Massage

Massage is hands-on work on your muscles and soft tissues, in which a trained therapist presses, kneads and strokes, often with oil, to help you relax. There are many styles, including Swedish, deep tissue, sports, Thai and Indian head massage, lymphatic drainage, shiatsu, reflexology and aromatherapy massage. There is some evidence massage may ease sore muscles after exercise; for back pain, stress and low mood the evidence is limited: see “Massage: what the research says”.