A Misunderstood Category: Deep Tissue!

Many people have a mindset that categorizes deep tissue as an extremely painful massage that involves fists and elbows. In reality, ‘deep tissue’  is often misunderstood.

The name pretty much describes itself -we’re going deeper than the superficial tissues, and the amount of pressure needed is going to vary from person to person. Even if you’ve had a deep massage before, it’s going to be different every time. Why? Because you’ve been moving around, (hopefully) and performing different actions, which engages different muscle groups. If someone hasn’t been doing their push-ups for a few weeks, those shoulders aren’t going to be as tight as usual, whereas if they have been running instead, those legs will be a bit angry.

A proper deep tissue massage will begin slowly, warming up the superficial tissues until they allow access to the ones underneath. Forcing the issue is what causes the bad reputation of the painful elbow-massages. If it’s too painful to begin with, your LMT will probably recommend a more superficial massage to help your body recover from whatever activities have caused such soreness. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is what you’re feeling a few days after a hard workout. Runners and weightlifters often experience it if they take too long of a break in between workouts. I experience it a few days after weed-eating a certain hillside (ouch!) I personally wouldn’t recommend a deep tissue during that particular time.

Of course, everyone has their problem areas that tend to act up, but try to go into every massage with an open mind – especially deep tissue – the results can be very rewarding!

(Any statements made are not meant to convey medical advice, and are only stated from personal experience, if you are experiencing any medical problems, or have concerns about whether or not to receive massage, please consult your physician)