What Does ‘Ashiatsu’ Mean and Is an Ashiatsu Massage in Santa Barbara Beneficial?

You may have heard of an ashiatsu massage in Santa Barbara by another name: a foot massage. It’s a type of massage that can offer more pressure and a deeper focus without as much discomfort as a regular deep tissue massage.

Is this going to be the best type of massage for you? Here’s everything you need to know so that you can ask for the one type of massage you need the most.

Where Does the Term Ashiatsu Come From?

The term can be broken down into two words: Ashi and Atsu.

In Japanese, “ashi” means foot, and “atsu” means pressure, so the actual massage meaning is “foot pressure.” It’s turned into the term “foot massage” when people think of an ashiatsu massage in Santa Barbara.

A person will lie on the floor, and then the massage therapist will use overhead bars to hold their balance as they step onto the body and use some of their own body weight to help get deeper into the muscles. In some cases, they can even step on your back and walk on it, but they will want to build up to this.

The massage is usually done on the back, legs, and shoulders rather than other parts of the body, as they need the extra pressure.

Is an Ashiatsu Massage in Santa Barbara Right for You?

Understanding the benefits of a massage is essential. You need to know that this style is going to be what you need, so it’s time to take your mind off the barefoot massage part of it and learn about the benefits.

An ashiatsu massage can help to relieve more muscle tension because of the pressure that is applied. The foot distributes pressure across a larger area compared to the fingers and thumbs, getting deeper into the layers of muscle without as much pain. Think about when you get a deep tissue massage. You often feel the areas the fingers have worked into more, and it can feel a little like stabbing into the muscle. With the broader coverage, it’s softer and more relaxing.

As mentioned before, a massage therapist can end up walking on your back. This can help to relieve more pressure within your body. They won’t put all their body weight onto your back, but they have enough to allow for a more therapeutic session. There’s a steady flow of pressure along the whole back, helping to ease off the feeling of pain or discomfort in one particular area to help with relaxation.

If you have recently suffered from an injury, this is not the type of massage for you. The extra pressure can lead to more health issues in the recovery process, and it’s always important to talk to a qualified sports massage therapist to help with recovery from injury.

If there is a time when you feel pain with an ashiatsu massage in Santa Barbara, you need to talk to your massage therapist. They will be able to change the technique and the stance to make it relaxing.