Deep Tissue Massage Philosophy

Massage Tip

Today we are going to dive into Deep Tissue Massage Philosophy. Deep Tissue massage can be a majestic experience, especially for those who are seeking corrective results in their massage session. Unfortunately, in the massage industry the term Deep Tissue can be misleading. At some places a Deep Tissue massage may mean light to medium pressure with slow movements, and others it can be titanic pressure that makes you want to jump off of the table. Technically in both instances they are both defined as Deep Tissue.

How can it be both? First, we have the application of firm pressure, and then we have the Deep Tissue Massage Philosophy. This is a philosophy used by massage therapists to systematically encourage superficial soft tissue structures to relax, so deeper muscles may be palpated. By utilizing this approach, it allows the therapist to address tender and sensitive areas with reduced pain and discomfort.

Deep Tissue Massage Philosophy is an Advanced Concept

At its core Deep Tissue massage is truly an advanced modality, it is more than pressing our fingers and elbows into someone’s body with tremendous degrees of pressure. To properly perform Deep Tissue Massage, a therapist must know how to apply pressure without hurting themselves, while communicating with the client to ensure pressure is being applied in a safe and rewarding way.

When I massage my clients, I encourage them to communicate with me. Unfortunately, most people do not have very good body awareness, and their vocabulary is limited. I see this as an opportunity to expand their ability to communicate and introspectively explore their own body. There are a handful of words I teach my clients to help them articulate how each sensation feels. Rewarding, Hurts so Good, and Ouch that Hurts are the fundamental descriptors I like my clients to use.

A Rewarding sensation indicates the client identifies the technique being used is helping them in some capacity. In effect they can tell it is “doing something.” When you are massaging someone, whether it is in the application of firm pressure or feather touch, the technique can be rewarding. I strongly suggest advocating for your client to use this term when they feel it. If they do, it will provide you with valuable information about their subjective experience and the effectiveness of your techniques.

Hurts so good is a phenomenon that occurs when a sensation hurts, but in a pleasurable way. These sensations are typically rewarding and should be sandwiched between two pleasurable techniques. The goal of a massage is to retrain the brain’s perception of touch and movement by providing the central nervous system with positive stimuli. If we overload it with pain signals it will reinforce a negative feedback loop of discomfort, which will not assist in long term pain management. Hurts so good can be a valuable sensation, but only if the client enjoys it. If you are performing a massage, you are not the arbiter of what is a good or bad sensation, the client makes that decision. If they tell you the pressure or application of a technique is too much, listen to them and adjust accordingly.

Ouch that hurts is when you have performed a technique that does not feel good. Massage should never hurt. As mentioned before, the threshold of this discomfort is Hurts so Good, and only the client may define this threshold. If your client indicates it hurts, listen and adjust the session accordingly.

Fundamentally Deep Tissue Massage is guided by Deep Tissue Massage Philosophy. When applying pressure, we should be aiming to provide our client with the longest lasting pain relief possible. This means we need to take our time in the application of our pressure, communicate and adapt according to their unique needs.

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