Massages
Types of massage and their differences
«Massage» is a word that covers very different techniques. Knowing these differences before you book helps you choose the service that really fits what you are after and to talk about it clearly with the centre.
A gentle session designed to switch off is not the same as more intensive work on an area of tension, nor is a sports-oriented massage the same as the delicate manoeuvres of lymphatic drainage. On this page we summarise the main types and the moments each one is usually chosen for, always with an informative, cautious approach.
How the types of massage are organised
A simple way to get your bearings is to think about the goal of the session. If you mostly want to relax, the relaxing massage is usually the starting point: light pressure, an unhurried pace and a calm setting. If you feel a loaded area —typically the back, neck or shoulders— the decontracting massage works with more pressure on those points. And the chiromassage is a common term in Spain for a manual tissue massage, which is worth confirming with each centre.
If you do physical activity regularly, the sports massage adapts to the moments before or after exercise. The lymphatic drainage is a case apart: very gentle, rhythmic manoeuvres with specific contraindications, so it is worth getting informed and, depending on your case, consulting a health professional first. For the face there is the facial massage, which includes techniques such as Kobido.
By body area
Many services are also focused by area. If a specific part bothers you, there are localised options such as the back massage, the neck and shoulder massage, the leg massage, the foot massage or the hand massage. Within the decontracting approach there are also variants by area, such as the back or the back and neck.
The facial massage in turn comes in variants such as the relaxing, the firming or the lymphatic facial, and lymphatic drainage has options such as the legs. Whatever the service, it is worth confirming with the centre exactly what it includes before you book.
Situations that call for more caution
Some contexts need extra care. Pregnancy is one of them: it requires adaptations and, often, the prior validation of a health professional, as we explain in the pregnancy massage and its relaxing and legs variants. It is also worth being careful if there is intense pain, a recent injury, fever, circulatory or skin problems, or any ongoing medical diagnosis. In all these cases, the best first step is to talk to your doctor or health professional. If you are unsure where to start, the guide on how to choose a massage type points you in the right direction by your goal.
Soft or intense: harder does not mean better
A very common question is how much pressure to ask for. The short answer is that it depends on the goal and the person, not on enduring more or less. A relaxing massage works with light pressure because it seeks calm, while a decontracting one applies more intensity on specific points. More pressure does not equal a better result: a massage should not be painful, and if a manoeuvre bothers you, it is reasonable to ask for it to be adjusted.
If you are not clear which modality fits what you are after, the guide on how to choose a massage type starts from a simple question —what are you after?— and points you toward the options that usually make sense. And before your first session, it is worth knowing how to prepare so you arrive calm.
Informative content from massatge.cat, reviewed periodically. It does not replace the advice of a health professional.