What type of massage therapy is there?
Massage Therapy is a blend of rigorous science and art where every massage therapist brings their own style and “tools” to the table, incorporating experience with many studied modalities.
While many forms of massage therapy exist worldwide, they are all variations of the five basic strokes performed with differing ideas on how to be used. These strokes, more commonly known as “Swedish Massage”, are:
- Effleurage: Long, gliding strokes used at the beginning, as a transition to other movements, and at the end of a session.
- Petrissage: Lifting and kneading the muscles to encourage deep circulation of blood and lymph.
- Friction: Firm, deep movements used to go across the grain of the muscle with the goal to broaden muscles tissue and loosen adhesions.
- Tapotement: Brisk tapping or percussive movements used to increase tone in the muscle and stimulate the nervous system.
- Vibration: Shaking, jostling or rocking that may be very relaxing or very stimulating.
The following list describes of a few of the many techniques we utilize in a massage therapy session.
