"When I walk into Redwood Massage & Sauna, I’m burnt out and tense – when I walk out, I’m relaxed and refreshed – my one hour mini getaway from the stressful hectic world."Leighann Burns
Massage Types
Many styles of massage have emerged and been developed over the years. Some, like Swedish massage, are focused on soft tissues (muscles, tendons and the surrounding connective tissue, or fascia) and joints.
Asian and other approaches intend to balance energy, the so-called life force called chi. Still others are designed to meet the special needs of athletes, pregnant women, the elderly, or to assist in rehabilitation and recovery from injury.
Often, the techniques of these seemingly diverse approaches are the same - pressure to trigger points can break up adhesions (knots) in soft tissue. Applying the same pressure in an acupressure session is supposed to move stagnant energy. We can call this work by either of these or any of a number of the other names, such as jin shin, shiatsu or neuromomuscular therapy.
Whether knots are broken up or energy balanced depends in part on the intention of the practitioner and the system in which the techniques are applied - most likely both benefits result to some degree. Likewise, the gentle rocking and shaking of Trager work has been used for thousands of years in Thai and other types of massage.
Rather than focusing on the style of work offered, you may find it more important to feel comfortable with a massage therapist who understands the body and is sensitive to your individual needs.