Massages are a great way to relieve stress and tension, but did you know that there are numerous types of massages? However, there are two main types of massages. These are medical massages and relaxation massages, and both provide relief to different areas of the body, though the techniques and benefits vary. While relaxation massages provide stress relief, peace, and ease of muscle tension, therapeutic massages focus on a technique to provide treatment and pain relief to targeted areas. Although both produce great benefits to the patient, the uses and techniques vary drastically.
Medical Massage
These massages are performed to ease pain a patient is experiencing, or fixing the issue causing the pain altogether. The procedure for these massages consists of the therapist discussing your pain and proceeding to do a thorough examination, in which they can then diagnose and target your area of discomfort or pain. These types of relief vary greatly and include issues such as TMJ dysfunction, Spinal Reflex Therapy, or deep tissue pain. The main goal of therapeutic massages is to target a specific area of pain in your body, whether it be from surgery, clinical issues, or ongoing pain from muscles or tissue, and provide relief from the constant discomfort or pain.
Due to a greater focus on relieving pain, the techniques for these massages may require more pressure, more focus on the targeted area of pain, and more examinations to determine the issue. The therapist determines the issue and works to find the most effective way to relieve the pain or problem. After the massage is conducted, there are many benefits that you could experience depending on the issue you came into address, including better range of motion, reduced stress, reduced chronic pain, faster recovery, or improvement of overall health.
Relaxation Massage
The purpose of a relaxation massage is to provide a stress-free experience improve your health and state of relaxation. There are numerous types, including Swedish, hot stone, and aromatherapy massages, all working to reduce stress and anxiety, boost your mood, and relieve muscle tension. The methods used for these massages focus less on relieving pain and more on putting you into a state of peace. Therefore, the techniques combine a variety of combinations such as kneading, oils, gentle pressure, or long flowing strokes in the direction of the heart to put you at ease.
Which Is Better?
Both massages have their uses, therefore there really is no saying which one is better for you. If you are in pain and looking for ways to target and relieve pain, therapeutic massage is a great option. However, if you are looking for a relaxing experience to ease stress, a relaxation massage works best for you. Although relaxation massages and medical massages compose of different techniques and methods, they both have one main goal, to make you feel your best. If you are having trouble finding the perfect massage therapist, contact Aruna at Therapeutic Medical Massage, who has vast experience in both types of massages, and is more than happy to make your pain or anxiety disappear.