At Joliet Medical Center, we care about getting our patients to optimal wellness and then keeping them in that state.
To accomplish this, we provide a number of different health and wellness services at our medical center, however, we also try to enable our patients to live healthy by providing this blog where we discuss different aspects of our clinic, wellness, and health.
Today, we’ll be taking an introductory look into massages — what they are and what types there are, how they work, and why they’re great for your health.
What is a Massage?
Massage is the practice of manipulating muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues with hands, elbows, etc, to relieve stress and/or pain.
Different types of massages have varying intensities, which means that certain types of massages are better for stress relief, where others are more effective at treating or managing pain.
The Types of Massages
The Swedish Massage
This type of massage is amazing for stress relief, relaxation, and mild amounts of pain management. The Swedish Massage is likely what most people think of when they think of massages. This style has the massage therapists use gentle to middle intensity manipulation techniques such as kneading or rubbing muscles. This style of massage both relaxes the client as well as energizes the client. This is a great massage for a self-care day!
The Deep Tissue Massage
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the Swedish Massage, we have the Deep Tissue Massage. As the name implies, this massage style focuses on manipulating the deep muscle tissue as well as the connective tissues under the surface muscles. To do this massage, therapists use slow, intense, and forceful strokes to work the areas being targeted. Additionally, this type of massage is utilized to manage pain and heal damaged muscles.
The Trigger Point Massage
This type of massage is similar to a Deep Tissue Massage, however instead of targeting deep muscle tissue, the Trigger Point Massage targets, you guessed it, trigger points. These are areas throughout the body that when tightened or stressed trigger pain in other parts of the body. So essentially, a Trigger Point Massage’s desired effect is to manipulate the trigger point(s), release the tension, and thus alleviate pain throughout the body.
The Sports Massage
The Sports Massage’s main focus is to manipulate muscles to either heal or prevent muscle injuries, primarily in athletes. This style of massage is nearly identical to the Swedish Massage, however, it’s more targeted to focus on priority areas or injuries of the athlete.
How Are They Good For Your Health?
Simply put, massages are great for your health because they can be monumental in recovering from injuries and dealing with muscle or general body pain. While they shouldn’t be the only medical wellness practice you participate in, a great massage provided by a skilled massage therapist truly improves your quality of life.
In addition to recovery or pain management, massages are a wonderful way to practice self-care. When you get a massage, you’re pampering yourself, and giving yourself time to breathe deep, decompress, and take some time for you. Massages are known to relax, comfort, and provide a feeling of being cared for in patients who utilize them. And don’t we all deserve to be cared for?
If you’re looking to get a massage — it doesn’t matter if you’re just looking to relax, or if you’re looking to manage pain — contact the expert massage therapists at Joliet Medical Center. We offer all of the massages we discussed in this blog today, and we’d be elated to take you under our care!
Call today to schedule an appointment.