How to Book a Massage

Massage has enormous potential to do a body good if you're in the right hands. But the way people like to get rid of knots and tension is highly personal. Get the lowdown on the rubdown.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Pinpoint what ails you and what you'd like to get out of the massage. Are you feeling lethargic? Do you have sore muscles and joints? Do you feel stressed or tight? While most massages can do a great job of alleviating all of these, some are designed for specific treatments.

2. Determine from which massage you might benefit most given its intended benefits. Swedish massages energize, and ease sore muscles and joints while improving blood flow. Acupressure and Shiatsu aim to add balance to the body, rejuvenating and relaxing it. Pain ebbs with the growing sense of well being. The Thai massage makes you feel loose and limber. Good for chronic pain, Thai massages induce a sense of peace followed by a rush of energy. Reflexology previously unknown tender spots to remove energy blockage and improve overall health.

3. Find which procedure is best for you. While many of the massages have overlapping benefits, there procedures can be vastly different. So, don't make a selection based on benefits alone. Some procedural descriptions are offered below.

   - With oil, Swedish massages use kneading, shaking, tapping, sweeping strokes and circular pressure to achieve their goal.
   - Deep-tissue massage, also using oil, is intentionally firm as the therapist attempts to break through muscle spasms and layers of tension.
   - Acupressure affords the faint-of-heart the benefits of acupuncture without the use of needles. Instead, finger pressure is applied to popular acupuncture pathways. Points that are initially painful to touch often hold more pain or tension. The Japanese art shiatsu is a nice alternative to acupressure.
   - The Thai massage is a fully clothed massage where the therapist uses their whole body -- hands, feet, arms, legs -- to ease you into yoga positions. It involves rhythmic stretching and pulling, and pressure application to key energy points.
   - Reflexology utilizes the belief that stimulation of specific points on the feet and hands is connected to specific internal organs and body tissue.

Tips & Warnings

• Let your massage therapist know about any injuries or tender spots you'd prefer to avoid.

• Check that your massage therapist is certified. Ask to see evidence of special training in methods like Thai or Swedish massage.

• Contact local massage schools for less expensive services.