FAQ: Is Deep Tissue Massage painful?

Some people want to get Swedish Massage to relax, and some love Deep Tissue Massage to feel that their body is surely worked on.  Whatever you choose, all massage is “therapeutic” in the sense that massage influences and promotes your well-being.  

Deep Tissue Massage (I call it Connective Tissue Therapy) seems to be regarded as a somewhat painful method opposed to Swedish Massage.  However, the Connective Tissue Therapy I learned is not intended to push hard or cause pain.  As I explained about fascia and the cornstarch experiment in the previous post “Fascia (Connective Tissue),” I sink in to the tissue slowly only to the degree that the tissue allows me (read about my techniques).  It may not turn out to be “deep” depending on the condition of the tissue, but it is all effective as the superficial fascia still has an effect on the deep fascia.  The work is intended to allow the restricted or dehydrated fascia to become softer and more supple.  The Connective Tissue Therapy invites you to be aware of your body and provides a unique opportunity to discover yourself.  You could experience deeper relaxation because of the slower pace.

Ask your massage therapist first what their “Deep Tissue Massage” is like.  Since massage techniques, methods, and approaches are not clearly defined unless they are registered such as Rolfing®, “Deep Tissue Massage” can be quite different depending on the therapist.  And also, it may be called “Connective Tissue Massage/Therapy,” ”Myofascial Massage,” or something else.  It's important to find one you like, whatever is called.

If you like Deep Tissue Massage, read "No Pain, No Gain?"

Fascia (Connective Tissue)

Fascia was most talked about at massage school, and has been a hot topic in the bodywork field.  Fascia is connective tissue forming a continuous, three-dimensional matrix, and has different forms and many functions.  It surrounds all organs, nerves, blood vessels, muscles and bones.  It also supports the body against gravity, protects, separates and connects structures of the body, enables all movement to happen, communicates, delivers nutrients, and eliminates waste.  Here is a video showing how fascia looks like.  

When you have chronic contraction, repetitive use, emotional distress or poor nutrition, fascia becomes restricted, adhered, or dehydrated.  Since the whole body is connected with fascia, one part of the body may affect other parts as well.  It is like pulling one section of a knitted sweater changes the balance and tension of the threads of yarn of the whole sweater.  The notion of fascia is important for massage therapists because it brings your attention, not only to specific muscles, but to a whole body.

To understand what fascia feels like, we had an experiment at massage school using cornstarch.  You need a small paper cup (for mouthwash), water, and cornstarch.  Put cornstarch in the cup and add enough water to cover the cornstarch.  Wait until the cornstarch is settled at the bottom of the cup.  Then, stick your finger into the cornstarch quickly with force.  The cornstarch gets hardened, so your finger stops on the surface and cannot get it through.  Next, try to stick your finger into the cornstarch slowly and gently without resisting.  This time, your finger can get through the cornstarch and touch the bottom of the cup.  Cornstarch is the fascia.  You can sink into the fascia slowly and gently, but not with force. 

Fascia is the fundamental component in the Connective Tissue Therapy I learned in school.  It touches into the whole person through addressing fascia and the connections to the entire body.  Continue to read “FAQ: Is Deep Tissue Massage painful?”

Art of Pressure

It seems pretty common that some people got a massage from friends and family, and it got sore or even painful, next day.  The reason why you got hurt next day is your muscle fibers got damaged (bruised) because of too much pressure.  Just because the muscle is tight, you can’t pound on it expecting it getting tender (your body isn’t meat!).  Besides, “No pain, no gain" isn’t always true.  As much as I want to promote self-care, I don’t necessarily recommend your friends and family give you a massage.  It’s not the techniques that they lack,  but the art of pressure, speed and depth, in my opinion.  

I get comments from my clients that the pressure I use is “just right.” I immerse myself in the feel of tissue (it’s a mentally and physically hard work), and I don’t go deeper than what the tissue lets me.  Although we usually talk about “pressure,” it is actually a combination of pressure, speed and depth.  My pace may be a little slower than the average massage therapists’ because I “listen to the tissue” every inch.  It requires both sensitivity of my palpation (touch) and intuition.  It is as if tissue calls out for me to get my attention.  If I move faster, I may miss it.  If something gets my attention, I stop, work on it, and, when I feel a change again, continue.  

I don’t normally analyze what it is, why it is there, or what it means when I notice some change in the tissue, unless I apply Trigger Point Therapy.  The great thing about the massage therapy profession is that massage therapists are not allowed to diagnose – it’s out of the scope of practice.  We can’t name or label what the condition is.  To me, it’s such a freedom because I want to see a person as a whole, not the collection of conditions and symptoms.  Like in the Eastern medicine, you can only find imbalance in the body, whatever it manifests.