Deep Tissue Massage
Deep tissue massage is used as a rehabilitative treatment to muscle pain in constantly tense and compressed areas of the body such as the neck, back and shoulders. It is recommended for those recovering from injuries such as whiplash or falls as well as postural problems, repetitive strain injury (e.g. the carpal tunnel syndrome), fibromyalgia, ostheoarthritis pain and muscle tension or spasm.
Chronic muscle tension occurs when there are adhesions or bands of
painful, stiff and contracted muscles resulting in the inability of smooth
blood circulation in the area, inflammation and constrained physical
movement. Deep tissue massage serves to break down adhesions and bring the
muscles back to their normal state easing the pain and restoring
unhampered movement.
A combination of massage strokes are performed slower and with more
intense finger pressure localized on the areas of pain in order to align the
deeper muscles, tendons and myofascia (connective tissues), layer by layer.
Penetrating movements involve compression along the length of the
muscle fiber and cross fiber friction as well. The knuckles, elbow, fist and
forearm are also used by massage therapists in the process.
It is expected that there may be pain during and soreness after the massage
and it is helpful for the therapist if the client voices out when the strokes
are beyond their comfort zone. Pain normally subsides in a few days and
applying ice on the area is recommended for relief.
How Deep Tissue Massage Work
Adhesions block the blood circulation causing pain, restricted movement, and inflammation. The techniques employed in deep tissue massage break down the adhesion or rigidity in the ligaments and muscle fibers; relieve pain and restore the movement to normal.
The Strokes Used in Deep Tissue Massage
Some of strokes used in deep tissue massage include:
-
Lengthening Strokes
-
The Anchor and Stretch
-
Cross-fiber Strokes
Lengthening Strokes
These are the most commonly used strokes covering both long and short muscles. The long flowing strokes especially are extremely useful for deep tissue work.
The Anchor and Stretch
This is a method to treat the knots in muscles by first anchoring at the spot of extreme tension and then stretching the muscle in either.
Cross-Fiber Strokes
This technique is employed by rolling of the fingers over the muscle tendon, in a back and forth motion that is completely perpendicular to the direction of fiber.
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/massage/a/massage.htm
http://drdavedc.com/deep-tissue.html