Deep Tissue

What is Deep Tissue, really?

Aloha Friends and Clients!

In this blog post, I’d like to set the record straight on what deep tissue is and what it isn’t.

Most people, massage therapists included, believe that deep tissue equates to really firm pressure. I recently tried out another massage establishment in hopes to find someone else who does good deep tissue work, and the experience was abysmal. She used extremely firm pressure, never once asked me how the pressure was, and even when I asked her to lighten up, she kept her pressure the same. It felt like borderline abuse - like she was showing off her strength.

That is SO not what deep tissue is (or should be) about.

Deep Tissue refers to deeper muscle groups, as opposed to those that are more superficial. These are anatomical terms - deep meaning closer to the midline of the body or the bony structure, and superficial meaning closer to the skin.

When I use deep tissue techniques, I’m accessing deeper muscle groups. A typical Swedish massage involves more broad strokes, bringing greater circulation and comfort to larger, generalized areas. I use these techniques to warm up your muscle tissue. Deep Tissue techniques are more specialized to the action of the muscle itself.

For example when I’m working deep shoulder muscles, I might reposition your arm to gain better access, or move your arm while doing the stroke to put a stretch on the muscle.

The vast majority of these techniques can be done with ANY amount of pressure. It doesn’t need to be painful (in a bad-pain way, versus a good-pain).

So who is Deep Tissue good for? When should I use a different technique?

When people tell me they’re really just here for relaxation, they want to relieve stress, they don’t have a lot of issues or old injuries, or they don’t want to be in pain - I recommend Swedish.

A useful tool that I often refer to is the pain scale, 1 being you can’t feel it and 10 being you can’t stand it. In a Swedish massage I want you to be in the 1-3 range. It really shouldn’t be painful at all, but you can still feel the subtle, gentle shift.

In a Deep Tissue, I want you to be in the 4-7 range. It should feel like a good pain - like we’re working something out and releasing something. Any more discomfort that that and we’re doing more harm than good.

I almost always blend techniques. For example, if someone says they want to come in for relaxation, but they work at a computer all day and need help with neck and shoulder tension, I’ll use mostly Swedish techniques. But when we work the neck and shoulders, I’ll use Deep Tissue techniques with a gentle touch, all the while consistently getting feedback about how the pressure feels to my client.

In addition to blending techniques, I try to always get feedback about pressure at different body parts. Some people are really sensitive in their legs, while others want deeper pressure on their legs than they did on their back.

Instead of classifying the whole massage as a “light” massage versus a “firm” massage (because everyone’s experience of “light” and “firm” is different), I ask you the right questions to find out where we want to be on the scale from “therapeutic” to “clinical.” Therapeutic is more palliative, nourishing and holistic, while the clinical approach is more detailed, repairs specific muscles or muscle groups, and is reminiscent of physical therapy.

Therapeutic leans more on Swedish techniques, while clinical massage uses more sports and injury recovery techniques. Both can use deep tissue. Most people want an experience somewhere in between these two, making deep tissue the perfect tool to achieve that ideal, blissed out, pain free, post massage experience.

If you think you could benefit from a Deep Tissue Massage, click on the "book today" link above and select "Deep Tissue" as an Add-on!