Whether your 2025 feels like it’s slowly drawing to a close or tumbling rapidly toward a finish line, the end of the year marks an ideal time to stop, reflect, and take stock of what’s working and what’s not. In the face of common mentalities like “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” or “I can rest on vacation,” our minds and bodies sometimes get short-changed for more pressing concerns and commitments. However, as the only ever-present constant throughout our lives, our aches, pains, and needs are some of the most important ones to consider.
Between its wide-reaching accessibility and its numerous physical and mental health benefits, massage is a great way to bring more care and attention to ourselves. It can not only highlight what’s feeling good and what’s not but also work to address specific challenges or pain points you’re facing.
Whether you’re completely new to massage or you’ve dabbled as an occasional treat, let’s explore the most common types of massage and how you can wind down through a targeted rub down.
Deep Tissue or Trigger Point Massage: Best for Neck, Shoulder, and Back Pain
No matter how ergonomic your desk set-up is, neck, shoulder, and back pain are among the most prevalent ailments for regular computer users and office goers. Deep tissue massage targets tension in the deepest layers of muscle and connective tissue through slow strokes and strong finger, hand, or elbow pressure, so it’s a great option for chronic soreness, pain, or imbalance. Trigger point massage effectively uses a similar methodology, but it focuses on specific points of collected tension and combines relaxation techniques and deeper pressure to release those knots. Due to the deeper pressure involved—which can be painful in the moment yet relieving in the long run—these massage types may not appeal to everyone. If you’re after a slightly less firm touch, a chair massage could be a good choice.
Swedish Massage or Hot Stone Massage: Best for Relaxation
Swedish massage still relieves muscle tension, but its gentle, broad strokes and kneading make it more of a full-body relaxation experience. If you’re looking for a massage that soothes and perhaps even lulls you to sleep, this one might be a good bet. Often paired with Swedish massage techniques, hot stone massage—which involves placing hot stones on targeted areas to ease tension, improve blood flow, and reduce pain—also promotes relaxation.
Aromatherapy Massage: Best for Stress and Anxiety
In an aromatherapy massage, the therapist will ask questions about your preferences and pain points, and recommend an essential oil that might help (like lavender or chamomile for tranquility and orange or peppermint for mental clarity). Then they will dilute the oil and use it as part of a gentle, Swedish style full-body massage for a multi-sensory, holistic experience designed to speak equally to body and mind.
Thai Massage: Best for Fatigue
Built around a series of movements and body manipulations, this massage involves a more active form of pain relief that can increase circulation, flexibility, and energy. While twisting your body into different positions—as you might in yoga—the therapist will use their palms and fingers to apply pressure on certain points. If you’re feeling drained from being hunched over a laptop all day, this kinetic experience could be a good fit.
Reflexology Massage: Best for Foot Pain
This type of massage revolves around the theory that hands, ears, and feet are connected to certain internal organs and bodily systems. Using thumb, finger, and hand techniques, a reflexologist will apply varying degrees of pressure to specific reflex points on these areas, especially the feet. There hasn’t been as much scientific research behind the effectiveness of this massage style, but with its foot-forward focus, it’s at the very least a good option if you’ve been standing or walking a lot.
Facial Massage: Best for Headaches and Jaw Aches
Facial massage uses gentle, circular motions or sweeping strokes on the forehead, temples, brow bones, jaw bones, cheekbones, and scalp. In addition to being soothing—our faces have a lot of muscles constantly on the go, even if we’re not always aware of them—it’s particularly helpful in reducing or preventing headaches, as it improves circulation and eases sinus pressure.
Myofascial Massage: Best for Carpal Tunnel
If too much typing has left your wrists in dire need of a respite, myofascial massage can help relieve carpal tunnel symptoms. By using kneading and stretching techniques on the forearm and wrist, it reduces pressure on the median nerve and increases blood flow to alleviate numbness, pain, and hand dysfunction. Ultimately, massage is very much a case of “different strokes for different folks.” So, try out different types and see what works best for you. If you have chronic pain or any circulatory conditions, it’s also a good idea to run options by your primary care provider first.
