What Is Deep Tissue Massage Therapy? One
form of Massage Therapy is deep tissue massage.
This is also referred to as sports
massage at times.
This massage method applies pressure to
tendons, fascia, connective tissue, and muscles
under the skin but also the deep down
muscles.
This is a fairly intense massage compared to
say a Swedish massage and is used for many
types of people and is therefore not just for
athletes as some people believe.
We will explore Deep tissue massage in this
article.
First, what is Deep Tissue
Massage? This form of massage is a
method that explores and applies pressure to
the layers of deep muscles and tendons,
connective tissue, and fascia mainly. This is
done usually by pressure from fingertips as
applied by a therapist.
How specifically? Well, the therapist
utilizes deep pressure via the fingertips in a
slow stroking fashion. This can be done by
following the grain of the muscle, fascia or
tendon or by going actually across the grains
of the fibers.
What is the purpose of this type of massage?
The focus and aim is to release any tension
patterns in the fiber. To make patterns of
tension stuck down inside go relax and go away.
These areas are usually chronically contracted
and the friction is applied to the fibers with
the fingertips in a direct way while going
across the grain.
What are some of the benefits of deep tissue
massage therapy? They are:
- helps to relieve pain
- Helps to promote healing
- teaches and helps the body to realign
itself
- Can help to eliminate scar tissue by
breaking it up
- Helps to relieve tension
- soothes and relaxes muscles
- helps to remove toxins
- Helps the blood circulate better
- helps to increase oxygen flow
This deep massage method concentrates on
specific areas with the therapist using slow
and deep massaging strokes. In this way, the
massage sinks beyond any superficial layers and
goes into the structure of fibers much deeper
down.
The therapist will do this with compression and
long slow strokes. The pressure is applied
with:
- The therapists Forearms
- Their hands
- Their knuckles
- Their elbows
- Their fingertips
- Their thumbs
- Their fists
Usually there is some lotion, oil or a creme
used to help with friction in working into the
deeper structures of the fibers.
Although this massage therapy concentrates
on specific areas usually you will not have
much soreness when proper techniques are
utilized.
However, there might be some soreness just
the same but it will be well worth it as a
person usually feels really a lot better after
a couple of days.
So what types of conditions can deep tissue
massages help with? Some possibilities are:
-
alleviating or easing tension
-
helping with headaches
-
reducing or eliminating neck pain
-
General pain relief
-
reducing or eliminating trigger
points
-
Helping to relieve back pain
-
helping to heal a sports injury
-
help with soft tissue damage
-
reduce discomfort of tennis elbow
-
reduce symptoms of golfers elbow
and many more.
While this from of deep massage
can be somewhat uncomfortable at times the
therapist will warm the soft tissue before
going into deeper fibers.
Theraputic Massage Terms and
Facts.
Massage therapy
does not normally cause a
person to be in pain but there
might be soreness for a couple
of days but this can be
alleviated with time and by
drinking a lot of water
helps.
Drinking water
is important because massage
releases toxins built up in the
body that need to come out.
The water will
help flush the toxins all the
way out of the body.
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But no matter what the end goal is for the
therapy session with deep tissue massage
applying more and more pressure is usually
not going to achieve better results or be
more effective as there needs to be a whole
therapeutic program to achieve the goals.
However, by learning from the therapist,
some stretches to do at home along with
strengthening exercises on can probably
realize the many benefits of utilizing a
deep tissue massage therapy program.
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