Saturday, April 13, 2013

Massage Therapy and Its Various Types


San Francisco may be one of the busiest and most urban cities in the world, but it is also one of the best places where you can get good massages and spa treatments. Getting different types of San Francisco massage therapy and spa treatments is one way for the people in the big city to de-stress and cope with the hustle bustle of everyday life.

If you're planning on getting a massage while you're in SF, you may want to know what your options are to see which specific massage treatment would suit you most. Certain massage techniques are designed to alleviate specific body and muscle ailments, so it would be best if you at least had an idea of which kind of massage you should get. Below are two of the more popular types of massage therapy you can choose from:

Swedish Massage Therapy

This is one of the most popular types of massage therapy not only in California, but also in the rest of the United States. Swedish massage was developed by Pehr Henrik Ling, and is designed to ease muscle tension and stress. This type of massage is also known to treat sore muscles and improve circulation. Swedish massage also involves the application of gentle pressure to relax tense muscles and lessen the occurrence of cramping.

As mentioned, Swedish massage is very popular San Francisco massage therapy. In fact, the majority of those who practice massage therapy and the rest of the US are primarily trained in Swedish massage before any other type of massage technique. Keep in mind however, that you shouldn't expect all your muscle pain and tension to completely disappear after just one session of Swedish massage therapy. This massage technique is most effective if you have it done at least once a month - much better if you get it every two weeks.

Hot Stone Massage Therapy

Hot stone massage therapy, as the name implies, involves placing hot stones on certain areas of the body to warm and relax the muscles. This type of massage technique is good, especially if you need work done on certain muscle points only. And not only does hot stone massage improve circulation and relax the muscles, it also calms the nervous system.

The hot stones used in this type of massage are made of basalt, an iron-rich type of rock which allows the stones to retain heat. These smooth stones are placed in an electric heating device until they reach a specific temperature before they are strategically placed on certain muscle points. Once the heat from the stone penetrates the body and places the muscles in a relaxed state, the massage therapist can then apply more pressure in carrying out the massage.

As mentioned, these are just two of the more popular types of available San Francisco massage therapy. If you're in the city and want to explore more massage therapy options offered in spa centers (like Shiatsu, Ayurveda, Thai, etc.) you can just go online and check out different spas and the services they offer.

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