courtesy of Associated Bodywork & Try this fun approach to discovering Massage Professionals What’s Your Massage & Bodywork Style? the many types of therapeutic touch. www.abmp.com TRY Compiled by Darren Buford HEALING TOUCH TRY ANIMAL TRY MASSAGE REIKI TRY Start here YES POLARITY THERAPY YES Do you prefer NO Is this for a person hands-on or or an animal/pet? hands-off work? Want to In addition to touch are improve Want something Hands- you open to diet and posture energetically NO off work, exercises suggestions? TRY and based for body/ thank you Looking for something CHAIR movement mind/spirit? Hands-on But I prefer in the realm of MASSAGE patterns? work, please my clothes energy medicine for YES remain on body/mind/spirit?

TRY TRY Is this for INFANT YES And I’m comfortable YES REFLEXOLOGY TRY ALEXANDER a child? TRY DEEP TECHNIQUE MASSAGE removing my clothing TISSUE Do you want for treatment MASSAGE NO to be active in NO In a hurry? the therapeutic process? TRY Light What type of TRY Are you Bring on NO TRY GERIATRIC YES touch, pressure do you like? NEUROMUSCULAR elderly? the deep! YES CRANIOSACRAL MASSAGE please THERAPY THERAPY Light touch?

Medium—not Pregnant? YES NO YES too light, not TRY TRY STRUCTURAL PRENATAL/ too deep INTEGRATION TRY LYMPH PREGNANCY NO MASSAGE MASSAGE NO TRY Is this to TRY Are you OK with a multiple TRY SWEDISH complement YES NO SWEDISH session commitment? MYOFASCIAL Do you want MASSAGE, cancer care? YES AND ASK FOR MASSAGE RELEASE full-body work? LIGHT WORK Interested in NO Eastern/Indian YES techniques? Are you an athlete needing injury recovery NO YES Want to melt NO or ongoing maintenance? like butter?

TRY TRY ONCOLOGY TRY HOT AYURVEDIC TRY THAI TRY TRIGGER MASSAGE STONE MASSAGE MASSAGE MASSAGE TRY SPORTS POINT THERAPY MASSAGE

* All techniques are not mutually exclusive. Many can be used in conjunction with one another. Also, several can be delivered to clothed or unclothed clients including geriatric, oncology, prenatal, and sports massage, among others. * Although not illustrated here, acupressure and aromatherapy can be combined with most modalities above. For more detailed definitions, visit www.massagetherapy.com. TURN THE PAGE FOR DEFINITIONS OF THESE TYPES OF BODYWORK. courtesy of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals Compiled by www.abmp.com Types of Massage & Bodywork Darren Buford

ACUPRESSURE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE ANIMAL MASSAGE AROMATHERAPY AYURVEDIC MASSAGE CHAIR MASSAGE Uses the gentle but firm pressure of fingers, Movement education in which the student Therapeutic massage provides relief, stimulates Use of essential oils (extracted from herbs, Part of the traditional detoxification and Involves the use of a specially designed elbows, or feet to press key points on the is taught to sit, stand, and move in ways that healing, and promotes stress reduction in flowers, resin, woods, and roots) to aid in rejuvenation program of India called massage chair the client sits comfortably in. surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s reduce physical stress. Teachers use gentle both pets and competition animals. Benefits relaxation, improve circulation, and help panchakarma, in which large amounts of Includes bodywork and somatic techniques, natural self-curative abilities. When points manual guidance and verbal cues to improve include enhancing performance by increasing healing of wounds. Diffusers are used to fill warm oil and herbs are vigorously massaged such as shiatsu, amma, and Swedish are pressed, they release muscular tension posture and movement patterns. Teacher’s range of motion, maintaining muscle tone and the massage room with the scent of oils. into the entire body or poured at specific massage, provided to the fully clothed and promote circulation of blood and the guidance stresses the adjustment of the joint flexibility, increasing blood and lymph Specific essential oils are added to carrier oils energy points called chakras. Techniques can client in a variety of settings, including body’s life force (chi or qi) to aid healing. head, neck, and torso relationship. At first, circulation, increasing oxygen to reduce to be used during the massage. Each oil has be done either as stand-alone treatments businesses, airports, and street fairs. teachers closely monitor students. Later, muscle spasms, and improving disposition. its own unique characteristics and benefits. or in conjunction with a full-body massage. students learn a self-management process.

CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY DEEP-TISSUE MASSAGE GERIATRIC MASSAGE HEALING TOUCH HOT STONE MASSAGE LYMPH MASSAGE A light-touch, noninvasive method of Administered to affect the sublayer of Addresses the psychological and physiological An energy-based therapeutic approach Use of smooth, heated stones as an Practitioners palpate the lymphatic flow enhancing the craniosacral system, which musculature and fascia. Helps with chronic aspects of aging and its associated diseases. that uses touch to influence the energy extension of the practitioner’s own hands (part of the circulatory system). Advanced consists of membranes and cerebrospinal muscular pain and injury rehabilitation Bodywork, often limited to a shorter time system, thus affecting physical, emotional, to massage the body. The heat can provide practitioners map the lymphatic flow to find fluid that surround and protect the brain and reduces inflammation-related pain span, is often performed in residential care mental, and spiritual health, as well as relaxation benefits and bring relief to tight alternate pathways for drainage. Evolved from and spinal cord. Encourages the body’s caused by arthritis and tendinitis. Generally facilities and can be administered with the healing. The goal is to restore harmony muscles so therapists can work deeper. years of training in traditional medicine, Asian natural healing mechanisms to improve integrated with other massage techniques. client in their wheelchair or bed, depending on and balance in the energy system to help medical practices, and manual therapies.* functioning of the central nervous system, their level of mobility. the person self-heal. The quality and dissipate stress, and enhance health. impact of the healing is influenced by the relationship between the giver and receiver.

MYOFASCIAL RELEASE NEUROMUSCULAR ONCOLOGY MASSAGE POLARITY THERAPY PRENATAL/PREGNANCY REIKI Application of sustained pressure and THERAPY Massage tailored to the needs of individuals A clothes-on, noninvasive system Prenatally, specific techniques can reduce An energy healing art. Practitioners access and serve as a channel for life force (chi or qi) movement into the body’s fascial system Soft-tissue manipulation that balances with cancer. Therapists pay close attention complementing existing modalities with pregnancy discomforts and enhance the by placing their hands on or just above the to eliminate restrictions and emotional the body’s central nervous system with to the physical, emotional, and psychological an integrated, holistic model. Based on physiological and emotional well-being of client’s body to activate healing energy within patterns that impede progress. Begins the musculoskeletal system. Based on needs of clients in all stages of cancer— the belief that positive and negative poles mother and fetus. Facilitates labor, shortening receptive points. Then they move progressively by visually analyzing the body’s frame, neurological laws that explain how the diagnosis, treatment, recovery, survivor, exist in every cell, the body is gently labor times and easing pain and anxiety. In with a passive touch through 12 positions, followed by palpation of fascial layers. central nervous system initiates and or terminal—and include precautions for manipulated to balance the positive and the postpartum period, rebalances structure, remaining at each for 3–5 minutes. As the flow Gentle pressure is applied in the direction maintains pain, the goal is to help relieve radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery, negative energies. In addition to physical physiology, and emotions of the new mother of energy is strengthened, healing occurs. of restrictions. Effective for cervical pain and dysfunction by understanding and cover physiology and pathology. manipulation, blockages are eliminated and may help with mother-child bonding. and back pain, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, and alleviating the underlying cause. through a cleansing diet and simple exercises. neurological dysfunction, and headaches.

REFLEXOLOGY SPORTS MASSAGE STRUCTURAL INTEGRATION SWEDISH MASSAGE THAI MASSAGE TRIGGER POINT Involves application of pressure to specific Designed to enhance athletic performance A 10-session cycle of work in which different The most well-known, practiced, and Practiced on a firm mat on the floor instead of MYOTHERAPY reflex areas in the foot, hands, and ears and recovery pre-event, post-event, and angles and degrees of physical pressure are experienced massage modality. Designed on a table, and instrumental in the effective use Noninvasive modality for the relief of that correspond to other parts of the body. for injury treatment. Often delivered at used to stretch and guide the myofascial to energize the body by stimulating of the practitioner’s body weight. Except for myofascial pain and dysfunction. Consists Stimulates body organs and relieves areas the performance site, with the athlete fully system—the ligaments, muscles, tendons, circulation. Five basic strokes, all flowing the feet, the client remains fully clothed. Also of trigger-point compression, myomassage, of congestion through increased circulation clothed. Pre-event: fast-paced and stimulating; and surrounding connective tissues—to a toward the heart, are used to manipulate involves peripheral stimulating, meaning it acts passive stretching, and corrective exercises. of blood and lymphatic fluids. Works with helps to establish blood flow and warm up place of easier movement. The goal is to the soft tissues of the body. Therapists as an external stimulant to produce specific Intended to reduce pain and increase range the body’s energy flow to stimulate self- muscles. Post-event: the intent is to calm the create a more resilient, higher-energy system, use a combination of kneading, rolling, internal effects. This point serves as the main of motion, strength, and endurance. healing and maintain body balance. nervous system and reduce recovery time. free of inhibitions due to past trauma. vibrational, percussive, and tapping division between Thai and Western massage. movements, with the application of oil.

*Definition provided by The Upledger Institute. Unless otherwise noted, abbreviated definitions come from www.massagetherapy.com.