Swedish massage manipulates the body’s soft tissues with long strokes, light pressure, and kneading or tapping. It helps promote relaxation, loosen tight muscles, and improve blood flow. Swedish massage can help:

Deep tissue massage aims to release tension in your muscles by manipulating deeper layers of soft tissue. It involves much firmer pressure than Swedish massage. This type of massage therapy may be right for you if you have chronic (long-term) pain, underlying conditions, or sports injuries. Deep tissue massage can help improve flexibility and range of motion and significantly ease pain, especially if you are recovering from an injury.

Sports massage is popular among athletes and people who exercise frequently. It’s specifically designed to prevent and treat sports injuries. Sports massage improves flexibility and decreases delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) among elite and amateur athletes alike.