A simple dictionary of massage |
- Aromatherapy: Uses aromatic plant essences ("essential oils"), often mixed with the base massage oil,
to create a variety of pleasing moods and other specific intended effects.
- Ayurvedic: Gentle surface massage aimed at calming the nerves and stimulating blood flow.
- Chair: A massage where you sit fully-clothed in a specially designed, portable chair.
- CMT: Certified massage therapist.
- Cranio-Sacral: A technique used to find and correct cerebral and spinal "imbalances" or
"blockages".
- Deep tissue: Slow strokes and heavy finger pressure applied to areas of chronic tension.
- Effleurage: A two-handed Swedish-massage technique using a smooth, gliding stroke to relax soft tissue.
- Esalen: Like Swedish massage, it is focused on the muscles of the body but usually involves long, lengthening strokes, stretching,
and rocking.
- Four-handed: Two massage therapists working on one individual at the same time.
- Full-body: Back, arms, legs, feet, hands, head, neck and shoulders. It can also include
your buttock muscles and abdomen if you wish. Most practitioners stop there, but others may go
further as may be appropriate with client's consent.
- Hakomi: Body-mind awareness and touch are used to explore the body as a deep source of
information, empowering the client to change attitudes.
- Hellerwork: A series of sessions
involving gentle deep-tissue techniques with the intent to restore the body's natural balance and posture.
- Hydrotherapy: An intense massage performed while the body is suspended in water to lessen the pain and discomfort
of the deep pressure.
- Incall: A massage performed at the provider's location. Compare with outcall.
- LMT: Licensed massage therapist.
- Lymphatic: Gentle pumping and light raking to drain pockets of water retention and release toxins trapped in lymph nodes.
- Myofascial release: Uses long, stretching strokes to release muscular tension.
- Myotherapy: see "Trigger Point".
- Neuromuscular: see "Trigger Point".
- Outcall: A massage performed at your location rather than at the provider's location. Compare
with incall.
- Petrissage: Squeezing, rolling and kneading. A Swedish method that usually follows effleurage.
- Reflexology: Stimulation of points on the hands and feet that are thought to correspond to other areas
of the body.
- Reiki: A "natural healing" technique
for stress reduction and relaxation in which the therapist simply places his/her hands on the client's body at
various points.
- RMT: Registered massage therapist.
- Rolfing: Uses pressure, varying from surface to deep, to break down abnormal connective tissue formed as
the result of defective posture and induce realignment of the body along its vertical plane.
- Rosen method: Tender touch coupled with verbal communication to help release suppressed emotions as
well as muscle tension.
- Seated: see "Chair".
- Shiatsu: An ancient Japanese healing art incorporating gentle manipulation, stretches and pressure
techniques with a pattern of finger-thumb-palm movements along acupressure points, done without use of oils, to
balance the flow of "chi", or vital energy.
- Sports massage: Focuses on the use of massage
to assist training, prevent injury, reduce recovery time and aid healing in cases of soreness or injury. Typically of
Swedish style, and popular among both
professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts. More brisk and rigorous than a full-body massage, a
sports massage is adjusted to meet the demands of the athlete's body before and/or after a workout or
competition.
- Stone therapy: The application of smooth, heated rocks.
- Swedish: A system of long strokes, kneading and friction on the surface layer of muscles. Also involves
movement of the joints. The most common form of Western massage.
- Tantric: A tantric massage focuses on what are described to be the 7 "chakras" (Sanskrit for
"wheel"), specifically: (1) the root (base of spine), (2) sacral (abdomen, genitals, lower back, hips), (3) solar
plexus (just below the ribs), (4) heart (chest area), (5) throat, (6) brow and (7) crown (top of head).
- Tapotement: Executed with cupped hands, fingers or the edge of the hand with short,
alternating taps to the client
- Thai: Called "yoga in action," Thai massage uses not only the fingers, but the thumbs, palms, elbows,
knees and feet as well in a series of stretches assisted by the therapist.
- Trager: Gentle cradling, jiggling, rocking and stretching of the body to promote feelings of
lightness, effortlessness and well-being.
- Trigger Point: A therapy using concentrated finger pressure to painful areas in muscles called
"trigger points".
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Massage Therapy: Swedish Massage - Deep Tissue Massage - Reiki - Sports Massage - Shiatsu - Reflexology - more!
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