Are you ever curious about WHO discovered massage in the first place? Who one day decided that they were going to try working on the body this way. The answer is the Egyptians and Greeks are who discovered the healing power of massage.
Later in the 1800s, the concept was then adopted in Canada and The United States.
As time went on, the practice of massage began to flourish and grow. In 1970, Therese Phimmer established solid guidelines on Deep Tissue Massage. Her book, “Muscles Your Invisible Bonds,” became the “how-to” manual for many first emerging massage therapists.
Therese Phimmer’s journey began through daily deep tissue massage to help reverse paralysis in her legs, which encouraged her to become a trained massage therapist.
Phimmer wrote her book in 24 hours and had it sent to a publisher. In 1971 she opened the Deep Muscle Therapy School and taught her first class! She died on March 11th, 1980 and was able to train 73 therapists.
Deep Tissue Massage is recommended amongst individuals who engage in physical activity such as running or those suffering from injury and chronic pain. However, if you consider yourself as somebody who has little tolerance to pain, then Swedish Massage may be a better option for you.
Deep Tissue Massage and Swedish Massage are different, although some elements remain similar. The two massages, Deep Tissue and Swedish, use the same strokes, BUT they vary significantly in the amount of pressure used.
Deep Tissue Massage is NOT safe for everybody. If you have any of these symptoms or conditions present, then Deep Tissue Massage may not be suitable for you at this time.
If you have blood clots or clotting disorder.
If you are taking blood thinners.
If you have a bleeding disorder.
People with Osteoporosis and Cancer that has spread to the bones should avoid Deep Tissue Massage because it can cause fractures in your bones.
If you have an open wound or a skin infection, then reschedule your appointment. This way, you avoid developing a new infection and prevent the condition from getting worse.
So you scheduled your first Deep Tissue Massage. What’s next?
Your massage therapist will ask you questions before you start the treatment. They will ask about your problem areas and whether the treatment will focus on the body as a whole or in just one spot.
Communicating with your therapist is essential to ensure no further injury occurs.
Your massage therapist will ask you to lie on your stomach and under the sheet. Your level of undress is based on your comfort. However, the area that needs work will need to be exposed.
Your therapist will begin the massage with a light warm-up touch and use deep kneading and stroking with varying/intense pressure.
Deep Tissue Massage is a type of massage used to treat chronic pain in individuals and sports-related injuries.
The techniques used during this massage are a combination of kneading and manipulating the tissue with the palms, fingers, elbows, and forearms. The elbows and forearms are used to increase the pressure of the massage.
If you struggle with tight hamstrings or shoulder muscles due to working out and running, then the Deep Tissue Massage is the perfect choice to target those inner layers of the muscles.
The importance of Deep Tissue Massage is to treat tendon and muscle injuries, pain, and stiffness in major muscle groups and joints.
Aside from the benefits for sports-related injuries, Deep Tissue Massage can also help aid in healing when it comes to chronic pain, our mental health, and digestion.
In other words, when you are getting a Deep Tissue Massage, you are benefiting from the physical and psychological relief it can bring.
For instance, a Deep Tissue Massage can have tremendous impacts on your mental health, reducing stress after a long day, anxiety, and depression. The Deep Tissue Massage can offer coping mechanisms and relaxation. With that comes better sleep and an increase in serotonin.
A Deep Tissue Massage is also beneficial for those suffering from chronic constipation. After a back or full-body massage, your body feels relaxed, helping alleviate the symptoms of constipation.
You can significantly reduce pain with a Deep Tissue Massage versus other therapeutic massages. Since the treatment is focused on the problem areas, your therapist can target your pain spots and where you need attention the most.
Deep Tissue Massage can increase sports performance in athletes because it breaks up the scar tissue while increasing the range of motion. If you are a runner, this is especially beneficial to you!
Aside from the increase in range of motion, your muscles can relax and lengthen. This is much needed after long training days or for individuals experiencing stiffness due to lack of exercise.
A Deep Tissue Massage will increase blood circulation in the body, helping reduce swelling and build-up of fluid around scar tissue, promoting healing.
Physical benefits aside, let’s explore the mental benefits of massage in general. Day in and out, we experience stress, spending a lot of time behind a screen, and the tension in our neck and shoulders, leading to headaches and migraines.
Our body is a system that functions simultaneously together, constantly compensating for one another. Hence, if one system is down, other systems begin to work harder, resulting in long-term pain and problems.
We are not talking only about physical pain as a result, but emotional and mental as well.
A Deep Tissue Massage is a way to move emotions in the body and allow for a release on the emotional level, alleviating stress and anxiety in the mental realm.
Are you beginning to see how it is all connected?
Help with Fibromyalgia and Plantar Fasciitis
Increase Blood Flow (Not recommended for patients with high blood pressure and cancer)
Help with Sciatica
Tennis Elbow
Increase Serotonin Levels
We won’t dive deep into this topic during this blog. Instead, we'll briefly touch on it to give you something to walk away with today.
If booking a Deep Tissue Massage is not in your schedule at this time, there are other ways that you can tend to your body that can have therapeutic effects.
Stretching And Yoga At Home
It would be best if you are stretching every day. It doesn’t have to be for hours at a time, but carving out 15 minutes every day will help you build momentum and implement this healthy habit into your life which will have positive, long-term effects on your body.
You can’t put a price tag on that.
Self Massage At Home With No Equipment
We know that a massage from a trained professional feels a lot better. This is an excellent opportunity to drop into your body and connect through self-massage when you feel stressed out, tense or both.
Here are five techniques that you can try at home to restore some balance throughout your day through self-massage.
Whether you are exploring through town on Oahu or just getting out of the water from surfing, we are ready to accompany your healing journey.
We are located conveniently right in the middle of town by Honolulu and Ala Moana shopping centre. If you are looking to pencil yourself in or want to inquire more about the Deep Tissue Massage at our clinic, call today at (808)200-4611.
Or feel free to drop by the office and inquire about booking your next appointment, address: 350 Ward Ave #210, Honolulu, HI 96814, United States.
Deep Tissue Massage is a therapy targeted towards healing injuries and working with tension in the body. The applied pressure and techniques vary to regular massage therapy, so if you don’t have a high pain tolerance and are looking for something more relaxing, we would recommend other types of massage therapy.
Trying stretching and yoga are beneficial to help promote healing and a healthy functioning body. However, having a Deep Tissue Massage enables you to get into the deeper layers of the tissues and muscles that need more attention.
