Massage Types - What Do I Need?

One of the main questions people have when they are considering getting a massage for the first time is “What’s the difference between all the types of massage?” 

Ultimately… not much!  But there are some very important differences and hopefully I can help make it a bit clearer.  Here I’m going to talk about the 4 main types I am asked about most often.

Swedish Body Massage 

So let’s start with the biggie.  Swedish Body Massage (SBM) is often considered the foundation of most other massages and it’s typically the one a masseur would learn first before specialising.  There’s nothing overly Swedish about it and it actually incorporates elements developed across the world in dozens of different cultures over the course of human civilisations.  In its purest sense, SBM refers to a method of providing a massage which covers all the various body parts and mixes all types of touch on the body from gently rubbing to the harder pressure action.  

If you’re looking for a general all over relaxing massage, this is a good bet.  Many other types of massage will be based on the principles of SBM but have a different focus and purpose.

Sports Massage

You don’t actually need to play a sport for this!  Sports Massages are for everyone and they tend to focus more on the relevant muscle groups for that particular client.  A body builder may tend to have their back and chest worked on while a runner is more likely to have a session focus on their legs.  As someone trying to improve my fitness, shifting more weights in the gym and running faster, this is my go-to for a massage as it provides a deeper and firmer manipulation of the muscles, which helps them recover and grow in a way that a more relaxing massage is unlikely to achieve.

If you’re exercising regularly and enjoy that ‘good pain’ feel of having a tight area of the body worked, this is for you.

Deep Tissue Massage

This one is often misunderstood and mis-advertised.  First and foremost, a Deep Tissue Massage (DTM) is not about hurting you and it can even be completely pain-free if done well.  The purpose is to manipulate muscles and tissues deeper in the body than are normally touched by a standard massage like SBM.  The body has layers of various types of muscle and connective tissue across the body and some are harder to reach than others.  Even when they are reached, they respond in different ways to massage and so different techniques are used. 

If you’re finding an SBM or Sports Massage isn’t hitting the spot or if you have longer term issues with tension in your core and stabilising muscles, this might be a good option.

Sensual / Tantric

These are slightly different but I’m grouping them together as they have enough in common for the purpose of this blog.  These are your ‘naughty’ massages but they shouldn’t really be seen as seedy and they don’t necessarily have a ‘happy ending’.  A pure sensual massage is about connecting person to person physically and stimulating the nervous system through touch.  Touch is always intimate but the techniques used and the parts of the body touched can create an enhanced intimacy that allows much greater relaxation of body and mind than might be achieved in a standard massage. 

These are relatively easy to come by (no pun intended), especially when travelling.  There, it’ll often be a ‘happy ending’ kind of place so be careful if that’s not what you want.  With a sensual or a tantric massage, it’s worth shopping around to see what’s available as having trust in the masseur is important.  Discuss with them what you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to ask questions – they’ve had them all before and are there to help! 

Hopefully that helps give a bit more clarity!  As ever, if you have any questions feel free to give me a shout.

Mark The Masseur