what is deep tissue massage?

 

Deep tissue massage is a massage technique that works on the deeper layers of muscle tissue. Similar to Swedish massage, it uses slower and firmer strokes and pressure than other treatments - deep finger pressure that concentrates on particular areas, and follows or goes across the fibres of muscles and tendons.

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Deep tissue massage is a particularly effective massage for people with muscular pain as it helps to refresh and relax muscles, increasing the blood flow and therefore the oxygen flow around your body. This gets rid of toxins in very sore and strained muscles, which helps them to strengthen and heal. It is often used to treat people who are recovering from accidents, and for sports injuries as it increases blood circulation in muscles that are underused, relieves chronic muscle tension throughout the body, and can also break down scar tissue and "knots" deep in the muscles. The aim of deep tissue massage is not to leave you feeling relaxed, it tends to tackle particular physical, muscular problems.

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Note; please always let us know if you:

• are, or think you might be, pregnant

• have a history of heart or respiratory problems

• have problems with your joints

• have any skin allergies or conditions

• have recently had surgery, or are prone to or recovering from injury

• you have any other medical condition, or are receiving treatment of any kind as this might affect the kind of treatment you can have, or on what areas of your body the therapist can work on.

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Deep tissue massage is also not recommended for people with acute or long-term mental health problems.

As with any massage, it's a good idea to avoid big meals and alcohol beforehand. You may feel a bit sore, or tired after a deep tissue massage though, so give yourself plenty of time to get there and get settled, and to have a lie-down or a shower afterwards. Any discomfort should go away within a few hours and it is really important to drink plenty of water to continue to flush out the toxins in the muscles.