The term masseuse is a French word that refers to a female who practices massage. (Males in the industry were known as masseurs.) However, due to certain unsavory connotations (as well as the need for more gender neutral terminology), both male and female massage practitioners go by the term “massage therapist”.

Deep tissue massage uses more pressure than Swedish massage. This is a good choice for people with chronic muscle problems such as soreness, injury or imbalance. Deep tissue massage helps relieve muscle tension, chronic muscle pain and anxiety.

Therapeutic massages help relieve muscle and joint pain, treat specific problems, reduce stiffness, increase blood circulation throughout the body, and help heal injuries, in contrast, regular massages aim to only provide temporary relief without trying to heal the root of the problem.

masseuse. noun. mas·​seuse -ˈsə(r)z -ˈsüz. : a person who practices massage.