When you think of a massage, you probably think of a relaxing experience that helps reduce stress and improve your overall well-being. While that’s often the outcome, “massage” is an umbrella term for a number of massage techniques that do more than promote relaxation. Some targeted, specialized forms of massage therapy, like a medical massage, do more than reduce stress. It can help you with chronic pain conditions and promote healing from an injury.
What Is Medical Massage Therapy?
Medical massage therapy, sometimes called a therapeutic massage, is a specialized type of massage that targets a diagnosed medical condition or injury. While it can treat the symptoms you’re experiencing (tight muscles, achy joints), the ultimate goal of a medical massage is to address the underlying cause of any chronic pain or discomfort you’re experiencing to provide lasting pain relief.
How Is a Medical Massage Different from a Spa Massage?
Medical massages are targeted. The therapist uses specific massage techniques that focus on reducing the chronic pain and discomfort in a specific area of your body while also increasing how quickly you heal. For example, if you suffer from temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), jaw pain can make it difficult to chew or even speak. A TMJ massage can relieve that pain and help restore movement.
A spa or relaxation massage isn’t as targeted. Instead of focusing on a particular part of the body, the massage therapist focuses on all of you. You can ask them to focus on a trouble spot (say, tight shoulders or a sore calf muscle), but ultimately, the goal of this type of massage is to reduce stress and promote overall wellness, not to provide support, healing, or alleviate pain from a medical condition.
What Conditions Respond Well to a Medical Massage?
Since medical massages focus on reducing pain caused by a medical condition and promotes healing as opposed to relaxation, some conditions are better suited for a therapeutic massage than others. Medical massages are generally better for:
- Whiplash
- Herniated disc
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Headache
- Back pain
- Sprains
- TMJ
- Carpal tunnel
- Frozen shoulder
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Tendonitis
- Sports injuries
Benefits of a Medical Massage
A relaxation massage and a therapeutic massage can help you relax and relieve stress. However, a therapeutic massage has additional benefits that support your recovery.
- Improved range of motion. Nearly every type of massage is likely to improve flexibility and range of motion. Loosening soft tissues and tight muscles makes it easier and less painful to move.
- Promote healing. Similarly, any kind of massage increases circulation and blood flow. While this can help you feel more relaxed, it can also promote healing in the affected area and reduce swelling.
- Improve sleep. Sleep is crucial to speeding recovery, but it’s not always easy to get good, restorative sleep when you’re injured. A therapeutic massage can help you relax and alleviate the pain that may be interfering with a good night’s rest.
- Complementary therapy. A medical massage won’t cure your medical condition. However, it can support and complement the other medical care you’re receiving for your condition. For example, if you have recurring migraines, you may still need to take a preventive medication, but a medical massage may decrease the length, severity, or frequency of your migraines.
Are There Different Types of Medical Massage?
Just as there are different types of relaxation massages, like hot stone or Swedish massage, there are different types of medical massages. While the end goal of all medical massage therapy is the same, they use various massage techniques to accomplish it.
Deep Tissue Massage
A deep tissue massage focuses on alleviating pain and tension caused by muscle strain. It’s similar to a Swedish massage in that it focuses on manipulating soft tissue with the hands. However, the massage therapists may also use their elbows or forearms to apply additional pressure that penetrates to the deeper muscle layers.
Sports Massage
Sports massage focuses on improving your movement and performance. It’s a targeted form of massage therapy that supports recovery from a current injury and aims to prevent future ones. The massage therapist focuses their efforts on the muscle groups you use most during your sport, not the whole body.
Prenatal Massage
A body undergoes a lot of change during a pregnancy, much of which can cause aches, pains, stress, and tension. A prenatal or pregnancy massage can help reduce pregnancy-related discomfort using targeted, gentle massage techniques that reduce stress in a specific area or throughout the entire body.
Neuromuscular Massage
Neuromuscular massage is a specialized type of therapeutic massage that combines a deep tissue massage with pressure point and trigger point therapy. It targets the connection between the nerve and tense muscles to relieve stress and reduce pain. While massaging your muscles, the massage therapist will use their fingers, knuckles, or elbow to apply steady, even pressure to a trigger point and release it, reducing the pain in your muscles.
Myofascial Release
Myofascial release is a gentle type of therapeutic massage. It’s similar to a neuromuscular massage in that the massage therapist targets a trigger point to release stress and tension, but uses less pressure. In some cases, myofascial release may be part of a neuromuscular massage.
Who Can Perform a Medical Massage?
No matter what type of massage you’re looking for or where the massage happens, most states require a licensed massage therapist to perform the massage. To become a licensed massage therapist, the individual received specialized training and education at an accredited school and passed the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx).
Find Pain Relief
Whether you have a chronic, long-term condition or have suffered an injury, medical massage often plays a supportive role in your recovery and overall treatment plan. It won’t cure you, but it can support your healing and help you live a more pain-free life.
Flourish Chiropractic Spa has a team of licensed massage therapists who can help you find relief. Book your appointment today and take the first steps on your healing journey.
