Types of Massage Compared: A Guide to 21 Styles, Techniques and Formats
Massage is practised on every continent, and the names used for it can be confusing: some describe a tradition that is centuries old, some describe a technique that is usually combined with another style, and some describe a treatment format such as a chair session. This guide sorts the 21 approaches covered on Just Relax Store into those three groups, explains in one or two lines what makes each one distinct, and points you to the full article for each.
Everything here is educational. It will not tell you what is wrong with you or which treatment you need. If you have actual pain, persistent or unexplained symptoms, an injury or anything that worries you, seek assessment from a qualified health professional before booking or trying any massage.
How to use this guide
- Start with how you want to feel afterwards. Relaxed and sleepy, looser in one area, or more mobile for sport each point to different groups below.
- Then check pressure and contact. Styles range from light, gliding contact (Swedish, aromatherapy) to firm, slow work into deeper layers (deep tissue, sports). Clothing on or off, oil or no oil, and table, mat or chair all vary too.
- Then check suitability. Pregnancy, cancer treatment, lymphoedema, blood-thinning medication, skin conditions, recent surgery and some heart conditions change what is appropriate. The red-flags guide lists the situations where massage should wait for medical advice. This site does not cover massage in pregnancy, during cancer treatment or for lymphoedema; ask your own clinician about those.
If you want to learn safe, gentle techniques for yourself or a partner, start with Learn massage safely.
Massage traditions and styles
These are approaches with their own history, technique vocabulary and training routes.
| Style | Pressure and contact | Distinctive feature | Read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swedish massage | Light to medium, with oil, on a table | Long gliding strokes, kneading and rhythmic tapping; the base training for many Western therapists | Swedish massage |
| Deep tissue massage | Firm and slow, with oil | Works into deeper muscle layers and connective tissue; sensation should stay below pain | Deep tissue massage |
| Thai massage | Clothed, on a floor mat, no oil | Assisted stretches and rhythmic pressure along energy lines; recognised by UNESCO in 2019 | Thai massage |
| Shiatsu | Clothed, on a mat or table | Thumb, palm and elbow pressure on points and meridians, developed in Japan | Shiatsu |
| Tui na | Clothed or with light oil | Chinese manual therapy using kneading, rolling and pressing; often taught alongside acupuncture | Tui na |
| Acupressure | Clothed, finger pressure | Sustained pressure on traditional points; no needles | Acupressure |
| Reflexology | Feet, hands or ears | Thumb-walking over zones that a traditional chart links to areas of the body; those links are a tradition, not an anatomical fact | Reflexology |
| Lomi lomi | Oil, long forearm strokes | Hawaiian practice with flowing, continuous movement and a strong cultural and family-lineage context | Lomi lomi |
| Balinese massage | Oil, medium pressure | Indonesian spa tradition combining long strokes, skin rolling and acupressure-style points, often with aromatic oils | Balinese massage |
| Abhyanga | Warm oil, usually generous | Ayurvedic oil massage from India, traditionally part of a daily routine rather than an occasional treatment | Abhyanga |
| Indian head massage | Seated, clothed, head and upper body | Scalp, neck and shoulder work drawn from Indian family practice and popularised internationally in the 1980s and 1990s | Indian head massage |
| Hot stone massage | Heated smooth stones plus hands | Warmth used to relax tissue before or during strokes; heat safety matters | Hot stone massage |
| Aromatherapy massage | Light to medium, with diluted essential oils | Massage with a scent component; the oils have their own safety rules | Aromatherapy massage |
Targeted soft-tissue techniques
These are usually combined with a base style rather than booked on their own, and they are common in sports and rehabilitation settings.
| Technique | What it targets | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Sports massage | Preparation, recovery and maintenance for people who train; pressure varies with timing around events | Sports massage |
| Trigger-point massage | Small, tender, tight spots in muscle that can refer sensation elsewhere; sustained pressure with feedback | Trigger-point massage |
| Myofascial release | Slow, sustained stretch of connective tissue, often without oil | Myofascial release |
| Percussion massage (massage guns) | A device delivers rapid pulses; useful to understand before buying or using one | Percussion massage |
| Cupping and massage cupping | Suction cups lift tissue; leaves marks and has clear contraindications | Cupping |
Formats and body-area sessions
| Format | What it is | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Chair massage | Short, clothed, seated sessions in workplaces and public spaces | Chair massage |
| Foot massage | Focused work on the feet and lower legs; distinct from reflexology | Foot massage |
| Facial massage | Light work on the face and jaw, in skincare and relaxation settings | Facial massage |
Choosing a practitioner
Training routes, titles and regulation differ by country. In some places massage therapists are licensed; in others membership of a professional association is the main signal of training. Our guide to choosing a qualified massage therapist explains what to ask wherever you are.
Educational information, not medical advice. For actual pain, persistent or unexplained symptoms, injury, or anything that worries you, seek assessment from a qualified health professional before trying or receiving massage. Stop any technique that causes pain.
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