WHERE TO GET DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE
No one is requesting a deep tissue massage on the stomach or chest, although that’s what can provide lasting back pain relief. In fact, only in going through the belly can you reach the lower back muscles that typically cause pain—the hip flexors. Those together with the abs get really weak because we sit so much. But uneducated minds believe that pain is where it is felt, and so it needs to be “fixed” where it is felt.
This “uneducatedness” spreads only onto the realm of our own body. The same minds know that when the engine light of a car comes on that you have to look under the hood, as the dashboard is only the area to signal a problem. So, using this analogy let me try to convince you that back pain which you believe should be treated with deep tissue massage on the back could be a symptom pointing to the fact that something is out of order. I agree it is a bit tricky to find the exact area that needs to be worked on unless you have been doing bodywork for 10+ years.
PLACEBO EFFECT?
It goes without saying that the same rule goes for a deep tissue shoulder massage, deep tissue calf massage, etc. You still can benefit from getting it done, but in my opinion, it is because your body gets a break and your mind a placebo. I say that because, back in the day, I made a small fortune doing the best deep tissue massage in Charlotte, filling up my schedule with returning clients—and their returned pain! Somehow, they were happy to return, perhaps because they believed it’s normal to be in pain at a certain age, with all the stress and demands their bodies experience. One would think if we were created in the image of GOD, we are more stress-resilient.
DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE THERAPISTS
Unfortunately, many deep tissue massage therapists don’t think twice when you ask to stick an elbow in your back as deep as possible. Have you noticed that many massage therapists offer deep tissue but it’s hard to find one who gives enough pressure? Massage forums are filled with questions “How do I give more pressure without hurting myself?” Maybe it’s because pain is not in the back but in the brain… But demand dictates supply, and it’s convenient to charge more for this popular service. Our bodyworkers go deep where it is needed which is determined by an assessment.
DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT
Those who believe focused deep tissue massage on the lower back will solve the discomfort will be proven wrong in a day or two. But I am mostly shocked by individuals who request full body deep tissue massages. Rolfers—bodyworkers who work the body layer by layer to get to the deepest core and create significant change in posture and pain do such work in 10 sessions. Can you imagine the reduction in quality when a 10-hour job is squeezed into one hour?
FOLLOW YOUR HEART
Let’s wrap up this deep talk with a simple piece of advice. You do You! If you are satisfied with regular deep tissue massages on your back and don’t wonder why it’s not sustainable—by all means keep up with it because deep tissue massage is better than no massage at all. However, if I was able to plant a seed of skepticism, I challenge you to find a bodyworker who will explore your depths from a different perspective.