"Do you do a Deep Tissue Massage?"

That's often the first thing I am asked when I say I'm a massage therapist. My answer is "Yes and No." I completely understand what they mean. They don't want to receive light Swedish massage for relaxation, but therapeutic one that will help loosen up their knotted up areas. However, some of them think that deep tissue massage has to be intense to the point that they have to hold the breath and endure it because that's what they think is good for their body. The tissues could be damaged or bruised creating another stronger sensation only to mask the tension you originally felt, and your body may have to work hard to repair the damages. And, if you have high blood pressure, a painful massage could increase your blood pressure. It's all counterproductive. I say "No" to that kind of deep tissue massage.

First of all, it takes time for your body to accept deep pressure. I have to listen to the body until it melts. Layer by layer to deeper tissues. So, yes, I do a deep tissue massage. It takes a certain amount of pressure to do that, but never in full force.

Secondly, the muscles are not really what I work on. I work on the nervous system, which controls the muscles. Quite often, an intense massage makes your body even more tense because the body tries to guard. I have to manipulate the tissue in a pleasant way so that the nervous system will send a signal to relax the muscles because the chronic muscle tension is like the communication between the brain and muscles is disrupted. What I do is like resetting the system. I constantly change the pressure and techniques based on the feedback from the body. How the body responds really depends on the clients. If they haven't received a massage for a long time, it normally takes longer for the body to relax. The first session might not cover the whole area that you want me to work on, so it is recommended to schedule another one within a week or two.

When I think of this question, I visualize "The North Wind and the Sun," one of Aesop's Fables. The objective is to take off a traveler's coat (to relax the muscles). The North Wind couldn't do that with force, and the traveler even held on to the coat even tighter, but the Sun did with pleasant and gentle warmth (manipulating the tissue in a pleasant way).

If you haven't tried this type of Deep Tissue, call me now!