What is therapeutic massage?

Therapeutic massage typically takes place in a clinical or hospital setting and involves focused work on your body’s soft tissue (your muscles, fascia, tendons and ligaments). It’s done by licensed professionals specifically trained to identify and focus on problem areas.

“Professionally trained massage therapists use touch to manipulate your tissue,” “It’s always done in a way that is skilled, sensitive and compassionate, with a focus on the health issues you’re experiencing.”

Therapeutic massage can definitely be relaxing. But it may also feel different from the types of massages you’ve gotten in spa settings.

“The massage work in a therapeutic massage may feel deeper than a relaxation massage,” she continues. “You may also experience more tenderness as your massage therapist works through the tissue.”

Soft tissue manipulation like deep-tissue massage and Swedish massage are commonly used techniques. But depending on your massage therapist’s training and your specific needs, they may incorporate other techniques into your treatment, such as:

• Craniosacral release
• Lymphatic drainage massage
• Myofascial release
• Trigger point work
• Passive-resistive stretching

If you’re dealing with sinus pressure, for example, your massage therapist may use trigger point release to help get you feeling better. And lymphatic drainage massage can help bring some relief to the painful swelling that comes with lymphedema.

Benefits of therapeutic massage

“Focused massage techniques can help decrease pain and increase your range of motion, make it easier to move and function more normally, and help you heal faster from a variety of medical concerns,”

It can ease discomfort and pain

Massage therapists use different techniques to address a variety of diseases, injuries and types of pain. They can work on issues that are either chronic (meaning they last a long time) or acute (an issue that happened recently and can be cared for in the near future).

Some examples are:

• Back pain
• Frozen shoulder
• Headaches, including migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches or sinus headaches
• Whiplash
• Muscle strains and sprains (after inflammation has gone down)
• Repetitive strain injuries from sitting or standing postures that are held for several hours a day (including working a sedentary desk job)
• Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
• Tendonitis

“Medical massage may also help relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with cancer treatment and post-operative recovery,

May increase your range of motion

Shoulder pain can be debilitating. But studies show that massage therapy may be an effective way to help increase your range of motion, or your ability to flex and extend your arm. Massage therapy may help soften stiff, hard muscles, making it easier for you to move.

Promotes healing

“Massage therapy increases both blood flow and lymphatic drainage, which can help reduce swelling and inflammation,” 

Studies show that massage therapy may also help break up scar tissue, like after a surgery. That doesn’t mean you won’t have a scar; there’s no way around that. But regular massage therapy may be able to help your scar heal so it’s not as thick or stiff as it might otherwise be.

Complements other therapies

“Your physician, chiropractor or physical therapist might recommend therapeutic massage to go along with other therapies you’re already receiving to treat a particular area of your body, or it can be part of a regiment to staying healthy.

Therapeutic massage is a specialized form of bodywork designed to alleviate pain, reduce stress, and promote overall wellness. Professionals in this field often use a combination of techniques, such as Swedish, deep tissue, and myofascial release, to target specific areas of discomfort and improve circulation. By focusing on the body's muscles and soft tissues, therapeutic massage not only enhances physical recovery but also supports mental clarity and emotional balance. Whether addressing chronic pain or simply seeking relaxation, therapeutic massage provides a holistic approach to health, tailored to the individual needs of each client.