As a Massage therapist, I often hear clients want that deep tissue massage but many times what they think deep tissue is, is not really deep tissue. They want to feel strong pressure. There are people who have that thinking of “no pain no gain” that in order for the massage to be effective, they have to feel this strong, intense pressure. That’s fine if one wants strong pressure but it’s not ok (IMO) that the pressure is so strong that it causes pain.
Deep tissue massage is focusing on and targeting the muscle belly and the deep fascia. This can be done by applying heat to the area which would help the muscle relax and improve blood flow, dilate the blood vessels and increase circulation. You can also use Myofascial Release technique which is applying sustained pressure to the target area until you feel a release. This sustained pressure may hurt for the moment, tender to the touch and feel sensitive which is normal. The therapist feels for the taut band and apply compression in order to manipulate the muscle and fascia until the restriction is released. Again, one can feel pain but it should not be exceedingly painful to the point that the you can damage the tissue. It should be firm pressure, for about 20 -30 seconds, release and then apply the pressure again. There should be a noted difference when you apply pressure for the 2nd or 3rd time. Also, you don’t need lotion or creme to perform Myofascial. After the session, one should feel they are able to feel less tension in the area, increased range of motion, and reduced pain. One can self massage using a foam roller or a golf ball for small areas such as the plantar of the feet or pectoral muscles. Foam roll would be used for mainly large surface areas such as the quads, glutes and middle/low trapezius.
Deep pressure is the feeling of strong (I know this is subjective) pressure throughout the massage not necessarily focusing on a specific area to treat. Clients usually want to feel firm pressure to relieve tension and muscle soreness. I find that when I explain what deep tissue is and that they will work with me such when I’m doing active stretch/release, some clients will say “oh I just want to relax and if you can focus on my lower back”. I paraphrase of course to get an understanding of what they need and usually what they mean by this is strong pressure and not really deep tissue work. They want a relaxation massage using a firm pressure especially to the area of concern.
Communication is very important of course. The therapist needs to be able to discern what the client is asking so that expectations are met and the client feels that the therapist was listening. The same goes by the way with lymphatic massage which is a whole other topic. Some people don’t really know what is it, and don’t like that there’s hardly any pressure. The bottom line is that to me, you don’t necessarily need strong painful pressure to make a difference in the problem area. This is a public misconception.
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