Which massage or therapy is right for you?
- community6824
- 20 hours ago
- 5 min read
Abuelita's practitioners are here for every condition and ready to help you take the very first step.
by Yuki Kishimoto
In short
At Abuelita’s, we offer four types of massage and one therapy. This is an invitation to look pause and ask what your body needs. If you are unsure, email us with a few sentences about what is going on for you, and one of our experienced practitioners will get back to you.
Confused about which massage is which? You are definitely not alone.
Wellness websites often list massages by their technique - deep tissue, Swedish, sports, lymphatic, myofascial, trigger point - and expect you to know which is right for you. The names overlap, the descriptions sound similar…and you are slowly closing your laptop feeling somewhat defeated.
Don’t worry, we are here to help. We want to make things simple and help you feel confident choosing the right treatment.
At Abuelita’s, we offer four types of massage and one therapy. They do share some techniques, but they're each designed for different conditions, needs, and days.
Four massages and one therapy we offer - a simple way to choose
1. Sports Massage is for you today if your body is under physical load. This is targeted, results-led work.
2. Deep Tissue Massage is for you today if your body is experiencing chronic muscular tension and you want a slower session than Sports Massage. This is slow, sustained work on the deeper layers of muscle and fascia (the connective tissue that supports structures inside our body).
3. Holistic Deep Tissue Massage is for you today if your tension feels emotional, stress-related, or if you are navigating chronic illness. This blends deep work with attention to the nervous system.
4. Restorative Massage is for you today if you are exhausted and need rest more than physical release. This is the gentlest option, with flowing work aimed at calming the body and mind.
5. Sports Therapy is for you today if you have an injury, mobility issue, or need a treatment plan.
Let’s dive into more details
Sports Massage - if your body is under physical load
Book a Sports Massage if you've been training hard in the gym and can feel it; if you are recovering from a soft-tissue injury and are past the acute phase; if repetitive movement at work is causing strain; or if you want results - better range of motion, less ache, and faster recovery.
The practice is goal-led: your practitioner is trying to change something specific. You are gently invited to share what you're working towards (eg. a marathon, a climbing project, a return to football after injury), and the session is built around that.
Sports Massage isn't only for athletes. Desk workers, parents lifting children, and anyone with repetitive movement patterns can benefit just as much. Despite the name, Sports Massage is widely used for everyday muscle tension, recovery, and posture issues.
→ At Abuelita’s: Rohan and George are our practitioners. If you need support beyond soft-tissue work, see the Sports Therapy section below.
Deep Tissue Massage - if you hold chronic tension that doesn't shift with lighter massage
Book a Deep Tissue Massage if you are holding tension that hasn't responded to lighter massage; if you can feel knots that have been there for months; if gentle massage feels frustrating because nothing seems to move; or if you want depth without the rehab or performance framing.
It works at a similar depth to Sports Massage, but Deep Tissue Massage is a slower, quieter session. The focus is "let's release what's stuck" rather than "let's improve your physical performance."
You may feel sore for a day or two afterwards, much like you would after a hard workout.
→ At Abuelita’s: Rohan and George are our practitioners, offering Deep Tissue Massage in Islington and Hackney.
Holistic Deep Tissue Massage - if your tension isn't only physical
Book a Holistic Deep Tissue Massage if your tension doesn't feel purely muscular; if you've been through grief, burnout, or a major life change; if you want depth, but within a slower, more attentive space; if you're navigating chronic illness, or trauma recovery; or if you've had Deep Tissue Massage before and felt to intense for what your nervous system needed
→ At Abuelita’s: This is Simona's signature session at both Hackney and Islington (Tileyard) studios.
The conversation at the start is part of the work — Simona is listening to what your body and nervous system are asking for that day. Many of our long-term clients alternate between Deep Tissue Massage and Holistic Deep Tissue Massage, depending on what they need on that week.
Restorative Massage - if your body is asking for rest, not work
Book a Restorative Massage if you're exhausted, and the idea of deep work makes you tense; if you've been holding it together for too long and you need your system to come back down; if you're recovering from illness or surgery and you’ve been medically cleared; or if you've never had a massage before and want a gentle introduction.
This is the gentlest of the four. Long, flowing strokes; soft to medium pressure; quiet. Many people fall asleep during the session, which is often a sign that the body is receiving the rest it needs.
If you would usually book a Deep Tissue Massage but are feeling something softer today, this may be the right choice for you.
→ At Abuelita’s: All of our practitioners are skilled in offering this session.
Sports Therapy – if you need assessment, treatment, and a plan
Sports Massage and Sports Therapy sound similar, and they do share some techniques, but they differ in scope.
Sports Massage is focused on muscle and fascia - soft-tissue release through massage. Sports Therapy is a broader clinical treatment that may include massage, but can also involve dry needling, dry cupping, mobility work, and bodyweight rehabilitation exercises.
There's an assessment at the start of the session, and treatment is built around the findings. You may also leave with exercises to continue at home.
Book Sports Therapy if you have an active injury that hasn't responded to massage alone; if you're recovering from surgery (once medically cleared); if you have a persistent mobility issue that needs assessment, not just release; if you want a treatment plan with rehabilitation exercises built in; or if you're an athlete looking for performance optimization as well as recovery.
→ At Abuelita’s: Our practitioner Emelie in Hackney and Islington (Tileyard).
Many of our regular clients use Sports Therapy as the clinical home for a specific issue (often as a block of 6 or 10 sessions) and Sports Massage for ongoing maintenance in between.
Combining sessions — how integrative care works
Most of our regular clients don't stick to just one type of massage or therapy. They alternate between treatments, often within the same month, depending on what their body needs.
A typical pattern might look like this:
- Sports Massage during a training block.
- Restorative Massage during a stressful work period.
- Holistic Deep Tissue Massage every month or so to reset deeper layers of tension.
This is the thinking behind our Integrative Care Packages. Rather than booking sessions one at a time, you book a sequence of complementary sessions at a reduced rate, with the practitioners best suited to each kind of work.
If your situation feels more complex - chronic illness, pregnancy, recovering from surgery or burnout, multiple things happening at once - book a 2-hour Integrative Care Assessment with Simona. She'll help map your situation against what the team offers and recommend a plan for where you are now.
It is ok if you are still not sure
Email us at hello@abuelitas.co.uk with a few sentences about what's going on for you. We'll suggest a good starting point. There are no wrong answers - and you can always change or combine sessions as your needs shift.
