 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Massage Therapy is a form of manual body treatment, which includes different types of manipulations to treat the soft tissues of the body, and is used to treat many different conditions. Massage Therapy is based on Swedish Massage strokes, but uses many different techniques, and may incorporate different modalities as well. Some clinics and spas, separate some of the techniques and refer to them as different treatments, such as Deep Tissue Massage, Swedish Massage and others. Other places like Caring Touch Massage Therapy in Thornhill, combine different techniques into each treatment, all under the name of Massage Therapy, and cater the treatment to the person’s needs and wants.
Swedish Massage
This form of massage uses long flowing strokes, generally directed towards the heart. Pressure can vary but to start, lighter strokes are normally used in order to warm up the muscles and other tissues of the body. After a few minutes of warming up the tissues, the therapist will gradually increase the pressure of the strokes, she will be asking the client for feedback to see if they want more or less pressure. Swedish Massage is great for starting a massage because it allows the therapist to find the problem areas and see where she needs to focus. Some people enjoy this type of a massage solely and don’t need anything more specific. In this case the entire massage can be long flowing strokes, which can be very helpful in relaxing the muscles and tissues. It is also great for ending a massage by decreasing the pressure, working on circulation and flushing out fluid and toxins from the body.
Deep Tissue
This technique is normally used for a more focused treatment, where the therapist will use fingers, palms, knuckles forearms or elbows to increase the pressure slowly and get to the deeper layers of the muscle. It can work well for very sore and tense muscles and can also help release knots, especially when there are problems with the deeper muscle and tissues.
