Your muscles are so tight they hurt – all the time. The pain may even be keeping you up at night. Maybe you’ve been to your doctor. You’ve tried muscle relaxers, stretching at home, and anything else you and your doctor can think of, but nothing is working as well as you would like. Your doctor may have mentioned a deep tissue massage. Or you may have done an internet research and run across a long list of types of massages and wondered which one is for you. Each one is appropriate for certain circumstances. The combination of slow strokes and firm pressure and the goal of deep tissue massage distinguish it from other types.
How does it work?
Deep tissue massage penetrates through layers of muscle to break up the knots and scar tissue that are responsible for your pain. When the source of your problems lays deep inside your muscles, the inflammation can limit your range of motion and interfere with proper circulation through your muscles, leading to fatigue and keeping you from enjoying life to its fullest. Deep tissue massage aims to relieve the deep pain.
Your masseuse will begin with a lighter touch to warm up your muscles. The most common techniques used next include stripping and friction. With stripping, your masseuse goes along your muscle fibres with their knuckles, thumbs, elbows, or forearm with a deep, gliding motion. Friction goes across your muscle fibres, breaking up knots and allowing muscle fibres to realign in a healthy manner. Both techniques improve blood flow to the muscles, making you feel more energetic in time when done on a regular basis. Deep tissue massage can be intense, so communication with your masseuse is essential. They should ask from time to time whether the pressure they are using is too hard or not hard enough, but you should feel free to speak up if, at any point, you would like them to use less pressure.
When is Deep Tissue Massage Appropriate?
Deep tissue massage has a different purpose than a Swedish/Relaxation massage, which is what most people think of when they think of a massage. A Swedish/Relaxation massage is intended to relax while a deep tissue massage is meant to heal. It is common, however, for a masseuse to provide a few minutes of Swedish massage at the beginning and end of a deep tissue massage.
There are a variety of cases in which deep tissue massage is beneficial. It can be useful as part of a rehabilitative program following an injury, but it is most often used for chronic pain related to things like posture problems, limited mobility, and back problems. If you’ve been living with muscular pain for years, a regular program of deep tissue massage may be an important part of your solution.
Wellwood Health has several Remedial Massage therapists that are qualified in Deep Tissue Massage. Each therapist is very different in their approach and experience so feel free to give us a call to discuss your treatment further. Alternatively, you can read up about our Massage Therapist via our ‘Massage Therapy’ page right here on our website.
A 60-minute deep tissue remedial massage will cost $90, is able to be claimed with all major health funds and is available 6 days a week at Wellwood Health in Loganholme. You can make a booking via the website, our free Wellwood Health App or by calling us on 0415 849 941.
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