Types of massage treatment

Start with the outcome you want. For pain or chronic tension, choose deep tissue, remedial or sports. For stress and unwinding, choose Swedish, relaxation, aromatherapy or hot stone. For body sculpting and recovery, choose lymphatic drainage. The cards above group every treatment by goal so you can match yours quickly.

Deep tissue, remedial and sports massage are the most effective for back pain and muscle tension. They work into the deeper layers of soft tissue and address the underlying cause rather than only relaxing the surface.

Swedish massage uses long, flowing strokes at light-to-medium pressure to ease everyday stress and improve circulation. Deep tissue uses slower, firmer pressure to target chronic knots and the deeper muscle layers. Choose Swedish to relax, deep tissue to resolve pain.

Lymphatic drainage is a light, rhythmic technique that stimulates the lymphatic system to reduce swelling, sculpt the body and speed post-surgery recovery. Brazilian-style lymphatic drainage is the most in-demand variant and is performed by specialist therapists trained in post-operative care.

For stress relief, choose Swedish, relaxation, aromatherapy or hot stone massage. All four use gentler, flowing techniques designed to calm the nervous system rather than work deeply into muscle.