There is a lot of variation among massage therapists in the delivery of Deep Tissue. For some reason, the impression within the industry and public eye is that Deep Tissue is a hard and painful massage. If it doesn’t hurt, it's not working. Not so.

While discomfort can arise from tight and/or injured muscle, it should be more of a “hurt so good” sensation, like scratching an itch you can’t reach. It shouldn’t feel bruising. More like intensity, paired with a sense of relief, similar to cleaning a wound.

Explaining the difference between therapeutic "good" and "bad" pain is tricky. If you’re body tenses in response to pressure, it’s probably too much and won’t be beneficial to you.

Muscles overlap each other in layers and Deep Tissue aims to reach deeper layers to free adhesions and increase circulation. Certain depth is needed to achieve this but speed and direction of the technique determines how intense it feels.

My Deep Tissue sessions are slow paced, so the body feels unthreatened. I feel for cues that the pressure feels safe and the body is prepared for deep work. The muscles are guided toward better alignment, helping to reduce pain and restore movement.

Lotion is used moderately.