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MASSAGE THERAPY
is a profession in which the practitioner applies
manual techniques, and may apply adjunctive therapies,
with the intention of positively affecting the health
and well-being of the client.
MASSAGE
is manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes
holding, causing movement, and/or applying pressure to
the body.
THERAPY
is a series of actions aimed at achieving or
increasing health and wellness.
Deep
Tissue
– releases the chronic patterns of tension in the body
through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the
contracted areas, either following or going across the
grain of muscles, tendons and fascia. It is called
deep tissue, because it also focuses on the deeper
layers of muscle tissue.
Effleurage
– is a stroke generally used in a Swedish massage
treatment. This smooth, gliding stroke is used to
relax soft tissue and is applied using both hands.
On-site Massage
(also known as chair massage or corporate massage)
– is administered while the client is clothed and
seated in a specially designed chair. These chairs
most often slope forward allowing access to the large
muscles of the back. On-site massage usually lasts
between 15 and 30 minutes and is intended to relax and
improve circulation.
Petrissage
(also called kneading) – involves squeezing,
rolling and kneading the muscles and usually follows
effleurage during Swedish massage.
Reflexology
– massage based around a system of points in the hands
and feet thought to correspond, or "reflex," to all
areas of the body.
Shiatsu and Acupressure
– Oriental-based systems of finger-pressure which
treat special points along acupuncture "meridians"
(the invisible channels of energy flow in the body).
Sports Massage
– massage therapy focusing on muscle systems relevant
to a particular sport.
Swedish Massage
– a system of long strokes, kneading and friction
techniques on the more superficial layers of the
muscles, combined with active and passive movements of
the joints.
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