Types of Massage Vancouver | Lonsdale Wellness Studio

Types of Massage Therapy – Vancouver

Types of Massage Vancouver

Types of Massage Vancouver therapy has myriad benefits especially for managing acute and chronic pain, managing stress and promoting relaxation, and reducing muscle tension.  You may or may not be surprised to learn that there are many different massage techniques utilized by practitioners to help you achieve your therapy goals.  Depending on your health care needs and the skills and experience of the registered massage therapist (RMT), one or more of these techniques may be applied in your sessions.  Let’s have a closer look at some of the most common forms of massage practiced in Canada today.

Deep Tissue Massage

As the name implies, deep tissue massage involves applying deep pressure to your muscles and underlying tissues.  Using finger pressure, your RMT will stroke muscles then apply more pressure to deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue.  This kind of massage can feel quite intense, though should not be associated with pain.  Deep tissue massage is especially effective for chronic pain associated with injuries but is also often applied to break down scar tissue, promote circulation, and alleviate pain associated with strains, inflammation, and even osteoarthritis.

Prenatal Massage

Prenatal massage is a very specific technique utilized to reduce pain and tension resulting from the changes occurring in your pregnant body.  Similar to Swedish massage (see below for more information), prenatal massage usually addresses issues in the low back, hips, and legs.  Prenatal massage may be especially effective for helping expectant mothers maintain movement and to reduce stress and anxiety.  Generally speaking, RMTs practicing prenatal massage will employ gentler techniques that are soothing and relaxing.

Types of Massage Vancouver

Sports Massage

If you are physically active and participate in sports or other training activities, you probably know that repetitive strain injuries and other minor injuries to muscles and connective tissue are common.   Sports massage focuses on alleviating muscle tension and pain associated with sports-related injuries.  Additionally, regular sports massage may help to prevent injuries by promoting recovery and flexibility.  During a sports massage, your RMT should collect a thorough history to address specific areas of complaint or provide a whole-body treatment depending on your unique needs.

Swedish Massage

Perhaps the most common form of massage therapy, Swedish massage is a technique that allows your RMT to loosen tight muscles and connective tissues to promote reduced pain and relaxation.  Swedish massage utilizes pressure and friction along with longer massage strokes that improve circulation and encourage blood flow to the heart.  The goal is to facilitate whole-body relaxation and promote improved health by increasing blood flow and oxygen delivery, removing toxins from muscles, promoting flexibility, relieving muscle tension, and reducing the levels of the stress hormone in the blood.

Trigger Point Massage

Finally, trigger point massage is predicated on the theory that specific areas of muscle tension contribute to pain in other areas of the body.  Your RMT helps to alleviate these areas of pain by targeting therapy to these trigger points.  By relieving tension in trigger points, you should experience less pain in associated areas.  Trigger point massage involves long, gentle strokes combined with deep pressure.  Once again, your RMT will work with you to determine whether to focus massage on one area or your whole body depending on your specific concerns and therapy goals.