Medical Massage A type of massage focused on assessing and improving the health of disfunctional and injured muscle and connective tissues so that they can more rapidly heal. It is not a style of massage as much as it is an educated focus on specific anatomic tissues to best treat them and allow them to heal. Medical massage is effective only on soft tissue disorders that are not so acute as to require surgery. You may want to discuss your specific situation with your physician or the medical massage therapist to decide if this type of therapy is appropriate for your needs. Medical massage uses deep tissue and trigger point techniques to improve the health of the affected tissues. It is often best for the client to wear short athletic shorts and for women to wear a sports bra during the session. This allows for more effective stretching and reassessment of the tissue during the session.

Swedish Massage A lighter massage that gently opens up tight muscles, increases blood flow and lymphatic drainage, and improves health of the skin. It is a rhythmic massage that is very soothing and relaxing. It is widely prescribed by physicians to enhance treatment for insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Deep Tissue Massage A deeper massage that often begins with Swedish massage strokes to warm up the tissues, but also uses deeper pressure at specific anatomic points to open up very tight musculature. It is less rhythmic than Swedish, but creates greater and longer lasting reduction in tension. The term "deep tissue" refers more to working on deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue and not just to a greater amount of pressure. A deep tissue massage is not inherently painful. It is up to the client to guide the therapist with a comfortable depth of pressure.

Trigger Point Therapy It focuses on the opening up and relaxing of trigger points. Trigger points are tight spots in muscles and connective tissue that are often tender and cause pain to be felt in areas of the body. This therapy focuses on the locating of trigger points that are causing pain for the client and then getting these points to relax. By relaxing the points, the pain that they produce is eliminated. This therapy is often used in conjunction with deep tissue work to effect even greater change.

Neuromuscular Therapy A detailed approach to structural bodywork, which uses muscle testing to assess structural problems and queue the motor coordination reflexes.

Sports Massage A muscle-intensive massage often used before and after strenuous activity and competitions. Before activity it warms the muscles and prepares them for peak performance. After a lot of exertion it helps them to relax and heal faster by stretching the tissues, increasing blood flow, and helping to move lactic acid and other metabolic wastes out of the muscles.