Skip to main content

Massage Time: Deep Tissue? Swedish? Aromatherapy? What the Hell???

The other day, a client asked me what the difference was between Swedish massage and deep tissue. If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question...well, I wouldn't have enough money to quit my job, but I'd be able to pay my electric bill for the month. Since I have a limited amount of time to explain things between clients, I just tell them it's a difference in pressure which is true and not true at the same time. Since I'm not currently at work, I've decided to take time out of my busy schedule to explain the differences between the various modalities. Oh, and I'm running late with my third post of the month, so there's that too.

1. SWEDISH MASSAGE

I've mentioned before that chair massage is massage with training wheels. It's what I suggest to clients who've never had a massage and are a bit leery over the whole "take off your clothes" thing. This is silly since Louisiana state law prohibits me from working on or even revealing any of the "sexy parts". If you come to me for a massage and are unhappy with this law, feel free to shove it up your ass. Just...not in front of me.

In relation to all the different types of massage, Swedish is the pre-k of the massage world because the basic techniques used in Swedish (effleurage, petrissage, tapotement, etc) are also used in most other forms of massage. Swedish tends to be lighter pressure, but not necessarily. The difference is in the goal of the massage which, in the case of Swedish, is to relax the superficial muscles. Did you book a massage because you wanted to veg out? Then Swedish is the massage for you. It's also good for improving circulation and releasing toxins from the muscles, so there's that too.

2. DEEP TISSUE
You see that picture on the left? You see the way that man's arm is being held behind his back while the massage therapist works around his scapula? One of my instructors called this "The Police Hold". She also warned us never to call it that in front of a client. No sense scaring the poor bastards before you get to their rhomboids.


It looks like torture, but really it's pure heaven. Especially to someone like me with concrete between their shoulder blades. If the guy in the picture went to his MT complaining he couldn't throw the old ball around like he used to (or, if he's like me, a lazy asshole who can't reach his behind to scratch his ass), his therapist will use friction around and beneath the scapula to help increase range of motion. That's the goal of deep tissue-to unstick the stuck muscles by working the fascia or connective tissue.

3. AROMATHERAPY
This is the easy one. Basically, aromatherapy is any type of massage that uses scented oils such as lavender, eucalyptus, and bergamot-to name a few-to address a specific complaint or need. Each scent is supposed to be good for something. For instance, eucalyptus is supposed to be a good decongestant and expectorant. Bergamot is supposed to be an analgesic. Lavender is supposed to make you happy...unless you're allergic to it like my coworker, in which case, not so much.

The question I get on this one is, "But do they really work?" The answer changes depending on whether or not I'm working at the spa or doing a bit of freelance. My boss generally frowns on me shrugging and telling the client, "It's never been clinically proven, but what the hell. They sure do smell nice, don't they?"

4. REFLEXOLOGY
Reflexology is a massage that uses pressure points on different parts of the hands and feet to affect changes in corresponding organs or zones of the body. Like the toes correspond to the head and points around the ankles correspond to the sex organs. I was taught never to work the area around the ankles on women when they're pregnant because you risk them going into labor on your table. This is not a good thing to happen if you're not a midwife or hate buying new sheets.

But does it work, you ask. Well...I'm an agnostic and a skeptic. This is a wacky combo in a massage therapist since a good many people in the industry are into alternative medicine. I'm not much of a believer myself. If I have a headache, I'm going to take an Advil before I start pressing points on my hands and feet to cure that shit. But you get foot rub out of it, so why not?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Five Things You Didn't Know Could Happen During a Massage

Everyone likes a good massage. Well, almost everyone. There are some that cringe at the very idea of being naked in a room while a total stranger rubs them down. These people are either crazy or have never had a massage before and don't know what they're missing. There are also the ones that like massage a little too much and should feel free to do to themselves what they erroneously believe they are paying me to do to them. Also, read item number 3 of this blog article I wrote in November of 2012 and follow the instructions therein. But for those of you who are just looking for a nice, perfectly innocent, legal, and in no way rage inducing way to relax, massage is the way to go. That said, there are a few things you should be prepared for before getting that first massage. Things such as... 1. I CAN MAKE YOU FART LIKE A GODDAMN MACHINE GUN I once had a client come in for a deep tissue massage who must have eaten a very big, extremely gassy meal right before climbing ont

Feature Interview: Lauren Scharhag

Lauren Scharhag is the author of such books as Our Miss Engel , Order of the Four Sons series, La Tutayegua , Under Julia , and West Side Girl & Other Poems . She has won the Gerard Manley Hopkins award for poetry. Ms. Scharhag hails from Kansas City where she lives with her husband and three cats, but not a dog named Toto. Because that would just be silly. LAUREN: Yes, especially since I live in Missouri and not Kansas. KARMA GIRL: Before we start, I'm going to give you my usual Unusual Disclaimer: Silent tongue is filled With questions yet to be asked Interview begins Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Lauren.   LAUREN: Thanks for having me. KG: Tell us about yourself. You live in Missouri now, but according to your bio you grew up in Kansas City. What was it like growing up there and have you ever dropped a house on someone's sister? LAUREN: Actually, Kansas City is in Missouri as well as Kansas-- it's the older, original KC. I had a pre

"Meet Our Therapist"...Doomtown Style!

My boss has been getting on me to make a bio for  Balance Spa's Facebook page for ages, and I've only just consented to do it. I had been putting it off mostly because doing so would require me to have a picture taken of myself. Having a picture taken of myself would require me to wear makeup. I could go without, but doing so would cause one of the seven seals to be opened therefore heralding the coming apocalypse. I hear a river in China recently turned to blood . I'm not saying I had anything to do with it, but I wouldn't make any long term plans if I were you. For it has been foretold! The bio was written by one of our lovely and talented receptionists, Rayme. For those of you wondering why I hadn't written the thing myself, read a few of my posts. You might notice a pattern. I can't seem to write anything serious without becoming sarcastic or goofy. That's just the way I roll. But I couldn't help tweaking Rayme's version just a bit to fit