Massage therapy may seem like a luxury treatment, but for many, it can be a helpful and essential part of treatment for relieving muscle and joint pain.
Massage therapy can enhance your mobility, aid in healing and recovery from injury, and promote relaxation and improved sleep.
However, with so many types of massage available, it can be challenging to determine which one is best suited to your needs.
You need to ask yourself a question. Do you simply want a massage for relaxation and stress control? Or do you need symptom relief or help with an injury or condition?
We’ve consulted experts to determine the best massages for alleviating tension, improving sleep, enhancing digestion, and sculpting.
That way, when you come to book a treatment with a specialist, you’ll know exactly what to ask for.
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Best for newbies – Swedish
Deborah Rose, massage therapist at Ayurveda Mamma, says that Swedish massage is a gentle, full-body massage ideal for those new to massage, who are experiencing tension, or sensitive to touch.
It helps release muscle tension and is a good choice when you want to completely relax during the massage.
Rose says, ‘Swedish massage uses a combination of techniques such as kneading, long strokes in the direction of the heart, deep circular movements, vibration, and joint manipulation. It’s ideal when your main goal is relaxation rather than addressing specific deep muscle issues.’
Best for stress – hot stone massage
Nikki Cam, body care category lead at Lush says, a full-body hot stone massage is a highly effective and deeply relaxing treatment designed to address both physical tension and mental stress.
Cam explains, ‘The gentle warmth and rhythmic movements create a meditative experience, allowing the mind to quiet and the body to fully surrender to the therapeutic touch. Lush spa therapists use heated basalt stones for full-body massages. It's believed that a single stroke with a hot stone is equivalent to ten strokes by hand.
‘These stones are highly versatile: their flat surfaces are ideal for covering large areas, promoting deep relaxation, while their sides can be used to target and break down muscular tension, allowing therapists to work deeply into muscle cores when necessary.’
Best for tight muscles – trigger point massage
Cam says that if you’re feeling like your body is tense and full of knots, trigger pointing – the technique of applying pressure to a pinpointed area of a tight muscle in order to relieve it – is a very effective way of releasing tension. But what is a 'knot'?
Cam explains, ‘Our muscles are meant to be pliable, strong and challenged. However, if we sit for long periods of time in the same position or if we injure ourselves, we can lose our mobility and flexibility. The various muscle fibres start to stick to each other and form a hard lump called a muscle adhesion or a 'knot'. Knots can often occur when muscle fibres are overworked or strained and therefore do not return to their normal shape and size creating a hard area of tension.’
Unlike the flowing strokes of Swedish massage, trigger point therapy involves:
- Locating the specific trigger point through palpation
- Applying sustained, focused pressure directly on the knot (usually with fingers, thumbs, or elbows)
- Holding the pressure for 30-90 seconds or until the therapist feels the muscle release
- Sometimes combined with stretching or movement
- The pressure is gradually increased as the muscle relaxes
This technique can be uncomfortable, and you might feel a dull ache, burning, or tingling that radiates outward from the point. The discomfort should ease as the trigger point releases.
Cam says, ‘Pressure can be adapted to suit, and it's great for improving circulation and lymphatic drainage.’
Best for sports injuries and chronic pain – deep tissue massage
Cam says, ‘Deep tissue massage can be beneficial for a number of ailments and can release persistent tension and reduce discomfort often associated with long-term conditions like back pain, sciatica, and fibromyalgia.’
Therapists will tailor the massage to their clients’ needs and use a combination of slow, firm movements to target deeper muscle layers specifically.
Techniques including stripping (long, deep strokes along muscle fibres), friction (cross-fibre technique to break up knots), and trigger point therapy (applying steady pressure to specific tight spots).
Deep tissue massage is particularly effective at breaking up adhesions and knots, which are common sources of discomfort and restricted movement.
Adhesions are bands of scar-like tissue that can form between muscle fibres, limiting their ability to move freely.
This makes deep tissue massage an invaluable treatment for athletes, individuals recovering from injuries, and anyone experiencing muscle stiffness or limited mobility.
Best massage for body sculpting – lymphatic drainage
Often touted as a weight loss treatment, lymphatic drainage massage doesn’t help you lose weight, but it can make you look more sculpted.
This gentle, specialised massage technique is designed to stimulate the flow of lymph fluid through your body's lymphatic system.
Rose explains, ‘The lymphatic system is part of your immune system and helps remove waste, toxins, and excess fluid from your tissues. This massage technique uses light, rhythmic strokes to encourage lymph fluid to drain toward the lymph nodes, where waste products are filtered out.’
The massage is very gentle—much lighter than a typical massage. Practitioners use soft, sweeping motions and light pressure, typically working in the direction of lymph flow toward major lymph node clusters (like those in your neck, armpits, and groin).
It's generally considered safe for most, but people with certain conditions (like active infections, blood clots, heart problems, or kidney issues) should consult a doctor before getting this type of massage.
Best massage for sleep – aromatherapy massage
For improving sleep, Rose recommends aromatherapy massage, which combines Swedish massage techniques with sleep-promoting essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood. The combination of touch and scent creates a deeply calming experience.
Rose says timing matters, too. ‘Late afternoon or early evening massages tend to be best for sleep. The key is choosing techniques that calm rather than invigorate. Let your massage therapist know you're hoping to improve sleep, and they'll adjust pressure and pace accordingly.’
Best for digestion – Ayurvedic abdominal massage
Ayurvedic abdominal massage is a therapeutic belly massage rooted in Ayurveda, the traditional medicine system from India. It focuses on the abdomen as a vital centre for health, digestion, and emotional well-being.
Rose, an Ayurvedic massage specialist says, ‘In Ayurveda, the abdomen is considered the seat of ‘agni’ (digestive fire) and home to many vital energy points called ‘marma points.’ The belly is also seen as a place where emotional tension and toxins can accumulate. This massage aims to balance the digestive system, release blockages, and promote overall vitality.’
The massage typically involves warm herbal oils, circular, clockwise strokes following the path of the colon, gentle to moderate pressure on the abdomen with a focus on marma points around the navel and belly.
Common benefits include:
- Improving digestion and relieving constipation, bloating, or gas
- Stimulating elimination of toxins
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Balancing the nervous system
- Supporting reproductive health
- Relieving menstrual discomfort
- Promoting better sleep
Best massage for facial puffiness – at-home lymphatic facial
If you’re looking for reduced puffiness, toned and firm skin, and a release of tension in the face, an at-home lymphatic facial can help achieve these goals.
It works on the same principles as the lymphatic body massage, with a gentle massage designed to clear excess fluid.
Charlotte McHale, training manager at Clarins, shares a DIY lymphatic drainage facial:
- After cleansing, while the skin is still damp, apply a few drops of oil to the face and neck, avoiding the eye area.
- Roll your hands out from your face like a peekaboo movement (the kind you do when hiding from a baby); you want the cushions at the top and bottom of your hands to bridge over the eye sockets.
- Roll several times outwards in that area and slowly move down the face. We’re always aiming outwards here. This movement helps to contour, depuff, and detoxify the face.
- Since you have lymph nodes behind your ears, all facial movements should be directed outward, towards these nodes.
- As you reach the bottom of your face, take the three fingers of each hand and use circular movements to gently massage the back of the jaw area (where you feel the jaw muscle). Many people get tension in the jaw caused by anxiety, or if you grind your teeth at night. At your temple, also use rotating movements to help alleviate tension headaches, stress and anxiety.
- To finish, do one more peekaboo movement and then take a deep breath. As you breathe in, roll your shoulders back and stretch up to the ceiling, and then exhale big to finish.
Best massage for those who are uncomfortable stripping off – reflexology
Reflexology is an excellent method for those seeking to relax or restore the body's natural energy, and it is a suitable alternative if you prefer not to undergo a full-body massage.
This complementary therapy is based on the idea that specific points on the feet, hands, and ears correspond to various organs, glands, and parts of the body.
By applying pressure to these reflex points, practitioners believe they can promote health and healing in the corresponding areas of the body.
A reflexologist uses their thumbs, fingers, and hands to apply firm but comfortable pressure to specific points.
Most people find it very relaxing, though some points may feel tender (which practitioners interpret as indicating issues in the corresponding body area).
You remain fully clothed except for removing shoes and socks.
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