Many, if not most, types of massage, including a simple Swedish massage, should be adequate to address the type of tension that you refer to – as long as the practitioner is skilled, experienced, insightful and primarily dedicated to a therapeutic focus, as opposed to just temporary relaxation. Personally/professionally, I find it to my client's great advantage for me to be versed in many forms of bodywork and massage and personal inquiry - from deep tissue to structural to energy balancing to acupressure to core energetics and beyond, so that I can approach the concerns from multiple angles; and if the first techniques don't provide adequate results, there are more tools available to open other doors to resolution. As an LMT, I'm always asking myself (and sometimes my client), "How does this person carry their tension? Is there a postural compensation? Is there something about their lifestyle/activities/structure//diet/perspective that is contributing to this tension; and what is the gentlest, most effective way to communicate and/or apply bodywork to move toward good results. Please keep in mind that, if the tension is longstanding, resolution may require some time with your LMT, as well as making your own changes between sessions. Depending on numerous factors, though, sometimes that tension can be helped tremendously in just one session.
