You may have found yourself wondering how a massage differs when administered at a spa versus in a clinical setting. After all, they both involve someone applying pressure to your body, right? Well, although they do share that similarity, there are many important distinctions between the two. It’s also essential to understand those differences for your own health and wellbeing.

As you might have guessed, the key differences are mostly in the purpose of the massage, but also the reasons that a person might be seeking one type of massage over the other. The end goal of the massages might differ greatly as well. As your resource for all things massage in, our staff at Dreamclinic is ready to provide knowledge and understanding when it comes to this commonly asked question of spa massage vs. clinical massage.

Understanding Patient and Client Relationships

This is a good place to start for the differences between a spa massage and a medical massage. Because a clinical massage is focused on relieving a medical need, it differs in how the interaction will proceed. For example, for a medical massage, your physician might have referred you and may even have certain requests for your treatment. In addition, your insurance company is likely covering part of your visits, expecting the visits to aid in resolving a specific aliment or condition. In contrast, spa massage is frequently expected to be a relaxing overall experience with the goal of destressing or relaxation

Targeting Your Needs with Differing Techniques

While a spa massage might feel similar to clinical in some ways, because the purposes of these two massage types differ, the types of techniques used will also differ. During a spa visit, you typically enjoy a regular, Swedish Massage that’s more basic and centers on your relaxation. However, during a medical massage, a professional may use a broader set of modalities, such as Trigger Point Therapy or Myofascial Release, to offer to aid in muscle health recovery.

Expertly Addressing Your Specific Circumstances

On the topic of techniques, another factor where the two types of massage differ is how your session is planned based on your individual needs. Consider how a longtime runner might seek out a medical massage to deal with a difficult injury during their year. At the same time, someone who’s been in a car accident may have completely different needs due to whiplash. Because of these differences, one of our massage therapists in Seattle or the surrounding area will approach your visits with your specific needs in mind. Although a typical spa therapist has been trained in the art of massage, our treatment massage experts receive additional training and experience that allows them to provide advanced care for your health.

Wrapping Up Your Therapy for Healthy Results

Finally, you will also find a difference in the suggested frequency of your massage visits. Because there is a targeted plan during your medical massage treatment, you’ll have a goal that’s based around a health outcome and includes a series of timed visits versus a sporadic spa visit. A medical massage factors into a larger plan to improve specific medical challenges you may be facing. Because tangible results are what is expected with medical massage, Dreamclinic has composed a team of elite massage professionals,skilled in the necessary aspects of medical massage.

Are you in need of a medical massage, but aren’t sure where to turn yet? Dreamclinic has several locations for medical massage in Seattle and the surrounding areas. Give us a call!