Tui na: from anmo in the Huangdi Neijing to TCM hospitals, the push, grasp, press, rub and roll techniques, what a session involves and who it suits.

Trigger-point massage: Travell and Simons’ referred-pain maps, what a practitioner does with a tender spot, the knot myth, stop signals and safe ball use.

Nuad Thai: UNESCO-listed heritage, Wat Pho and Jivaka, what a clothed mat session involves, which stretches to decline, and safe self-movement at home.

Sports massage: ancient Greek roots, pre-event, post-event and maintenance sessions, the no-pain-no-gain myth, fresh-injury rules and safe home recovery.

Shiatsu: its roots in anma, Namikoshi and Masunaga, what a clothed futon session involves, the areas never pressed, and a safe palm-pressure exercise.

Reflexology: Fitzgerald’s zone therapy, Ingham’s foot maps, what a session involves, the limits of the organ chart, and how it differs from foot massage.

What percussion massage and massage guns do, the hard limits that apply to every device, and links to our five detailed massage-gun guides.

Myofascial release: what fascia is, the Ward and Barnes lineage, what a slow session feels like, the adhesion myth, and safe self-release with a roller.

Lomilomi: a Native Hawaiian healing tradition passed through families, how the spa version differs, what to agree about draping and choosing a therapist.

Indian head massage: its Indian family and barbershop roots, how Narendra Mehta shaped the seated format, what a session covers and the cautions to know.