What is ‘deep tissue massage’?
My belief is there is a misconception around this type of treatment. First I’d like to begin with no where within the BC registered massage therapy education do we have a class that specifically teaches ‘deep tissue massage’. I’m acutely aware of this fact since I instruct at a registered massage therapy college. Why then do people see this term used in advertising or used in general conversations such as, “my therapist does deep tissue massage”? How did this all begin?
Deep tissue massage was first written about by Ida Rolf, the founder of Rolfing. She also studied as an osteopath and taught many courses. She was correct in many of her theories of manual techniques and what layer of tissue needed to be mobilized to regain proper function, but I believe the term ‘deep tissue massage’ has turned into something she had not fully intended on. Her techniques would be quite painful (8+ out of 10 on a pain scale).
Does pain equal deep tissue massage? In my experience I can apply tremendous amounts of pressure, lean my full body weight into someones body without causing them pain. It needs to be understood that we do not have nerve receptors that specifically measure pain. We have receptors that tell us about hot, cold, vibration, pressure, proprioception, and nociceptors, but no actual pain receptors. This means pain is something the brain creates in response to potential injury. The big picture with ‘deep tissue massage’ is whether or not the depth of pressure is more related to a conscious thought of what feels good when being touched, which is all relative to each individuals needs. Deep tissue massage is not changing this tissue in regards to aligning fibers. Really all that is happening is the brain is resetting the baseline tone to an area, or changing the fluid dynamics because of the sensory input generated by the therapist. Gentle pressure on one person can be just as painful as intense pressure on the next and have the same results, depending who is receiving the treatment.
Who is the judge of what will be most effective for each individual patient? Obviously the patient is the ultimate judge of whether they feel better after a treatment. What's important is for the therapist and the patient to co-create a treatment plan which will accomplish the goal at hand.
Our mental, emotional, physical well being is all wrapped up in to one, and all of these factors need to be considered when determining a treatment plan. Its rarely, if ever just a physical tissue issue. And this is what keeps me fascinated and curious and constantly learning more, I love the interrelationship of our body and mind, and facilitating in peoples healing process.