There are many kinds of massage to choose from, and that can make it challenging to decide which type you could benefit from. However, if you’re trying to decide between remedial massage vs deep tissue massage, you need to understand the differences between them and the different benefits that each can offer.
Deep Tissue Massage – An Overview
Like Swedish massage, deep tissue massages focus on creating a rhythm, using strokes that flow in order to apply just the right level of pressure to the muscles through the entire body. However, compared with Swedish massage, deep tissue massages use greater pressure, pushing more deeply into the muscles to enhance the treatment’s therapeutic benefits.
As a result, this massage reduces tension, helping you to recover from injuries and exercise while delivering a whole-body, relaxing treatment.
Remedial Massage – An Overview
A remedial massage is a kind of treatment offering a more clinical approach to any issues that relate to pain in the soft tissues, including the tendons, muscles, ligaments, and tissues surrounding specific body areas. Sometimes it is an effective form of pain management or rehabilitation.
Remedial massages boost blood circulation and help to promote healing as they remove scar tissue, dead cells and blockages. They are useful to increase healing through cross-fibre friction, relieving skeletal or fascia pain through trigger point therapies, promoting healthier lymph and blood through via compression techniques, and treating muscle shortness and tightness through myofascial release.
Remedial Massage vs Deep Tissue – What Are The Differences?
Although remedial massage is frequently confused with deep tissue massage, it is, in fact, a treatment that is more targeted to address injuries or pain.
A remedial massage therapist has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of how the body functions as well as the tissues they treat, and while a deep tissue massage addresses the entire body, a remedial massage solely focuses on the areas that require rehabilitation. The therapist needs to first understand the cause of the pain or injury in order to carry out an effective and targeted remedial massage.
Another difference between remedial massage vs deep tissue massage is that the pressure that the therapist uses during remedial massages varies depending on your specific needs, while a deep tissue massage will require firm pressure.
Nevertheless, a remedial massage may include some deep tissue massage techniques, and that could be the reason why some people are confused about the differences between these two massage styles.
Should I Have A Remedial Massage Or Deep Tissue Massage?
Deciding which type of massage is right for you depends on your specific issues and preferences. If you’re seeking an entire body massage experience along with the therapeutic benefits of a firmer level of pressure, a deep tissue massage may suit you best since it’s a relaxing yet strong massage that aids in relieving muscle tension while enhancing recovery from exercise.
A remedial massage may be best for you if you have a specific issue that you need to address. This massage technique can target and treat these individually. It’s especially useful for anyone with an injury or chronic pain condition that requires specialist treatment.
Some conditions that can be best addressed by remedial massage include:
- Back or neck pain
- Tension headaches
- Fibromyalgia
- Jaw pain
- Arthritis
- Shoulder pain
- Muscle cramps or spasms
- Sciatica
- Plantar fasciitis
- Muscle atrophy
Deep tissue massages can also address a range of ailments, however some of the conditions that it can address especially effectively include:
- Problems relating to poor posture
- A repetitive strain injury
- Pain relating to osteoarthritis
- Discomfort caused by scar tissue
- Tennis elbow
- Hypertension
It’s worth noting, however, that while massage in general is relatively low risk, deep tissue massages use extremely firm pressure which makes it unsuitable for some individuals. If you’ve suffered from blood clots, take blood thinners, suffer from any bleeding disorder, are pregnant, or undergoing treatment for cancer, you should speak to your doctor first. You should also avoid deep tissue massages if you have a bone-related condition like osteoporosis.
Whichever kind of massage you decide is right for you, you’re sure to find it a beneficial experience.
