Massage isn’t just for spa day with the girls. It can be part of your overall health and wellness plan and can help repair muscle damage, reduce pain and muscle tension, relieve stress, and more.

We recently welcomed Jenny Prince as our on-site massage therapist. Jenny offers both therapeutic and relaxing spa massages. You may be wondering what to expect from a therapeutic massage as opposed to a relaxing spa massage, so here’s some insight!

Differences between relaxation massages and therapeutic massages:

There will be less discussion of your health and health goals in a relaxing spa massage setting. In a therapeutic setting, your massage therapist will discuss your overall health.
Therapeutic massage may be appropriate in response to an injury, pain or after a strenuous workout.
A massage therapist might give you “homework” in the form of exercises to perform at home after a therapeutic massage, as part of your overall wellness plan.
Spa massages can be great for stress relief. Though you may feel relaxed at the end of a therapeutic massage, you could feel discomfort during the massage, as your therapist releases areas of chronic pain within your body.
A relaxing massage is an enjoyable way to occasionally spend an afternoon. Therapeutic massage, on the other hand, is often an ongoing process to treat a specific ailment. You may require a series of appointments to effectively treat symptoms.
Therapeutic massage can be part of your treatment/mitigation plan for headaches, back pain, arthritis, respiratory concerns, TMJ, tendonitis and more.

Whether you undergo a therapeutic or relaxation massage, be sure to communicate with your massage professional. Unfortunately, they can’t read minds, so they like it when you speak up and let them know when to apply more pressure and when to back off.

Are there any people who should stay away from therapeutic massage?

While massage is beneficial for most people, if you have a fracture, severe osteoporosis or thrombocytopenia, DVT, burns, bleeding disorders or open wounds, be sure to discuss with your doctor whether massage will help or hinder your healing process.

Treat yourself to the gift of health. Jenny Prince is here every Thursday, so give us a call if you’re ready to give massage a try.