What Exactly Is Deep Tissue Massage?

I combine connective tissue and neuromuscular therapies into my deep tissue massage work. While each practitioner may have different insights to what defines deep tissue massage, we all agree on at least two things: greater pressure is used to access and manipulate the body's deeper tissues and the process is much slower than other well-known forms of massage work.

My personal interpretation includes specific work to both connective tissue and trigger points as well as deep muscle massage. Connective tissue is micro-thin layer of clear tissue wrapping every muscle fiber, bundle, organ and system in the body. It can be clearly seen when you are preparing raw chicken. Connective tissue is normally very pliable and has a rather wet, sticky consistency. However, it, like all tissue, tends to gel and thicken when cooled and through insufficient use.

The good news is that connective tissue can become pliable again quickly through massage work, reversing properties of thixotropy. Massage warms and elongates the tissue, allowing for greater range of motion and less stress to the tissue when we move, exercise or stretch.

Neuromuscular therapy or trigger point therapy works to return extraordinarily contracted or over-contracted muscles to normal length. The layperson refers to trigger points as "knots" in their muscles. What's happening is the muscle spindles are contracted by chemical reaction, but normal releasing chemicals are unable to seat to trigger a release of the mechanism. There may be a shortage of releasing chemicals in your body (potassium / sodium balance) or the muscle was overworked and won't release on its own.

Again, massage therapy can work to release these mechanisms and allow the muscles to return to their ordinary length, breaking up the "knot". Other benefits of releasing trigger points is that toxins build up within the contraction and do not flush out through the body's normal tissue flushing systems, the blood and lymph circulation.

When the muscle is freed, toxins such as uric and lactic acids, among others, flush out into the circulation streams and, eventually, out of the body. That's why it's so important to drink plenty of water after getting massage!

I hope you enjoyed this learning experience!