As massage therapy has become a more vital factor towards achieving great health in the U.S., access to a wider variety of massage therapy styles has made the nurturing practice all the more effective. However, it's also made it tougher for people to decide which massage therapy tradition to pursue. Should you get a deep tissue massage? Thai massage? Swedish? 

To help, we've put together this simple guide to make it easier to decide which massage therapy best suits your needs.

When you're stressed out, try Swedish massage

The everyday wear and tear of our daily grinds can really stress us out, taxing our immune systems and generally promoting a decline in health. When we feel the weight of life bearing down like this, the stress can really gather in our muscles and follow us around all day. The kneading hands of Swedish massage therapy will guide you to a relaxed state, while promoting circulation throughout your tired muscles, and leaving that stressed out state behind.

For chronic pain and tightness, try deep tissue massage

Whether due to injury, repetitive stress, or posture, chronic pain and muscle tightness can run well below the surface into the core muscles of our bodies. The probing, penetrating techniques of a deep tissue massage are designed to push through wound muscles, releasing their grip on our shoulders and spines, and thereby providing relief from those ailments that dog us throughout the year.

If you're feeling tired and stiff, try Thai massage

When we go for long stretches without meaningful self-care, we tend to lose flexibility, allowing our bodies to slowly constrict, draining energy and interfering with our immune response. That's one of many occasions when a thorough Thai massage therapy may really prove beneficial. Through a series of stretches and gentle kneading, a qualified Thai massage practitioner may elongate muscles throughout the body, improving flow throughout, and returning energy to body systems that need it.

To gently relieve muscle tension, opt for a warm stone massage

For the times constricted muscles are tense to the point of feeling tender, some may find a Swedish or deep tissue massage more painful than relaxing or rejuvenating. In that case, a warm stone massage may accomplish many of the same results, but with a gentle, slow release aided by radiating heat. The shapes of the stone themselves navigate the contours of muscles and bones, so the steady pressure and warmth they provide may penetrate trouble spots in a most satisfying way.

Anxious and depressed feelings respond to aromatherapy

Some people prefer aromatherapy just for the pleasant aromas. But the scented oils and herbs do more than please the senses, they help the massage therapist treat tense and tired muscles, while also stimulating a positive emotional response. The uplifting feeling following an aromatherapy massage may help the body steer itself happily in the right direction.

When it's not just one thing

More often than not, we're going to experience two or more of the above issues at once, so more than one type of massage therapy is called for. That's why Bangkok Day Spa offers combination massage therapy treatments, uniting the relaxation of a Swedish massage, as well as one of the others mentioned. Let us know how you're feeling, and we'll help find the right combination treatment for you! Give us a call at (619) 693-5388 to schedule an appointment.