Dispelling the Myth Deep Tissue Massage Should Hurt

“Ah its only a bit of pain, we are not doing anything if it doesn’t hurt ! “

If ever you hear the above sort of statement from a therapist, chances are you’re at the wrong one. Any form of massage should not hurt !!! Massage is a therapeutic intervention to muscles tendons and fascia and receiving it should be subjective, its not a ‘one fits all technique ‘

The fact you have to lie there with gritted teeth in a state of constant apprehension, should scream warning and also highlight what is happening isn’t therapeutic at all, just painful, would you punch yourself in the leg several times with the notion it’s painful so obviously it is doing you good ???

A good therapist and the pressure they apply with their techniques will be governed by the response of their patient ‘ let me know the depth and pressure that feels comfortable for you?, Would be a reassuring statement to hear.

Deep tissue massage says what it is on the tin , as therapists we are trying to engage a therapeutic response from the deeper tissue as well as the superficial .By pressing harder and inflicting pain , the bodies nervous system will just go into ‘ flight or fight mode’ and guard against the intruder that is inflicting the discomfort, by tensing and contracting the muscular system ( that grit your teeth and groan into the treatment table time ). In doing this the therapist can no longer access those ‘deeper areas of tissue’ so in all , not achieving anything positive. There is more than one way to skin a cat and far more effective methods than inflicting pain, a good therapist will know and utilise those.

So next time your lying there thinking your doing your body a favour, remember pain generally means damage and damage is not good and the perceived feeling of well being afterwards, is only probably because your body is thanking you for no longer subjecting it to torture .