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There are so many different types of massage that it can get fairly difficult to choose which sort would be best for you. Nearly every country or area in the world has its own local style of massage therapy. However there are basically two broad sorts of massage and these are therapeutic and relaxation massage therapy disciplines.

Therapeutic massage is meant to heal problems with muscles, bones and joints, like, say, a bad back and relaxation massage therapy is meant to relax a person after a stressful day, so it soothes the knots aways from the muscles and the stress from the mind. There is a certain degree of overlap between these disciplines though.

These two styles can be characterized by two different techniques from two different parts of the world. Swedish massage is a relaxation method from the West and Ayurvedic massage is therapeutic and originated in the East.

Swedish massage, also called classic massage, is the normal oil massage used in America and Europe. It is characterized by long, gentle, flowing strokes in the direction of blood flow, which are meant to aid circulation and relax muscles.

There are four or five fundamental techniques to Swedish massage:

1] Effleurage – these are the extended strokes characteristic of Swedish massage. They are carried out with the whole hand or a pad for the length of the back, the length of the arm or leg.

2] Petrissage – this involves lifting the muscles away from their usual position and squeezing them so that the massage goes deeper in order to further enhance circulation and remove toxic deposits.

3] Friction – this is as rough as it gets; the fingertips are used forcefully in deep circular movements on bony sections and joints to enhance flexibility in joints and muscles.

4] Tapotement – this is the slapping, chopping and tapping that you find in Swedish massage. It can be done with a fist, the heel of the hand or the edge of the hand like a karate chop. These short, sharp, rapid taps are meant to relieve tension and cramp.

5] Vibration – the hand or hands are put on, say, the lower back, and the masseur vibrates his hands. It is said to be helpful for those with certain problems like backache.

The Ayurvedic massage technique is to be seen in Shiatsu, Thai massage, Muslim massages, Indian massages and several others. Ayurvedic massage encapsulates the Eastern idea of harmony and attempts to reinstate the balance of harmony between the mind and the body.

Some of these variations of massage use oil but Shiatsu and Thai do not. They all make use of pressure points by means of acupressure. Chinese forms use meridians, the Thai kind uses Sen, which are not the same.

Ayurvedic massage applies a kind of reflexology or foot massage on the feet and yoga postures on the rest of the body. This massage requires a deep understanding of anatomy and physiology in order to manipulate the limbs, joints and muscles.

Apart from this specialized information, Ayurvedic massage makes use of all the techniques used in Swedish massage as well. It is the basis of the massage techniques used in hospitals and physiotherapy.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently concerned with the massage therapy school online. If you have an interest in massage, please go over to our website now at Classes For Massage Therapy

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