massage therapy

What Is Massage Therapy and Its Different Types?

Massage therapy is an age-old method of providing relaxation to the body. Nowadays, it is available at massage, physiotherapy and chiropractic clinics, spas and some upscale health clubs. Massage therapists work in a number of settings, including airports, offices, hospitals, and businesses. Massage therapy in our Burlington clinic is used as a Complementary and Alternative Medicine to reduce pain and improve the function of the body.

Types of Massage

Massage therapists usually use their hands to reduce tension by rubbing and manipulating the muscles and other soft tissues of the body. However, there are several types of massage. Swedish massage, deep massage, sports massage, and trigger point massage are some of the main types of massage.

Swedish Massage

It is one of the most common types of massages. It is meant to reinvigorate the body and improve the well-being of the person. With actions that include percussion, kneading, tapping, and rolling, it relaxes tight muscles.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue Massage is used to treat musculoskeletal issues such as strains and sports injuries. This is because it targets the inner layers of the muscles with slow and deep strokes

Sports Massage

Sports massage reduces the tension in the muscles and improves circulation. It concentrates on a group of muscles most used in sports to increase the range of movement and flexibility.

Trigger Point Massage

In this type of massage, the therapist will use different techniques to target and loosen the knots in the muscles that are causing pain.

Massage therapists

Most massage therapists will have some form of professional training. Usually, there are schools for massage therapy and the courses run for a minimum of one or two years. Once school is completed, the massage therapist is given a registration number that can be used towards insurance billing. They are now considered a “Registered Massage Therapist”.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

While a lot of people have massages simply because it feels good, there are many other benefits that are associated with it. Let us make a list of the benefits of massage therapy in Burlington.

  • Conditions that cause pain and discomfort can be improved with massage therapy. These include fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, nerve pain, and temporomandibular joint pain.
  • Since it produces deep relaxation, it can lower heart rate and blood pressure.
  • Experts believe that massage therapy can block the pain signals sent to the brain. They even say that massage might stimulate the release of soothing chemicals like Serotonin or Endorphins.