DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
This type of massage relieves tension or severe pain in the deeper layers of the muscles. A Deep tissue massage is recommended for those who have constant pain, athletes, or patients with sustained physical injury. It is a type of massage that involves applying deep flowing pressure on the muscles that are tight or sore.
At times a deep massage may involve releasing tender trigger point spots that may include constant pressure on a particular area of muscle. Trigger points can be located where ever the muscle exists. Pressure may be applied for about 10 to 30 seconds in these tight tender spots until the tension is released.
The therapist may use fingers, fists, or elbows to release the tension in the body. It is important to communicate with your therapist about the pressure and what is most comfortable for you. The therapist can adjust the pressure according to the client’s needs.
A deep tissue massage is a great way to relieve headaches or migraines, pain in the upper back and shoulders, lower back, sciatica, feet and heels, arm and wrists pain that goes into the hands, and other pain that you are experiencing.
It is important to let your therapist do an assessment before the treatment to assess where the pain may be in your body so the therapist can best address and treat it.
A deep tissue massage not only helps to relieve pain in the body but it has many other benefits. Deep tissue massages can help to improve your workouts giving you an increased amount of range of motion that can help you burn calories and build muscle more efficiently while you workout!
It is important to rest at least 12 hours after a deep tissue massage to let the muscles relax before going for an intense workout. You might feel like you had a workout after this type of massage.
Massage helps to decrease blood pressure, and improve your whole body function and overall health. A deep tissue massage can be dehydrating so it is important to drink plenty of water afterward. When you have less pain and feel more relaxed you can sleep better too!
In massagemag.com an article titled “An In-Depth Guide to Deep Tissue Massage” by Christina DeBusk dated in July 2018, found in research published in the April 2014 issue of Manual Therapy found that deep tissue massage performed on a calf muscle combined with self-care stretching exercises helped to reduce the clients’ pain that was associated with plantar fasciitis.
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of foot and heel pain according to a study done by the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences report.
Deep tissue massage can be beneficial to all sorts of pain-related conditions. One condition that causes a lot of pain is fibromyalgia.
Christina Debusk also states in her article, that according to a study in 2014 in PLOS One, those who suffered from fibromyalgia sometimes experienced “beneficial immediate effects” of relief to the levels of pain, often within a few weeks of massage therapy treatment. Patients in this study also noted that they experienced lower levels of anxiety and depression.
A deep tissue massage can really help to relieve stress and tension in the muscles helping to improve posture and movement.
- Back Pain
- Sciatica
- Hip or leg pain
- Muscle Cramping
- Muscular Spasms
- Neck and Shoulder pain
- Postural distortion
- Arm and hand pain