Unit 7 skillS The most popular body treatments T oday you can choose from about eighty massage therapy styles with a variety of pressures, movements, and techniques. These all include pressing, rubbing, or manipulating muscles and other soft tissues with hands and fingers, sometimes even with forearms, elbows, or feet. Swedish massage is the standard type of massage. Using lotion or oil, massage therapists usually begin with broad general strokes and then use specific strokes to focus on problem areas. This type of massage favours relaxation, improves circulation, relieves tension or muscle cramps. It also increases skin elasticity and helps prevent cellulite. Aromatherapy massage is Swedish massage with essential oils (highly concentrated plant oils) which are considered beneficial for the mind and the body. Conditions which can benefit from aromatherapy include headaches, insomnia, digestive disorders, back 3 pain, and even premenstrual symptoms. Remember to make sure your client is not allergic to any of the plants used in the oils, since they may cause a reaction on the skin. Deep-tissue massage is a therapeutic massage that uses many of the same movements and techniques from Swedish massage but applies more intense pressure to alleviate muscle tension, knots and specific problems in the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. It works well with stress injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome and can reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Hot stone massage is ideal for alleviating muscle tension and back pain. For this kind of massage, the therapist places heated smooth basalt stones on certain areas of the body, such as acupressure points, and then moves the stones around on the body, using them as massage tools. The heat from the stones is very relaxing, improves circulation acupressure point: punto di agopressione to boost: aumentare knot: contrazione layer: strato to relieve: alleviare rubbing: strofinando smooth: liscio stroke: movimento These clients have turned to you for help. Give them some suggestions. 1. I m very tense and I need to have a relaxing massage, what do you suggest? I d start with a classic , which has many health benefits. Besides it also 3. I like playing tennis but now my right elbow is inflamed, can you help me? 68 in the muscles, helps relieve muscle tension and pain, reduces stress and anxiety, and promotes sleep. It may also boost immunity and help relieve symptoms of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Sometimes, cold stones are used after hot stones to calm any inflamed blood vessels and to soothe the skin. A/an is the therapeutic massage you need, it s ideal to/for 2. I can t sleep well, and I often have headaches, what can you do for me? To , I can give you a/an with essential oils. But first I need to know if you are . Another opportunity is a massage with which 4. My muscles are very tense and my back is aching. I ve heard of hot stone massage, what does it consist in and what are its health benefits? A/an is ideal for I will place on and I ll also hold them while . The heat emitted by the stones