Rubbing the right way: Which massage should you pick?
Time to relax, turn off that cell phone and get a massage. The problem? Your local spa offers several different types of treatments and you don’t know which to pick.Should you get a Swedish massage or a sports massage? Are you going to throw in a hot stone massage or something even more exotic?
“I think most people are not sure what type of massage to get,” says Deborah Burnes, owner of Sumbody natural body products stores and the Sumtime Spa. “It’s very common.”
Burnes says her spas in Alameda and Sebastopol are staffed by a “very strong” front desk crew that can help a client decide which massage is the right one for that particular person. Someone who goes to Sumtime Spa fills out an intake form so the staff can further help the client have the best experience possible, she says.
It’s the same at Body By Melisa, a spa on Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue. Clients are counseled over the phone and fill out paperwork when they arrive. Owner Melisa Knapp says massages can be further adjusted by the massage therapist, according to a person’s specific pains or relaxation needs. “Any good massage therapist is going to feel the congestions,” Knapp says. “They will feel the knots, they will feel the pressure and adjust.”
Burnes, Knapp, and Claremont Resort and Spa’s Stacey Parks, director of spa operations, have offered to help us decode the mystery of massage.
Swedish massage: The most common form of massage, the Swedish massage is defined by long strokes and gentle pressure. Called a Euphoric massage at Body By Melisa and a Therapeutic massage at the Claremont, this massage is perfect for those new to massage and interested in a relaxing experience.
“It’s luxurious, it’s personal and it’s very pampering,” Knapp says.
Deep tissue massage: Offered at 50-minute and 80-minute increments at the Claremont, the deep tissue massage is more firm than the Swedish massage and really works the muscles.
“Deep tissue should be done very slowly to make sure the tissue has time to allow you in,” says Parks, whose resort spa packages include access to resort showers and a whirlpool bath. “You don’t want to rush a deep tissue massage.” more…