“Touch the body. Heal the mind. Calm the spirit.”
Massage therapy is the systematic and controlled pressing, squeezing, stroking, or patting movement upon muscles to improve health or relieve pain.
It can be used to maintain wellness in healthy individuals, treat stress-related disorders, prevent re-occurrence of certain diseases; increase joint mobility, muscle strength, and tone; decrease mental fatigue, and promote feelings of wellbeing.
There are mainly two types of massage, Swedish and Deep Tissue.
Swedish Massage:
Swedish massage is a combination of five styles namely effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, and vibration which both take place in five stages. In the first stage(Effleurage), gentle gliding strokes are used to spread the massage lotion across the muscles.
In the next stage (Petrissage), kneading, rolling, and squeezing movements are used to relieve tension in individual muscles. Friction is used in the third stage wherein skin is moved back and forth over the muscle layers, up towards the heart for healthier blood flow.
The fourth stage involves using both hands to work on either side of the muscle from the middle outwards. In the final stage (Vibration), short quick vibrations are made with hands, fingers, and elbows.
Deep Tissue Massage:
In this type of massage, the therapist uses knuckles and the elbow to apply deeper pressure, combining effleurage movement with slow, deep finger pressure.
Deep Tissue Massage Therapy is a type of bodywork that aims to relieve tension in the muscles and joints throughout the body.
It specifically targets areas such as the back, upper arms, shoulders, hips, and buttocks where deep-seated muscle tissue may be causing pain or stiffness.
Deep Tissue Massage involves using more pressure than other types of massage to reach deeper layers of muscle and connective tissues.
Deep Tissue Massage is sometimes referred to as 'deep tissue therapy', 'deep tissue manipulation' or simply, 'deep tissue'.
It helps in faster healing by increasing blood flow and reducing inflammation. It is best for those who are suffering from chronic pain, suffering from any injury, or any kind of pain in any area of the body.
If you see any signs of deep tissue pain then you should visit your therapist.
Let us look at the pros and cons of both these types of massage:
Swedish Massage Advantages:
- The gentle gliding strokes used in stage one (Effleurage) help to relax the muscles and increase blood flow across the body.
- Massaging individual muscles with kneading, rolling, and squeezing in stage two (Petrissage) helps to soothe the muscles and create relaxation.
- Friction works on the superficial layers of muscles which stimulates blood flow at a deeper level than effleurage.
- The constant moving of hands over the body in stages three(Friction) and four(Undulation) massages the muscles and helps to relax them.
- Vibration in stage five(Vibration) stimulates blood flow at a deeper level, increases relaxation, and reduces fatigue.
Swedish Massage Disadvantages:
- It does not help people suffering from any kind of pain in specific areas like the lower back or shoulders.
- It is not helpful for people suffering from severe muscle pain or any kind of stress-related disorder.
- Swedish Massage cannot be performed on people with severe osteoporosis, cancer, weak bones, obesity, pregnancy, and is also not suitable for older people due to the risks involved in elderly people.
Swedish Massage is not suited for people suffering from high blood pressure, seizure disorders, heart problems, and fractures.
- It has to be performed very skillfully by an expert to avoid any kind of injuries because it involves exerting intense pressure on the muscles.
Deep Tissue Massage Advantages:
- Deep tissue massage focuses on targeting specific areas of the body where the pain is present.
- It releases chronic muscle tension, knots and relaxes muscles for better blood flow which helps to heal the problem at a deeper level.
- Deep tissue massage can retrain muscles to correct faulty postures by treating both the areas (sender and the receiver) involved in causing a strain on a particular area e.g. lower back pain.
- Deep tissue massage is suitable for people suffering from stress-related depression, fibromyalgia, whiplash, and sports injury as well as postural problems caused due to pregnancy and osteoporosis.
- It helps in reducing inflammation, stimulates blood flow at a deeper level, and also reduces fatigue by relaxing the muscles.
- This type of massage is also helpful for people suffering from high blood pressure, seizures, heart problems, and fractures.
Deep Tissue Massage Disadvantages:
- The person should be very physically strong to perform this type of massage because it involves exerting a lot of pressure on the body which can cause mild pain and discomfort to the person.
- It is not suitable for people suffering from osteoporosis, obesity, cancer, and weak bones.
- Deep tissue massage should not be performed on people with high blood pressure, heart problems, and fractures.
- The person performing this type of massage has to have a lot of expertise because it involves exerting pressure which can cause injuries if performed carelessly.
- It is very tiring for the person performing it to exert so much pressure on the other person's body throughout the massage session.
Conclusion.
So, both these types of massages have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is best to opt for either of them depending upon the condition you are suffering from and the person who is going to perform it on your body.
You should also get yourself checked by a doctor before you get either of these massages performed on your body.
Although both these types of massages therapies seem to have their own benefits and disadvantages, it is best to opt for Deep Tissue Massage than Swedish Massage because it has a great number of advantages which makes it the most suitable type of massage among the two.
Both Deep Tissue Massage and Swedish Massage are beneficial in their own way but it is best to opt for Deep Tissue Massage because of its numerous benefits.
But before taking any massage therapy you should concern with your doctor and get yourself checked.
