Massage is a general term for pressing, rubbing and manipulating your skin, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Massage may range from light stroking to deep pressure. It's generally considered part of integrative medicine.

Massage therapy has been found to be effective in reducing pain and increasing range of motion. It is also helpful in relieving stress and anxiety. It can also be applied as a preventative measure to help decrease the risk for certain diseases such as heart disease and stroke and others.

​A frequent misunderstanding about massage is that it's only part of a spa day and intended for pampering yourself. While this may be true for some people, it is most frequently a tool for stress reduction and pain relief.

Some specific conditions that massage can help include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Digestive disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Nerve pain
• Postoperative care
• Scar tissue
• Soft tissue strains and injuries
• Sports injuries
• Temporomandibular (TMJ) disorders

Physical benefits of massage include:

• Improved circulation
• Decreased muscle stiffness
• Decreased joint inflammation
• Better quality of sleep
• Quicker recovery between workouts
• Improved flexibility
• Less pain and soreness
• Strengthened immune response

​It's normal to feel relaxed, tired or even sore after a massage. This is because your muscles are being worked by the massage therapist. After a massage, it may feel like you completed a workout. It is possible to experience a headache or nausea after a massage. Some people think that massage must hurt to help. But a massage doesn't need to be painful to be effective.

Massage also has many mental health benefits. People who are also focused on the physical benefits say they feel less stressed after getting a massage due to the stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for its rest and relaxation response.

Other mental benefits include:

• Lower stress levels
• Improved relaxation
• Improved mood
• Decreased anxiety
• More energy
• Increase feeling of wellness

There are many massage types and techniques for specific body aches and pain. You may check our massages and their specific techniques on our website, customise your massage with Therapeutic Massage or experience oriental and ancient methods with Japanese or Indian massages. For a good stress release, you may also try Turkish hammam or hammam with a therapeutic massage combined. 

​For over three decades, Carisma Spa & Wellness has been devoted to excellence in massage and hammam services and has established itself as a pioneer of beauty and wellness. Today, Carisma offers a variety of world-class treatments served by hand-picked therapists from around the world at luxury hotels across Malta. 

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary, Carisma Spa is offering -30 off on Phytomer products. Phytomer, based in France, is one of the leading wellness and beauty specialist companies. With over 50th years of experience, Phytomer offers natural, marine-based skin care products delicately created in Phytomer laboratories. It is the leading research center for marine cosmetics and where they create all their products which are distributed throughout the world. Carisma Spa & Wellness is Phytomer’s brand ambassador in Malta.

Phytomer believes in sustainable skincare by using production processes that have a limited environmental impact. They cultivate their organic plants and algae and rely on eco-friendly solutions for beauty products that respect the skin and nature. This process allows to use their cosmetic benefits without extracting them from their natural environment and thus to best preserve marine biodiversity. 80% of the active ingredients come from Brittany, a region on the western coast of France. The active ingredients are developed in close collaboration with a network of local partners that include growers, start-ups, and researchers who help to ensure sustainable and responsible harvest practices. The source of the ingredients comes from Brittany because of the region’s special biodiversity. Brittany’s 2,700 km of coastline holds a wide variety of geographical layouts and climates, which make it the European region with the greatest concentration of marine biodiversity.

You may check our -30% off Phytomer cream, fluid, mask, shampoo & lotion products on our Home Care page.