by Rosa Lee

Created on: December 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2010

There are many styles of massage; deep-tissue massages that target the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue, structural work which realigns the body, energy work that focuses on the energies in the body, remedial massage to treat a localized area and relaxation massage which deals with the whole body.   Each technique has its own therapeutic value and with over

160 types of massage available, it can be difficult to decide which to choose.  The following is a short list of popular massage therapies to help you decide which is right for you.

Deep Tissue Massage:  Designed to relieve severe tension in the muscle and the connective tissue or fascia, this massage focuses on muscles underneath the top layer of muscles. This type of massage is recommended for people with physical injuries, who experience chronic pain or participate in strenuous physical activity (eg. athletes).

Structural Integration:  Deepr fascia and myofascia manipulation is coupled with movement re-education to restore balance and alignment to the myofascial system.  Variations of this type of massage include Kinesis Myofascial Integration and Rolfing.

Sports massage:  Designed for anyone involved in physical activity, this style of massage uses a combination of strokes and stretching to loosen muscles and increase flexibility.  The goal of a sports massage is injury prevention/treatment and enhancing athletic performance.

Swedish massage:  Probably the most familiar massage, this technique uses five basic strokes; effleurage (sliding or gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (rhythmic tapping), friction (cross fiber) and vibration/shaking. 

Hot Stone Massage:  This style uses heated stones coated in oil to apply heat and pressure to the body.  The heated stones are placed on the client's back, penetrating deep into the muscles to relieve tension.  The stones are also used to deliver massage strokes.

Acupressure:  Derived from the traditional Chinese method of acupuncture, acupressure is the application of  physical pressure to acupuncture points by hand, elbow or other solid object.  Shiatsu (Japanese for "finger pressure") incorporates stretching, rolling and other motions.  Reflexology is based on the principle that every organ, gland, and system of the body is connected to the bottom of the foot. 

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