What to expect from a Hand Massage Therapy?

Massage therapy usually concerns the use of touch and various manipulation techniques to move muscles and soft body tissues, in order to relieve stress, tension, and pain. The goal of therapeutic massage interventions via the human hand may through a wide perspective.

According the basics of 'haptonomy' - the science of human touching & feeling - one could say that touching & being touched is a basic human need. Therapeutic massages can fill-up that need. There are many touch- & massage therapies available. Some of them can be classified in the category "bodywork" or somatic psychotherapy might include the use of energy work, talk, and emotional release.
Many of such therapies fall in the category 'alternative health care' - an example is: Hand Palm Therapy (which concerns a psycho-physical hand massage therapy - the practition is called a palm therapist).

However, a massage session is also very frequently applied to parts of the body (or whole body massages), beyond the goal of relieving emotional stress. In that case a massage is usually used in order to aid the process of injury healing, manage pain, and/or improve circulation.

When massages are being aplied for a physiological, mental, and mechanical benefit, it may be described as "therapeutic massages" or "manipulative therapies". However, of course massages can also be applied between people in love, often in the context of a sexual activity.

Massage Types ... would you like to try something new?

There a so many types of massages available - especially in Eastern countries. An example for each letter of the alphabet:

MASSAGES starting with letters A-D:

Anma (deep tissue work from Japan); Balinese hot stone massage (Indonesia); Champissage (head massage - India); Deep tissue massage (Canada).

MASSAGES starting with letters E-H:

Esalen massage (bodywork developed by Charlotte Selver from Germany); Foot- or sole massage (Thailand); Gua Sha (China); Hot stone massage (US).

MASSAGES starting with letters I-L:

Ingham method (zone therapy or reflexology, developed by Eunice Ingham from the US); Jamu massage (Bali, including various techniques); Kinesiology (US); Lomilomi (traditional technique from Hawaii).

MASSAGES starting with letters M-P:

Maya abdominal massage (developed by Dr. Rosita Arvigo from the US); Nikkon restorative massage (developed by Professor Henry Seishiro Okazaki from Hawaii); Ohashiatsu (combination of shiatsu, exercises & meditation developed by Wataru Ohashi from Japan); Pfrimmer deep muscle therapy (developed by Therese Pfrimmer from Canada).

MASSAGES starting with letters Q-T:

Qigong (hands-on and hands-off techniques from China); Russian massage (including 3 phases: gentle - hard - gentle); Swedish massage (including 5 basic strokes); Trigger point therapy (developed by Janet G. Travell from the US, she was John F. Kennedy's physician).

MASSAGES starting with letters U-W:

Unified field therapy (holistic therapy developed by Michael N. Linkogel from Germany); Vitaflex (ancient modality originating from Tibet and India); Watsu (hydrotherapy and shiatsu developed by Harold Dull from the US);

MASSAGE starting with letters Y-Z:

Yogassage (energy work with chackras from Thailand); zen shiatsu (developed by Shizuto Masanuga from China).

NOTICE: Various sources notice that there are no massage techniques know starting with the letter X.

MORE HANDS ON MASSAGE THERAPIES:

HAWAIIAN MASSAGE - THAI MASSAGE - MASSAGE - ASIAN MASSAGE - SWEDISH MASSAGE
TANTRIC MASSAGE - BODY MASSAGE - MASSAGE CHAIR - FOOT MASSAGE
MASSAGE SCHOOL - MASSAGETHERAPY - MASSAGE TABLE
MASSAGE THERAPIST - LOVE MASSAGE