You can get massage therapy yourself or your doctor might prescribe it as a medical treatment. Massage can help you relax and it can also be used to help with pain or lymphatic drainage. Here's a look at a few types of massages and how they might be used.
Trigger Point Massage
Trigger point massage therapy might be prescribed by your doctor to help relieve pain. This is a deep tissue massage that can feel a little uncomfortable. The purpose of the massage is to break up scar tissue or adhesions that cause pain and limit movement. This kind of massage therapy is sometimes needed after an injury.
Lymphatic Drainage Massage
This is another type of therapeutic massage therapy and should be done by a therapist trained in lymphatic massage. This massage uses long sweeping strokes to help move fluid in the lymph system to a lymph node where it can circulate through the body rather than collect in your arm or leg.
This type of massage could be needed after surgery, such as breast cancer surgery where lymph nodes were removed and you have swelling in your arm.
Prenatal Massage
Carrying the extra weight of pregnancy can cause you to have pain in your back, legs, and feet. Sometimes a prenatal massage can help your pain and soreness so you can sleep better at night and feel more comfortable during the day. You'll want to ask your OB doctor if a massage is right for you. A massage therapist trained in prenatal massage therapy knows how to give you an effective treatment without harming your baby or you.
Sports Massage
A sports massage is suitable for professional athletes and weekend athletes. Professional athletes often have sports massages on a regular schedule to help prevent injuries, speed healing from injuries, and improve flexibility. A sports massage might be offered at your local fitness center or massage center. You can probably find a place to get one without needing a doctor's referral.
Stress-Relieving Massage
One of the main reasons to treat yourself to a massage is to relieve stress. A massage can relax muscles to relieve muscle tension and the massage can also help relieve mental stress by relaxing you. You may want to take a massage on a regular basis, even if you only have time to take a chair massage offered at your workplace.
These massages often involve long, relaxing strokes and muscle kneading so you don't experience pain, but you leave feeling relaxed and rejuvenated after your massage therapy. Check out a spa like Reset Spa for more information.
