Swedish Massage or Deep Tissue Massage - Which Is Best For You?

What’s the best massage for you? Sometimes it can be confusing – you know you’re stressed and everybody tells you that you need a good massage, but what type of massage should you get? There are so many options available, how do you know which one will suit you? That’s where your friendly massage therapist comes in – if you’re not sure, just call or drop in for a chat and we can help you find the perfect technique and style for your needs. If it’s your first massage we can put you at ease and make sure you know exactly what to expect. In the meantime, here’s the lowdown on two of the most common types of massage and what they can do for you.

Swedish​   
But first lets talk about Swedish massage.  It is not just a fluffy type massage.  Swedish massage consists of light to firm pressure strokes that move in a slow gliding motion.  Light stretching may or may not be included.  If you have a high stress level or suffer from anxiety swedish massage is for you. If you have trouble sleeping then swedish massage is for you. If you have high blood pressure, on blood thinners, or diabetes (to name a few) then swedish massage would be great for you. Oncology patients and the elderly can benefit from swedish massage because it reduces stress, anxiety, and promotes a feeling of well-being among other things.

​Deep Tissue
​​Now let's talk about Deep Tissue massage.  I think of this type of massage more as Therapeutic massage...when my client needs to target a specific issue or have tired, overworked muscles.   In  a deep tissue massage we manipulate the deeper layers of your soft tissue. Soft tissue includes your muscles, ligaments, fascia, and tendons (it’s pretty much everything that isn’t bones or organs). We use less lotion or oil, and work lighter at first and then move into the deeper layers of muscle.  Going lighter to deeper is important because it helps relax the top layer of tissue and muscle, meaning less pain for you. Then the deeper layers of muscle can be worked on more easily and with less pain. This will feel much better and you will get better results.  

​​Many think that deep tissue massage has to be painful to be effective.  Many even like to feel the pain.  They think "No pain, No gain".   Not me....if that makes me wimpy then I wear the badge proudly.  There are ways to work deep without causing the client a lot of pain.  Some pain may happen but as a massage therapist I really try to stay in tune with my client and back off the pressure or technique I may be using so that my client can relax.  If you tense up as I am trying to release the tension we are working against each other.  

So which type of massage is for you?  Maybe a combination of the two?

Call EmbraceLife! Massage @ 713-384-9793 to schedule the massage you need or fill out the contact form on the website: embracelifemassage.com  (click here).

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