Massage Therapy

A Guide to Performing Deep Tissue Massage After Massage Therapy Training

December 22, 2017

massaging upper back of client

Becoming a massage therapist means learning a wide variety of essential skills. Massage therapists need to know how to propose treatment plans, conduct range of motion tests, and, of course, administer different massage techniques. As you’ll soon learn during your studies, different massage techniques are best suited to different conditions and clients. For example, deep tissue massage is an excellent technique that can be a powerful option for many. Want to know a little more about this massage technique? Read on!

The Basics of Deep Tissue Massage

Graduates of massage therapy college know that deep tissue massage is typically a more intense and targeted style of massage. It is an option that will be applied by massage therapists on clients with problems like consistent stiffness in the back or neck, lower back pain, or tightness in leg muscles. Deep tissue massage is better suited to targeting and loosening up these problem areas than other gentler types of massage such as Swedish massage.

A woman getting a massage
A deep tissue massage will use firm and consistent pressure to combat pain and stiffness

Deep tissue massage will often consist of a light general massage to warm up the muscles before a 1-2 process of “stripping,” which involves applying pressure along the muscle using elbows or thumbs. Then, a massage therapist will apply friction against the muscle grain to reset fibre positions.

Grads of Massage Therapy College Know Deep Tissue Massage Is Ideal for Some Clients

Those looking to become a massage therapist should know demand for deep tissue massage is quite diverse. It is true that deep tissue massage is a popular choice with clients of all types with chronic on-going pain in their necks and backs, including office workers dealing with posture problems.

However, it is also regularly chosen by those clients who report low-level muscle tension—including a lot of athletes and runners with persistent leg tension. Deep tissue massage techniques are highly effective at targeting these ‘knots’ of tension in the calves and glutes. The technique works for a broad range of issues, and only clients with certain pre-existing conditions—such as deep vein thrombosis—are ineligible for deep tissue massages.

Massage Therapists Know that Deep Tissue Massage Shouldn’t Be Painful

The short-term pain that can be associated with deep tissue massage has sometimes intimidated clients who could benefit from this type of massage technique. It is true that the vigor required to address deeply embedded stress knots can result in some pain, but a properly applied deep tissue massage should at most only result in minimal aches that resolve themselves in a number of hours.

Overly strenuous or wrongly applied massage can be dangerous, and demonstrates the need for professionalism among those carrying it out. This is underlined by the fact that ‘Massage Therapist’ is a protected title in Ontario, which can only be attained by completing a massage therapy program at a respected institution and then completing certain required exams. Medix College, for example is a member of the Ontario Council for Private Massage Therapy Colleges (OCPMTC). This means that graduates can write the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario (CMTO) exam to obtain the designation of ‘Massage Therapist’.

Do you want to build up your knowledge of effective massage techniques?

Contact Medix College today to kick start your career with massage therapy school in Ontario.

Visit Our Blog Directory