Deep tissue massage is a type of massage therapy that focuses on realigning deeper layers of muscles and connective tissue. It is especially helpful for chronic aches and pains and contracted areas such as stiff neck and upper back, low back pain, leg muscle tightness, and sore shoulders. A deep tissue massage basically lengthens and releases your muscles that usually are stuck in an uncomfortable posture for a prolonged period of time. Due to this, they cause pain in the long run.
Massage therapists may use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms during the deep tissue massage. You may be asked to breathe deeply as the massage therapist works on certain tense areas. You should always feel free to speak up if the pressure is too much for you.
It's important to drink a lot of water after a deep tissue massage to help flush lactic acid out of the tissues. If you don't, you might be sore the next day. It's possible that you might feel some soreness the day after a deep tissue massage even if you DO drink water. This just means a lot of waste products were flushed out of the tissues. It should pass within a day or so.
The Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage
1. Provides relief from chronic back pain: Back pain is the most common type of pain reported, deep tissue massage can potentially help ease this pain.
2. Reduces Stress And Anxiety: Deep tissue massage could also be a solution to all that stress life throws at you.
3. Breaks up scarred tissue: When a person is injured or has a surgery, bands of painful, scarred tissues sometimes form. A massage therapist will apply pressure that will help to break up these bands and realign tissue fibres.
4. Lowers blood pressure: People who receive a deep tissue massage for 45 to 60 minutes have a significant dip in their blood pressure readings. For this reason, deep tissue massage therapy may be used as part of a holistic approach to treat hypertension.