Massage comes in all forms and it can be hard to look at a service menu and decide which one you want to try. Therapeutic massage is not something you’ll commonly find in a spa setting. This is because therapeutic massage is more goal-oriented and requires some planning between the therapist and the client.

If you have seen therapeutic massage on a brochure but weren’t sure what to expect, this article deep dives into what you can expect from a therapeutic massage. 

Since most people get Swedish massages let’s start by comparing the two.

What is the difference between a therapeutic and Swedish massage?

The goal of a Swedish massage is increased systemic circulation and relaxation. Increased systemic circulation is the result of specific strokes sending the blood through the body at a faster rate. With therapeutic massage, you’ll experience less systemic and a more localized blood flow increase. 

Since we will be focusing on improving an injury or painful area, we want the blood flow to increase in this area initially because that brings more healing cells to the injury. These cells improve the healing process and remove dead or damaged cell debris. 

Once we work in this area we can send the cells through the blood or lymphatic system for removal. Not all therapists are trained in therapeutic or lymphatic massage, so make sure that whoever you go to is so you can receive the best results.

Essentially the differences between therapeutic massages and Swedish massages are that different strokes are used and there is a different overall goal to achieve. 

What is Therapeutic Massage?

Therapeutic massage is my favorite massage type simply because it’s never boring and every single session is different! While I love Swedish massages and find them extremely beneficial, doing them on repeat isn’t it for me.

To keep up our massage licenses, we are required to take a certain number of hours of continuing education every year. This means that as massage therapists we are constantly learning and growing our trade. But to take these classes and then just offer Swedish massage every session, seems like a waste to me.

Therapeutic massage allows me, as a therapist, to provide you with every training I’ve been taught. It’s like a symphony of healing modalities integrated to give you true relief.

So therapeutic massage is massage with the goal of physical relief and often provides you with improved range of motion and posture. 

Therapeutic massage works to holistically relieve pain. Most people have shoulder and neck tension and credit it to their work posture. We can work on your shoulders all day every day and not see any relief because most of the time the forward shoulder posture is a result of your hips being imbalanced. 

Therapeutic massage allows us to address the true, root cause of your pain rather than just working on the area that hurts. 

So don’t be surprised if your therapist works more on your chest muscles than your shoulder muscles when you complain about shoulder pain. This position specifically shortens the chest muscles which forces the upper back to be pulled abnormally out of place. This strain on the muscles forces them to not be in the proper resting position and causes discomfort.

Think of a rubber band being pulled past its normal resting place and held there for a long time. It strains the rubber band. The same thing is happening to your upper back muscles in this position. 

To get initial relief the therapist should work on your chest muscles and spend some time on your shoulders. However, to truly address the cause of the issue, they’re going to need to address your hip girdle as well. In addition to massages, you’ll need to stretch and exercise specific muscles to improve your overall body alignment. But we will save that info for a later date.

What can I expect from a therapeutic massage?

When you come in for a therapeutic massage, you can expect a little bit of everything! For my clients, that means I can offer:

• Cupping
• Trigger point therapy
• Myofascial release
• Hydrotherapy
• Aromatherapy
• Stretching of all kinds (resistive stretching, pin-and-stretch, passive stretching, etc.)
• Manual lymphatic drainage
• Petrissage
• Friction
• Scar tissue therapy
• Hot and cold stone incorporation

And all of these different things get wrapped into one treatment session. So while we may not get to work on your whole body, we can still achieve a lot of success simply because it can be so focused on your end goal.

In case you’re afraid of losing the relaxation aspect of your massage, don’t worry. These sessions are not chaotic or feel like you’re at the doctor’s office. I still aim to provide relaxation during this time so each incorporation is done in a way that is seamless from the rest so you can remain relaxed while your body is healed.

If you’re looking to try out a new type of massage because Swedish isn’t quite right for you, try a therapeutic massage. Many spas do not offer therapeutic massage so you’ll have to locate someone near you who offers massage. If you’re in the North-Eastern Pennsylvania area, you can book a therapeutic massage in the comfort of your own home or in my office through this link.

If you’ve already booked an appointment, get prepared for your massage by reading these suggestions! And for after your massage check out this article!