Whether it's your Motown or Motor City, there's one tried-and-true way to unwind in hard-rocking, hard-working Detroit: massage. Gentle Swedish pressure and targeted deep-tissue massage can both help restore backs and necks, enabling locals and visitors alike to get back to strolling around the Detroit Auto Show, rocking out at the MGM Grand, or throwing the dice at Greektown Casino Hotel. But with so many Detroit spas and Detroit salons, it can be hard to know where to head for optimal relaxation. Check out our list below to see our picks of the most indulgent, eco-conscious, and essential massages in the city.

1. Detroit Massage & Wellness

Vernor

Massage therapist Hannah Lewis certainly has healing hands, but she doesn't just use them to ease aches and pains. Although she does alleviate sore muscles with Swedish and deep-tissue massage, she also customizes her treatments to target everything from sinus pain to TMJ and bloating. Aromatherapy can also be added to any massage to heighten the therapeutic benefits and calm the mind.

2. Tantra Aveda Spa

Downtown Ferndale

Aveda's plant- and flower-derived products sit at the heart of all Tantra Spa's services. But its mission goes beyond being eco-conscious. Here, all five senses get in on the spa experience: natural aromas fill the air, tapestries entice the eyes, herbal tea washes over the tongue, and "earthy grooves" enter the ears. Then, of course, are the massages themselves, which range from hot-stone to foot reflexology.

3. Royal Oak Massage

Royal Oak

A massage at Royal Oak Massage can mean many things—heated basalt lava stones, indulgent relief from pain, a quick fix for a stubborn knot—but one of the therapist's specialties is building relationships. Here, couples can strengthen their bond by receiving a massage in tandem, while moms-to-be can get in tune with their baby (and feel relief from irritability, swelling, and nausea) during a prenatal massage.

4. Essential Massage Therapy

Downtown Ferndale

Massages can feel like a luxury, but the therapists at Essential Massage Therapy view them as a life necessity. Their goal is to bring calm and focus to every mind and body that lands on their table through everything from Reiki massages to Swedish pressure. That said, the massages here don't skimp on the pampering. Within the relaxation haven, guests will experience peace, quiet, and hot lava stones.

5. Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa

Washington

Hand & Stone's massage services include just about any modalities and add-ons you could want. Trigger-point therapy? Yep. Peppermint scalp massage? You bet. Hot-stone massage with a hot-towel foot treatment? Of course. But this all-purpose spa doesn't stop at the muscles. It also offers an equally encyclopedic list of facials, peels, and botanically based, wax-free hair removal.