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Patient Education

2017-10-20
Therapeutic And Relaxation Massage Therapy: What’s The Difference?

Physiotherapy And MassageWho doesn’t like a good massage? Relaxing your muscles and releasing stress is exceedingly soothing. After a tiring day, opting for a massage session is something that everybody looks forward to. A massage session apart from being relaxing can also have various therapeutic benefits. This is one of the reasons why physiotherapy experts get specially trained to provide a more detailed therapeutic massage. You can bifurcate them as physiotherapy and massage. Read on to understand this difference closely:

Therapeutic Massage

Therapeutic massage is a physiotherapy treatment that you should consider when there is chronic pain or excess tension in your muscles. It is performed by a medically certified professional. Therapeutic massage can also be a part of a long-term treatment, recommended by a doctor. It is specially customized keeping in mind the problem you are facing and delivers tangible results. Specific medical problems such as stiff neck, carpal tunnel, sports injuries, etc. can be treated by regular therapeutic massage.

Before the massage, a detailed history of your health is documented. Based on the kind of muscular issue you are facing, the physiotherapist would extend the massage procedure to deep tissue massage or trigger point therapy. Massage therapy techniques require a clinical setting and can be performed by licensed professionals only.

Relaxation Massage

A relaxation massage is a very basic form of massage which helps you release stress-related pain from your muscles. It is a casual, spa based treatment which can be done over the weekend to get over the exhaustion of a hectic week.

A relaxation massage uses basic massaging techniques such as kneading, stroking and muscle manipulation to relieve pain from your body. It also offers you the choice to select the amount of pressure that would be applied to your body. Relaxation massage is usually considered as a cosmetic procedure and is usually performed with the use of aromatic oils which help in soothing the senses.

Massage is an integral part of physiotherapy. Understanding the difference between therapeutic and relaxation massage will help you choose the right one based on your requirement. A relaxation massage won’t provide you ease when you are in need for a therapeutic massage and vice versa. You have to choose wisely between physiotherapy and massage. To get more assistance on which type of massage is right for you, book an appointment with our physiotherapy experts today.