Massage is the manipulation of the body’s soft tissues. Massage techniques are commonly applied with hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearms, feet, or a device. The purpose of massage is generally for the treatment of body stress or pain. In European countries, a person professionally trained to give massages is traditionally known as a masseur (male) or masseuse (female). In the United States, these individuals are often referred to as massage therapists, because they must be certified and licensed as “Licensed Massage Therapists”.

In our professional settings, clients are treated while lying on a massage table, sitting in a massage chair, or lying on a mat on the floor. There are many different modalities in the massage industry, including (but not limited to): deep tissue, manual lymphatic drainage, medical, sports, structural integration, Swedish, Thai, and trigger point.

In massage therapy, a trained, certified medical professional (massage therapist) manipulates the soft tissues of your body — muscle, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments and skin. The massage therapist uses varying degrees of pressure and movement. Massage is generally considered part of integrative medicine.

In addition to stress relief and relaxation, a medical massage focuses on a medical need. It is often used to manage pain, reduce inflammation, improve circulation, relieve nerve compression, improve digestion, increase flexibility or treat other health care concerns.