for you and your needs.
But the bigger question is: what can therapeutic massage help you achieve?
What are the Benefits of Massage Therapy?
A therapeutic massage offers a number of benefits compared to other forms of massage therapy, including:
Targeted Relief
One of the primary benefits of a therapeutic massage is that it offers targeted relief. For example, if you’re struggling with tension or pain in your neck and shoulders, therapeutic massage can focus solely on these key areas to bring you some relief.
Although full-body relaxation is a nice perk of traditional massage therapy, targeted relief can help you feel better faster because you’re addressing the root cause of your discomfort.
Therapeutic massage uses a variety of techniques and applies just the right amount of pressure to promote healing and relaxation.
Improved Mobility and Pain Relief
Living with chronic pain can be debilitating, and, in some cases, can even restrict your mobility.
Therapeutic massage may help.
In fact, studies have found that massage can help reduce pain in people with chronic lower back pain.
The combination of releasing muscle tension, targeting trigger points and promoting better circulation can help alleviate pain and even improve your mobility.
When you live with chronic pain on a daily basis, these kinds of results can immediately improve the quality of your life.
Help with Anxiety and Depression
Any form of massage therapy can help improve anxiety and depression. More than 40 million adults in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder, and many more undiagnosed individuals battle with anxiety and depression on a regular basis.
Massage may help.
One recent study found that massage therapy can ease stress by boosting the parasympathetic nervous system, which controls your body’s ability to relax.
In some cases, anxiety and depression can also be attributed to medical conditions that cause chronic pain and discomfort. When massage is able to ease pain and tension, anxiety and depression may decrease along with it.
What Is the Difference Between a Therapeutic Massage and a Swedish Massage?
Therapeutic massage and Swedish massage are similar in many ways, but there are some notable differences that will impact the outcome of your massage.
Swedish massage is known for its gentle, flowing strokes. It often incorporates soothing music and essential oils to create a multi-sensory experience aimed at relaxing your entire body.
A variety of techniques are used with Swedish massage, including:
- Petrissage (kneading)
- Effleurage (gliding strokes)
- Tapotement (rhythmic tapping)
These techniques can help improve circulation and ease tension, which is why it helps you feel so relaxed.
As you can see, Swedish massage takes a different approach to massage than therapeutic. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these two techniques:
- Swedish massage promotes deep relaxation and stress relief, while therapeutic massage provides targeted relief and aids in injury recovery.
- Swedish massage helps improve blood circulation and ease muscle tension, while therapeutic massage aims to improve mobility and ease inflammation.
Swedish massage tends to be gentler than therapeutic massage and is better suited for people who want to prioritize relaxation.
Can a Massage Chair Deliver a Therapeutic Massage?
If therapeutic massage aims to target specific trouble areas, is this form of massage something that can be done by a massage chair?
Yes! In fact, a massage chair is ideal for delivering a therapeutic massage because you can use it whenever you want without having to leave the comfort of your home.
- Our Super Novo X massage chair, for example, has 39 wellness programs, cloud touch acupressure and calf and food massagers that help you target trouble areas with ease.
- Our Gravis ZG chair allows you to select three targeted head zones – back, seat and leg areas – to achieve more targeted relief.
These are just two options in our lineup of massage chairs that can help you enjoy the benefits of therapeutic massage.