Massage is the practice of applying structured pressure, tension, motion or vibration — manually or with mechanical aids — to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints and lymphatic vessels, to achieve a beneficial response. A form of therapy, massage can be applied to parts of the body or successively to the whole body, to heal injury, relieve psychological stress, manage pain, and improve circulation. Where massage is used for its physical and psychological benefits, it may be termed "therapeutic massage therapy" or manipulative therapy.

Massage can also be a part of lovemaking (see erotic massage, tantramassage), and often takes place in the context of sex work. As massage is a lightly regulated industry, clients are advised to get references, ask questions and judge for themselves.

In commercial settings, massage techniques involve the client being treated lying down on a massage table or in a massage chair, or on a mattress on the floor. Except for modalities such as Thai Massage or Barefoot Deep Tissue, the massage subject is generally unclothed, and the body may be "draped" with towels or sheets. This also helps keep the client warm. In some jurisdictions it is required that certain areas such as the genitals on both genders and the breast/nipple area on women be draped at all times. Due to the necessary physical contact between the practitioner and the client, sexual arousal (or signs of it) is possible, but rarely intentional. In many forms of massage, the treatment may start with the client face up or down for the first part of the session: the client then rolls over for the second half of the session. Relaxation is necessary for maximum therapeutic benefits to be achieved.

Swedish massage

This style utilizes long, flowing strokes, often but not necessarily in the direction of the heart. Swedish massage is designed to increase circulation and blood flow. There are six basic strokes: effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, compression and vibration. Oil, cream, or lotion is applied on the skin to reduce friction and allow smooth strokes. This style of massage is generally attributed to the Swedish fencing master and gymnastics teacher Per Henrik Ling (1776-1839). However, it was in fact the Dutch practitioner Johan Georg Mezger (1838-1909) who adopted the French names to denote the basic strokes under which he systemized massage as we know it today, as Swedish or classic massage. Somehow, the term Swedish Movement System was transposed to Swedish Massage System sometime during the second half of the 19th century. Ling’s system was the Swedish Movement System or Swedish Gymnastic Movement System. This may be how he has become incorrectly associated for so long with Swedish massage (see ). In Sweden, the term "Swedish massage" is not used

Communication

Good communication is essential to effective massage. In a commercial setting, the client is encouraged to communicate the type of treatment expected, for example relaxation or pain relief, full body massage, avoidance of, or focus on a specific area, the amount of pressure that is comfortable, preferred techniques, and past medical history and current physical condition.

Shiatsu is a form of Japanese massage that uses thumb pressure and workes along the energy meridians in the body also with a lot of streches the same meridians as acupressure. You are worked on fully clothed on a mat on the floor. It is uncertain whether it originated from Chinese Zhi Ya.

Reflexology, or zone therapy, is the practice of stimulating points on the feet, hands, or ears, in the belief it will have a beneficial effect on some other parts of the body, or will improve general health. Scientists and medical professionals consider reflexology to be a pseudoscience[1] , offering no more benefits than ordinary massage.

The most common form is foot reflexology. Practitioners believe the foot to be divided into a number of reflex zones corresponding to all parts of the body, and that applying pressure to tight or "gritty" areas of a person's foot will stimulate the corresponding body part and cause it to begin healing itself
Eunice Ingham developed Reflexology in the 1930s, based on earlier theory by Dr. William Fitzgerald known as "Zone Therapy". In 1913, Dr. Fitzgerald noted that specific parts of the body could have an anesthetic effect on another area. Developing this theory, he divided the body into ten equal vertical zones, ending in the fingers and toes. He concluded that pressure on one part of the zone could affect everything else within that zone