Deep Tissue Massage Therapy

Deep tissue massage involves applying firm pressure and slow strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle and fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles). It’s used for chronic aches and pain and contracted areas such as a stiff neck and upper back, low back pain, leg muscle tightness, and sore shoulders.

Deep tissue massage usually focuses on a specific problem, such as chronic muscle pain, injury rehabilitation, and the following conditions:

• Low back pain
• Limited mobility
• Recovery from injuries (e.g. whiplash, falls)
• Repetitive strain injury
• Postural problems
• Muscle tension in the hamstrings, glutes, IT band, legs, quadriceps, rhomboids, upper back
• Osteoarthritis pain
• Sciatica
• Piriformis syndrome
• Tennis elbow
• Fibromyalgia
• Upper back or neck pain

Massage therapists may use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms during a deep tissue massage. You may be asked to breathe deeply as the massage therapist works on tense areas.

After the massage, you may feel some stiffness or soreness, but it should subside within a day or so. Be sure to contact your massage therapist if you have concerns or if you feel pain after having a massage.

Drinking water after the massage may help to flush the metabolic waste from the tissues.

At certain times during the massage, you may feel some discomfort or even some pain as the massage therapist works on areas where there are adhesions or scar tissue. Be sure to notify your therapist regarding pain levels throughout the treatment. They will adjust their pressures to allow a more tolerable session or use other techniques to desensitise the tissue further to get to the problem area.