Which is the Best Therapeutic Massage for Me?

When people need to relax and de-stress, what often comes to their mind is a vacation, but what about a soothing and healing massage instead. Our therapists at Bodycraft Wellness can help provide you with the best massage and bodywork therapy your body is really striving after.

One of our greatest areas of expertise is massage therapy – especially when it comes to healing and pain relief!

Massages have been proven to reduce pain and stiffness in your muscles, improve circulation, and improve relaxation while also reducing stress. The best part, however, is the variety and uniqueness of the massages our talented therapists perform. Each targeting specific parts of your body, health conditions, or trouble areas.

Below we will cover the most common and popular types of massages we offer at Bodycraft Wellness along with what they are best for.

Feel free to jump to the section that stands out the most to you.

Best for Full Body Relief: Therapeutic Massage

The therapeutic massage, also called the Swissue for its blend of Swedish and deep tissue techniques, mainly aims to provide full body relaxation while also targeting the deep tissue of painful or stiff areas of your body with lighter strokes.

One of our most popular! Our unique version of a Swedish massage combines therapeutic techniques that helps decrease swelling, reduce stress, reduce joint pain, and improve movement and flexibility. Enjoy a relaxing session while still benefiting from the healing properties of a deep tissue massage.

Popular For:

• Mild Pain Relief
• Relieving Stiffness and Stress
• Full Body Relaxation

Best for Problem Areas: Deep Tissue Massage

Similar to the previous massage, a deep tissue massage aims at relieving the pain in problematic or painful areas of the body. This slow movement and deep massage help release tension and relax the painful and stressed areas. This massage treatment helps reduce stress and tension throughout the body, increase circulation, alleviate chronic pain, and improve posture.

Popular For:

• Targeting Specific Areas
• Moderate Pain Relief

Best for Chronic Pain: Myofascial Release Therapy

The next form of massage therapy is advanced myofascial release therapy. This form of therapy involves massaging your fascia, a thin, connective tissue surrounding every organ, bone, and muscle. When injured or even stressed, it tightens up, causing pain, tenderness, pressure, and other health problems.

Although the treatment itself is gentle and safe, it is very effective in treating, reducing, and relieving pain including chronic long-lasting pain and tenderness such as Fibromyalgia.

Popular For:

• Tenderness Relief
• Headache Relief
• Arthritis Relief
• Chronic Pain Relief

Best for Detox: Manual Lymphatic Drainage

Manual lymphatic drainage is a gentle massage meant to help allow the lymph to drain naturally. Through this process, waste products from the tissues are carried away back to the heart.

This therapy is performed by our highly specialized therapists who are either Certified Lymphatic Therapists or who are trained in Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD). The many benefits of MLD include the reduction of cellulite, reduction of fluid retention problems and poor circulation, and detoxifying your body.

If you are experiencing symptoms of trapped lymph fluid such as swollen tissues, heaviness in the limbs, or skin discoloration, a manual lymphatic massage could help provide the relief you need.

Popular For:

• Lymphedema Problems
• Relieving Swollen Legs or Arms
• Post Surgery Inflammation

Best for Athletes: Sports Massage

If you’re an athlete or regularly work out and exercise, a sports massage is what you might need after physically straining activity. Parts of your body that are in pain will benefit greatly from this massage as it’ll help relax your muscles and reduce help your muscles recover quicker after working out.

Our sports massage therapy is specifically designed to address sore muscles and aid in recovery after physical exertion. It targets the areas of your body that are in pain, helping to relax your muscles and eliminate waste products generated during exercise.

We see many athletes both professional and novice regularly who want to enhance their performance, promote faster recovery, and are looking to break records!

If you train regularly or compete in professional sports, a sports massage can give you a competitive edge.

Popular For:

• Workout Enthusiasts
• Athletes Looking To Perform Their Best
• Quicker Muscle Recovery From Exercise

Best for Cancer Patients: Oncology Massage

Offered to cancer patients currently in treatment or post-treatment, oncology massages aid the immune system and cancer treatment symptoms. This technique is safe and is meant to strengthen cancer patients.

Patients benefit greatly from this treatment and may see positive side effects such as a decrease in pain, increased immune function, improved sleep and energy levels, a decrease in nausea and fatigue, and reduced depression and anxiety.

Oncology massages help out emotionally as well. Massages can help take the stress and worry off of cancer and patients can also release emotions during them. Best described as a compassionate touch that provides relaxation.

Popular For:

• Helping Subside Cancer Treatment Side Effects
• Promoting Better Sleep for Cancer Patients
• Lessening Nausea Caused by Chemotherapy

Best for Pregnancy: Prenatal Massage

Expecting mothers can also receive massage therapy to alleviate the symptoms of pregnancy. There are many benefits to prenatal massages, such as increased blood flow and oxygen, released tension, relieved muscle aches, and joint pains, decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety, rich nutrients to both the mother and baby’s cells, and improved the outcome of labor and the overall health of your newborn.

Before receiving your massage, it’s very important to speak alongside your therapist and discuss your preferences and any possible medical conditions you may have. You should also contact your doctor to see whether or not this massage is fine for you.

Popular For:

• Alleviating pregnancy-related symptoms
• Improving Nutrients and Oxygen Delivery to Baby and Mother
• Relieving Pains and Aches During Pregnancy

Best for Employee Appreciation: Chair Seated Massage

Chair-seated massages are typically quick and short, yet the benefits are just as powerful as some of the aforementioned massages.

This massage focuses on the top portion of your body, including your neck, shoulders, arms, and back. Stress, headaches, and tension are reduced, and circulation, mobility, and flexibility are increased. This style of massage is great for anyone in need of quick therapy and can even be accommodated for those at home or for businesses looking to provide their employees/ team with a relaxing massage.

Popular For:

• Quick Massages
• People Who Can’t Leave Home
• Business or Groups

Best for Yoga Fans: Thai Massage

If you’re a fan of yoga, you may be interested in a Thai massage. In this massage, a therapist uses all parts of the body, like the hands, elbows, legs, knees, and feet to stretch the body.

You’ll feel a wide range of motions, muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupuncture for this specific massage. Due to this, you’ll feel relief from pain, relaxed muscles and joints, increased flexibility, and improved circulation.

This is different from most of the other massages listed previously, as this one is performed with the patient fully clothed and with no oils or creme. Usually performed on a mat on the floor, the massage therapist slowly moves you through multiple stretches, using their body and weight to assist you.

Those who have tried Thai massage have said they have less back and joint pain, better range of motion (flexibility), less anxiety and energy.

Best For:

• Relieving Joint Stiffness and Pain
• Increasing Flexibility
• Yoga Enthusiast

Best for Couples: Couples Massage

There’s something about a couples massage that just seems to strengthen relationships. The experience of relaxing and stress-relieving together as a couple just sounds romantic.

Spend time together with a side-by-side therapeutic massage that boosts bonding hormones, improves communication, or just try something new together. A couples massage may be just what you and your partner needs to celebrate a special day or just get away from life’s challenges.

We have sessions ranging from 60 minutes to 2 hours so you and your partner can relax and enjoy the massage together as long as you need.

Hint: Add sweet aromatherapy for the best experience and deepest sense of relaxation!

Popular For:

• Couples
• Valentine’s Day
• Gift Certificates
• Enjoying A Relaxing Massage With A Special Someone

Best for Tension Knots: Bamboo-Fusion®

A bamboo-fusion massage, also known as bamboo massage, is performed with warm bamboo sticks created by the famous Nathalie Cecilia. The bamboo sticks help target deep tissue and allow the therapist to use more stamina and strength for stronger, yet-comforting pressure.

The bamboo sticks’ hot warmth helps relax and calm down your body, improves circulation in your body, and provides a deeper sense of well-being and whole-body health. Our therapists may use a combination of heated oils along with the sticks depending on your needs and massage experience.

You may want to try this massage if you suffer from: arthritis, tension knots, back and shoulder pain, soreness from exercise or sports, lymphatic issues or circulation.

Popular For:

• Unique Experience with Bamboo Sticks
• Long Lasting Benefits After Session
• Exclusive Feel

Best for Spa-Like Feel: Hot Stone Massage

This next type of massage is similar to the bamboo-fusion massage. A hot stone massage is a form of ancient healing treatment. Flat, smooth stones are heated and placed throughout your body, primarily on energy centers and key points.

A hot stone massage is a form of ancient healing treatment that involves the use of heated, smooth stones placed on energy centers and key points of your body. They can be placed along your spine, stomach, face, chest, palms of your hands, feet and toes.

These stones can be left on your body or used by your therapist to massage you. This combination of massage therapy and heat is known to help soothe sore muscles, improve blood flow and circulation, and promote relaxation.

If you suffer from arthritis, tension knots, back and shoulder pain, exercise-related soreness, insomnia, lymphatic issues or circulation problems, you may find a hot stone massage super relaxing and pain relieving. Add scented oils and foot soak to your hot stone massage for the ultimate spa-like experience!

Popular For:

• Deep Relaxation For A Spa Feel
• Reducing Stress and Anxiety
• Promoting Sleep
• Boosting Immunity

Best for Migraines: Migraine Miracle®

Anyone who suffers greatly from headaches and migraines will enjoy this massage!

Created by Kelly Lott, this natural and very powerful form of therapy called the Migraine Miracle® uses cold marble stones that are placed around your face, primarily on key headache points, along with essential oils that help combat headaches.

This therapy reduces inflammation of the face, relaxes facial muscles to improve blood flow and circulation, decreases anxiety, slows heart rate, and most importantly, decreases the frequency and severity of chronic headaches and migraines.

Popular For:

• Relief From Migraines and Headaches Without Using Pharmaceuticals
• Stress Relief
• Improving Sleep Quality

Best for Loosening Muscles: Fijian Massage

The final therapeutic massage is the Fijian “Barefoot” massage. As the name might suggest, your therapist will use gravity and their body weight to produce deep compressions to the tissue. This massage is performed with the patient on heated body cushions.

The main purpose of this barefoot massage is to dig out knots in your tissue, target some of the deepest tissue in your body, and generate long-lasting effects. Can be done over clothes or on bare skin depending on your comfort level. Combine this with essential oils and stress-relieving aromas for a feeling of bliss and tropical experience.

Popular For:

• Easing Tension
• Loosening Muscles
• Detoxifying The Body
• Promoting Relaxation

At the request of the client, enhancements can be added to almost any massage treatment mentioned to make it feel more personalized and unique.

Some of these enhancements include aromatherapy, or the use of therapeutic essential oils to increase your massage experience, heat pads or ice massages in the event of an injury, a foot soak using various salts to alleviate foot pain and tension, and several more.

Still wondering which massage is best for you? Give us a call or send us a message.

We will be more than happy to point you in the right direction for your specific needs or pain points. We have over 15 highly trained massage therapists some which are highly specialized in certain massages and techniques.

At Bodycraft Wellness, you will find the relief your body is searching for!

Written by: Jamie Fanara

Jamie Fanara is the owner of Bodycraft Wellness & Massage Center and has been a professional massage therapist since 2005, Certified Lymphedema Therapist, BCTMB board approved and NCBTMB Approved Provider & Assigned Massage School Program Director in Illinois. Visit her about page for more info