How to Choose the Right Type of Massage
Most people book a massage by name — “a deep tissue, please” — without being sure it is the right one. The names describe techniques; what you actually have is a problem, a preference or a mood. Start from that and the choice usually makes itself.
Start with why you are booking
- You are stressed, tired or sleeping badly. You want the nervous system settled, not the muscles worked. Relaxing massage, aromatherapy or a light Swedish massage.
- You have a specific ache — a stiff neck, a shoulder that will not let go, a lower back that seizes. You want depth and focus. Deep tissue or trigger point work.
- You train, run or lift and want to recover faster or stop something becoming an injury. Sports massage.
- You have an injury or a diagnosed problem and want treatment rather than relief. Remedial or therapeutic massage, from a therapist with a Level 4 or 5 qualification.
- You feel stiff rather than knotted and would like to be stretched. Thai massage, clothed and on a mat.
- You are cold, achy and it is winter. Hot stone or hot oil massage.
- You are pregnant. Only pregnancy massage from a therapist trained in it, from the second trimester.
- You have forty minutes and a lunch break. A back massage or an Indian head massage, both quick and both available seated or at the office.
- You have just landed from a long-haul flight. Jet lag massage, ideally at the hotel the same day.
- You want to treat someone, or two of you. Couples massage at a spa or at home through an agency, or a four hands massage as a gift.
- You would rather stay clothed. Thai, shiatsu, Indian head massage or reflexology.
- You are not sure and it is your first time. Swedish massage. It is the foundation of most other treatments, the pressure is moderate, and the therapist will tell you at the end what they would suggest next.
Pressure is a conversation, not a label
The single biggest reason people come away disappointed is pressure: too light to do anything, or so firm they spent the hour bracing. Every therapist in the directory adjusts pressure on request. Say at the start what you want — “firm but not painful”, “as light as you can” — and say during the session if it needs to change. That matters more than which treatment you picked.
What it should cost
As a rough UK guide for a full hour:
| Treatment | Outside London | Central London |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish, relaxing, full body | £40–£70 | £60–£100 |
| Deep tissue, sports, trigger point | £50–£85 | £70–£110 |
| Hot stone, aromatherapy, pregnancy | £50–£90 | £70–£120 |
| Remedial, therapeutic | £50–£90 | £70–£120 |
| Thai, shiatsu | £40–£75 | £55–£95 |
Mobile appointments add £10 to £30 for travel, spas charge more for the facilities, and thirty-minute sessions cost a little over half the hourly rate. Each treatment page gives a fuller range and each city page shows the actual rates listed there.
Choosing the therapist
Once you know the treatment, three things separate a good booking from a poor one: qualifications stated on the listing, a short consultation before the session, and a clear rate agreed in advance. Our guide to booking a massage safely covers all three, and what to expect at your first massage walks through the session itself.