Types of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy school is not a one-size-fits-all career training program. There are several types of massage therapy techniques that an aspiring masseuse can learn, and different massage schools will specialize in all or some of the following techniques. Following is a list of many of the massage therapy techniques that are taught at massage schools.

Acupressure Massage: An ancient Chinese technique, acupressure involves the theory of "meridians", or channels of energy that run through the human body. When the meridians are interrupted, individuals can suffer ailments, and discomfort, which can be cured and restored by acupressure.

Alexander Technique: This technique focuses on gentle guidance to improve balance, posture, and coordination.

AMMA Therapy®: A complex system that uses traditional oriental medical principles to evaluate an individual's energetic system. Using AMMA Therapy, a wide range of medical conditions can be treated by both physical and emotional techniques.

Aromatherapy: Often used in combination with other therapeutic treatments, aromatherapy involves the use of therapeutic scented oils to have a healing affect on a person's mind, body, and soul.

Body-Mind Centering: Re-education of how the body's skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems work together for movement and self-awareness. Body-Mind centering can be used in people of all ages to help improve movement problems.

Body-Oriented Psychotherapy:
This technique utilizes a wide range of massage, bodywork and other movement techniques to help address emotional issues.

Bodywork for Abuse Survivors:
Working with survivors of sexual abuse to help reestablish the healthy meaning of touch during the recovery process.

Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy©: Fitness expert Bonnie Prudden developed this method using elbows, knuckles, or fingers to apply pressure to irritable muscle "trigger points" that may be causing pain to individuals. This also involves follow-up exercises for the treated muscles.

Chi Nei Tsang: Chinese system that uses massage in the navel area to increase energy flow to specifics organs.

Compression Massage: Mostly used as a precursor to other deeper massage techniques, this involves rhythmic compression into muscles to help soften the tissues.

Craniosacral Therapy Massage: A gentle, hands on method of light touch to the head, spinal column, sacrum, and surrounding areas, to help decrease stress, pain and other conditions like restlessness and poor sleep.

Deep Tissue Bodywork: Used to treat whiplash, low back & neck pain, and some degenerative diseases, by way of slow strokes and deep pressure to contracted muscle tissue. This is a more advanced form of Swedish Massage, not intended for relaxation, but rather used to treat muscles injuries.

Healing Touch: Using gentle touch to help heal wounds, aid in relaxation, and prevent illness. Often practiced by registered nurses.

Infant Massage: Often taught to new parents by trained instructors, this gentle massage can increasing parent/child bonding, as well as help with baby's respiratory, circulatory, and gastrointestinal functions.

More massage techniques...