Massage provides only a temporary effect.
Soft tissue mobilization incorporates many techniques performed by the physical therapist to help relax muscles, restore mobility, increase circulation, increase extensibility of individual structures. Such techniques include deep friction massage, myofascial stretching, and trigger point relief and so forth. Therapeutic massage and soft tissue mobilization can be and are both widely used techniques that assist in decreasing muscular tightness, decreasing pain and promote muscular relaxation. The 'soft tissues' are defined as muscles, ligaments and even tendons and basically anything that isn't bone. Here, the joint surfaces are glided across each other in an attempt to increase painfree movement of that joint.