Despite the many techniques available, massage generally is distinguisable in two categories – full body, or targeted.
The former is self-explanatory – the whole of the body is massaged (including the legs and calves) whereas targeted therapies focus on a specific part of the body that needs massaging – often called ‘trigger points’. When these points are massaged properly, they release any built-up knots in the muscles that will otherwise bring discomfort and pain in other areas of the body.
There are quite a few massage techniques often associated with full body massage, one of them being the ever-popular Swedish massage which typically involves the massaging of deep tissues in the body.
This type of massage aims to help the body release any metabolic build up, loosen up tight muscles as well as realign the entire skeletal system while improving one’s mobility.
Very similar to sports massages, only the latter is geared more towards athletes or very active people to help with their healing process and to train up their flexibility.
Then there is another type of full body massage that is geared towards specific condition, for example, prenatal or geriatric clients. For these, massages have to be very gentle but nevertheless, almost the whole of the body receives equal massage attention.
On the other hand, targeted therapies only focus on parts that need attention. Let us give you an example – reflexology. This is an act of massage targeting specific areas on your body, usually the feet and calves (sometimes the arms and shoulders) to not just help you with pain relief but also to aid in regulating your body system.
Another common targeted massage therapy technique focuses on the cranial sacral area of the body, which is the head and neck. It is most effective in healing headaches, neck and back pain. You should get the point now – if there is a specific area of discomfort, targeted massage therapy is perfect.
Given you now know the difference between the two, you should know that:
There is no one better over the other, the key is to know your specific needs.
So determine if you are focusing on the overall wellness that a full body massage offers, or if you are simply seeking for relief from a specific condition that may be impactly your life greatly.
Having said the above, deciding what type of massage is best for you is not always an easy task, given there may be more than one that you wish to go for. However, many are simply restrained by time and money, so theres’s always something to trade comfort off.
With a massage chair at home though, you can switch easily between the two. Should you feel like it, you can even have both – without having to pay any extra fees.
Run the full body massage program first, if there is any particular area that needs extra/additional attention after, select a specified technique/program (i.e. deep tissue massage) and target it to that particular area. Ah, heavenly!
Visit MasseuseTalk to see what chairs allow you to do just that (and at an affordable price point, too!).
