Choosing the right massage for you

Struggling to figure out which massage treatment best fit your needs? Here’s a little assistance to help ease that process.
Clients who find themselves feeling stressed, tired, anxious, struggling to have a good night’s sleep, or feeling sad typically enjoy our pure relaxation massage. The pressure ranges from light to moderate, stimulating the outer layers of muscles and connective tissue of the body thus improving circulation of blood and lymph fluids. With this, clients hop off the table feeling mentally and physically restored and renewed as this massage facilitates clearing and moving the body’s natural energy flow.

Client’s who are feeling sore, experiencing restricted range of motion, struggling with poor posture, or feel pain during certain movements may prefer more detailed bodywork. This is where Trigger Point therapy (on our menu titled “Straight to the Point”) or Soulfully Whole’s signature massage, “To-Be or Not-to-be Pain-Free” may better suit their needs for relief.

First, let’s talk about trigger points . Essentially these are hyper irritable nodules that form within the muscle tissue that can cause pain or restricted movement. They are formed through excessive repetitive movement, underuse of a certain movement, or direct trauma or injury. Many times this pain is felt in a different part of the body from the actual trigger point. For example, a client can have a trigger point in their shoulders that causes a headache in their temples.

For Trigger Point therapy, the therapist will first assess the client to pin point which area of the body are most likely to harbor these painful little nodules. On the table, the therapist will go to each affected muscle and first lightly palpate for trigger points before going in with firmer pressure and deactivating them. Though the therapist can feel most trigger points through touch, the client may not feel anything or vice versa. Because of this, client-therapist communication throughout the service is important for successful results, especially in the first few treatments.

Finally, the massage treatment that combines several modalities to provide optimal results can be experienced in our signature service. Combining the long and broad strokes of Swedish massage with soft tissue mobilization and detailed, deeper muscle work of deep tissue and trigger point work, clients find “To-Be or Not-To-Be Pain Free” a very therapeutic service. Clients who prefer a more firmer pressure typically enjoy this work, however this treatment can also be enjoyed by clients who don’t want a lot of pressure but want more thorough work. Through assessment of the client’s health history, hobbies, work, as well as range of motion, movement, and walk cycle therapist can get a better idea of what areas of the body to work on. During this assessment the client and therapist can also discuss what goals are intended for the session and/or sessions to follow.

If still unsure which massage is right for you, our therapists at Soulfully Whole can help walk you through that process. Please feel free to contact us through email with and questions and we will respond to you as soon as possible. Hope to see you soon!