Many people often go for a massage to promote a feeling of peacefulness and gain its stress-relieving benefits. We are continuously living more stressful lives and it’s becoming even more important to take care of your body. Therefore, a Relaxation or Therapeutic massage has become increasingly popular as we strive for a more relaxed way of life.
However, it can often be confusing which of these to choose from and the differences between them both. That’s why we’ve put together an easy, step-by-step guide to help inform your decision and pick depending on your goals.
What is a Relaxation massage?
A Relaxation massage is predominantly focused on the mental benefits instead of the physical ones. It aims to guide your body into a relaxed state and encourage the release of endorphins. This all contributes to you feeling happier and boosting your mood.
The masseuse uses a technique that involves little pressure and all-over body movements. This provides a more generalised approach to ensure as many areas are targeted at once. Here at Olive we offer various Relaxation therapies. These include Aromatherapy, Hot stone massages and the Swedish massage.
What is a Therapeutic massage?
Although a Therapeutic massage is also designed to help relax the body and provide stress relief, it provides a far more precise targeting approach in comparison to Relaxation massages. A therapist will focus on specific problem areas for the client, to achieve relief from pain or discomfort. During the massage only a number of areas will be covered, this is to ensure enough time and pressure is applied to treat the issue. Some Therapeutic treatments we offer at Olive include: Deep Tissue massages, Sports massages and cupping.
What are the benefits- comparing Relaxation massages to Therapeutic massage
If you’re still unsure which of these therapies is right for you, take a look at the main benefits of each. Which of these resonates most with you and your well-being goals?
Starting with Relaxation massages, some of the main points are:
Boosting the immune system
A Relaxation massage helps to remove toxins from the body and also increase the blood flow- helping fight off illnesses.
Helps improve sleep
Increased feeling of calmness and reduction in anxiety helps encourage better sleep.
Lowers stress
This is a big benefit of the therapy and in some cases can increase serotonin and dopamine levels by 30%. This has a huge influence on your mood and a decrease in stress hormones.
On the other hand, Therapeutic massages benefits include:
Reduction in pain
Relieving pain and tension on muscles by increasing blood flow to these areas.
Supports recovery from injury
This can speed up the recovery process by targeting and reducing inflammation.
Improved movement
Removing the tension build-up in the muscles, Therapeutic massages can help with mobility and range of motion at the joint.
Next steps
We hope this has provided insight into these two treatments. If you’d like to book one of our Therapeutic or Relaxation massage, please call 07711 633 512 and our team will secure your booking.
Don’t forget to check out our blogs for more tips and useful advice!