My approach to “deep tissue massage.”

What is deep tissue massage?

If you ask 10 different therapists, you might get 10 different answers to this question. This is simply my interpretation of deep tissue massage to help you decide if I am the right massage therapist for you!

Deep tissue massage just means that we are spending some extra time to ease restrictions in the muscle and fascia, rather than gliding over the whole body for relaxation. This work requires patience and anatomical knowledge… but it doesn’t necessarily require an extremely deep pressure. Trigger points and fascial restrictions can be very effectively treated with medium pressure. I firmly believe that the nervous system is in charge of what ultimately lets go during your massage session, and we will not get anywhere by triggering your sympathetic nervous system response with pain.

There may be some “good pain” (pain that feels like it is creating positive changes where it is needed in the body) with my style of deep tissue work, but I am very careful to avoid any “bad pain” (pain that is signaling tissue damage or injury).

If you are looking for a super aggressive or painful massage, then I am definitely not the right fit.

Deep tissue massage is NOT equivalent to deep pressure massage! If you are a person who loves a firm pressure in a full body massage, we can definitely do that! For some people, a deeper pressure massage is quite relaxing. For others, deep pressure will cause discomfort and muscle guarding, which is counterproductive. This means that any massage, including deep tissue massage, will look different on each client, depending on their pain threshold and pressure preference. But please remember that sometimes less is more.

Sometimes I use hot stones or hot towels to assist with deep tissue work; sometimes I use myofascial cupping; and I almost always use sustained holds of trigger points to release tight bands of muscle.

Most of the full body massages I give end up being about 80% relaxing Swedish style (of any desired pressure level), and 20% deep tissue work on a small area that is painful or restricted (also within the tolerance level of the client). However, your massage can be any combination that suits your needs the best! Before each session, I always want to know what you would like to focus on in your massage.


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CranioSacral Therapy