Deep Tissue Massage

Description

Deep tissue massage therapy is similar to Swedish massage, but the deeper pressure is beneficial in releasing chronic muscle tension. The focus is on the deepest layers of muscle tissue, tendons and fascia (the protective layer surrounding muscles, bones and joints).

Styles & Technique

Deep tissue massages are usually “cross-grain,” moving against the muscles to relieve aches or pains rather than moving with them. This can sometimes feel a bit more painful as a result compared to standard “relaxation massages.” However, the pressure involved in deep massages is actually a good thing. It provides many of the benefits that this type of therapeutic massage has to offer. Deep tissue massages also tend to be slower-paced and longer than many other massages, ideally about 1.5 hours long, which gives bodily tissue enough time to warm up and then relax. Read More

Preparations

Deep tissue massages are not for everyone, and it’s very important to find a well-trained therapist. If you’re actively healing from surgery, have nerve damage or an existing injury, you’re wearing a cast or brace, or you’re pregnant, then talk to your doctor before seeking a massage therapist. Although it’s rare, massages that are poorly performed can sometimes cause increased pain, inflammation and other complications in high-risk patients. Bodywork Massage Book is designed for both new therapist training and continuing education in deep tissue myofascial techniques. New practitioners will learn countless techniques to make their work more effective and fun. Experienced therapists in myofascial release, bodywork, physical therapy, and clinical massage enthusiastically praise Art Riggs’s massage therapy books and videos for expanding their skills.

Oil Uses

Any of your clients sit still for the majority of their day, and then try to cram a condensed workout into their busy schedules. This fluctuation between quick physical exertion and hours of stagnation can easily result in tight, cramped muscles that will eventually hinder performance and possibly cause injury.In addition to a sensible stretching routine before and after exercising, which very few people take the time to incorporate, another way to bring warmth, relaxation and pain relief to tense, overworked muscles is through the application of essential oils.
When your sports or deep tissue massage clients come to you with tired, aching, overworked muscles, add a touch of the spa to their treatments by including aromatherapy. The following essential oils are especially well-suited to deep-tissue modalities, and can help address your clients’ specific conditions.

Benefits

When a person experiences ongoing stiffness, tension, or has a sustained injury to their muscles, tendons and ligaments, a band of rigid tissue called an adhesion (also commonly referred to as “knots”). While most adhesions are relatively minor, severe cases can block circulation, limit movement and flexibility, and be extremely painful. An effective way to address these adhesions is through deep tissue massage treatments. Adhesions, tension and stiffness can be related to a range of chronic conditions, and patients have found deep tissue massage to be effective in addressing a number of issues, including:

• Chronic pain, spasm or stiffness
• TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) issues
• Inflexibility
• Constricted blood flow.
• Sciatica
• Muscle, tendon and ligament injuries
• High levels of stress
• Fibromyalgia