Are you feeling stressed, tense or burnt out? Do you have nagging pain or discomfort, perhaps from an injury years ago? For these problems, and others, massage therapy can be the answer. While it is commonly considered as a luxury, a massage is more than just a spa treatment – a good quality massage can help to greatly reduce tension and stress and improve overall wellbeing. The benefits of massage therapy include:

• Lowering stress
• Improving immune function
• Managing chronic pain
• Improving emotional health and wellness
• And more

At Colibri Spa Sarasota, our massage services are offered by licensed and trained massage therapists, who specialize in working with you to ensure your needs are met. Whether you are looking for total relaxation or targeted pain relief, there’s a massage that’s right for you. We specialize in the following forms of massage therapy.

The Relaxation Massage – for full body relaxation

Relaxation massage therapy is the most common and most popular form of massage. The primary goal of the Relaxation massage is to relax the entire body. Soft, long kneading strokes and light, rhythmic tapping strokes are applied to the topmost layer of muscles. These techniques, along with movement of the joints, help to relieve muscle tension. A Relaxation massage can also help increase the flow of oxygen in the blood. This helps flush lactic and uric acids, as well as other metabolic wastes, out of the body tissue, helping your body to recover from stress and injury.

If you have never had a massage before, the Relaxation massage is a great place to start. It is gentle enough for beginners, while also being an effective way to achieve stress relief and full-body relaxation.

The Deep Tissue Massage - for targeting tension and problem areas deep in muscle tissue

While the Relaxation massage focuses on the topmost layer of muscles, the Deep Tissue massage targets the deeper layers to address underlying pain and tension. Common techniques include stripping and friction. Stripping involves applying deep pressure across the length of muscle fibers, while friction involves applying pressure perpendicularly to the direction of the muscle fibers. Both methods work well to release tension deep in muscles and connective tissue.

It is not uncommon to experience some discomfort during a Deep Tissue massage, since the strokes are firm and focus on working deep into the muscle tissue. However, you shouldn’t experience pain. If you feeling pain during the session, your body will tense up, and the massage therapist will not be able to access the muscle tissue they’re trying to reach. Therefore, it is extremely important to communicate with your massage therapist about any pain you feel during your Deep Tissue massage. In most cases, simply changing the technique or shifting position is all it takes to relieve any pain or discomfort.

The Lymphatic Massage - best for encouraging movement of lymph fluids

The Lymphatic Massage, also called lymphatic drainage massage, helps to restore lymphatic functioning and assist in the reduction of localized swelling.  The lymphatic system functions as a sort of cleaning service for the body—it consists of a network of tiny vessels, larger tubes and nodes that remove cell waste, proteins, fluid, viruses and bacteria from the space between cells. This is accomplished with the help of a clear, colorless fluid called lymph, which contains white blood cells that help rid the body of toxins.

About 70 percent of the lymph vessels are located just under the skin. Gentle pressure from a massage therapist can stimulate these vessels to work more efficiently and move more lymph fluid to the heart. The therapist will also use rhythmic, circular motions to stimulate the lymphatic system.

The Trigger Point Therapy Massage - best for relieving chronic tension

The Trigger Point Therapy Massage involves deep and sustained pressure to areas of muscle tightness, pain or discomfort known as trigger points. Trigger points are tiny contractions, or knots, that arise in the body’s tissue and muscles due to an injury, overexertion or other trauma. Common causes of trigger points include inflammation, car accidents, falls, muscle strain and anxiety. Trigger points can form anywhere in the body, but are usually found in the lower back, neck, jaw, hip and shoulder. Trigger points can also cause pain in areas of the body other than where they are located. For example, a trigger point in your back can cause pain in your neck.

During a Trigger Point Therapy Massage, you will actively participate through deep breathing and identifying the location and intensity of the discomfort you’re feeling. The massage therapist will use your verbal feedback to isolate and address specific trigger points accurately.

The deep pressure of the Trigger Point Therapy Massage induces a process called soft tissue release. This increases blood flow, reduces muscle spasm and helps to break up scar tissue. If you work with a licensed and experienced massage therapist, you can expect a significant decrease in pain after just one Trigger Point Therapy Massage session.

Find Your Perfect Massage at Colibri Day Spa in Sarasota

Whether you are interested in massage therapy to reduce stress, relieve pain, increase blood circulation or enhance lymph flow, our team of licensed massage therapists are here to help. We encourage you to learn more about our massage services and contact us at (941) 800-1818 with any questions you may have.