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| MASSAGE THERAPY is a profession in which the practitioner applies manual techniques, and may apply adjunctive therapies, with the intention of positively affecting the health and well-being of the client. |
| MASSAGE is manual soft tissue manipulation, and includes holding, causing movement, and/or applying pressure to the body. |
| THERAPY is a series of actions aimed at achieving or increasing health and wellness. |
| MANUAL means by use of hand or body. |
| *All information courtesy of American Massage Therapy Association |
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| Swedish Massage - a system of long strokes, kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles, combined with active and passive movements of the joints. |
| Shiatsu and Acupressure - Oriental-based systems of finger-pressure which treat special points along acupuncture "meridians" (the invisible channels of energy flow in the body). |
| Deep Tissue - releases the chronic patterns of tension in the body through slow strokes and deep finger pressure on the contracted areas, either following or going across the grain of muscles, tendons and fascia. It is called deep tissue, because it also focuses on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. |
| Trigger Point Therapy (also known as Myotherapy or Neuromuscular Therapy) - applies concentrated finger pressure to "trigger points" (painful irritated areas in muscles) to break cycles of spasm and pain. |
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