March 2010 Newsletter Article

Different Deep Tissue Techniques

There are different techniques massage therapists use to prep your muscles for deep tissue work – and many of these techniques feel very gentle. It is a common misconception that in order for something to be deep tissue, it must hurt or you must really feel it. On the contrary, many times we will work with the top layer of muscle (fascia) or the proprioceptors of the muscle tissue that often times feels like a light, non invasive touch but in reality is prepping the muscles to loosen up so that deeper work may be accomplished. Below are some different techniques that may be used:

Neuromuscular
What it is: Specialized pressure or strokes, usually delivered by thumb or finger contact, with alternating levels of concentrated pressure on muscle areas. Neuromuscular therapy aims to balance the central nervous system with the musculoskeletal system to correct any disorders brought about as a result of any imbalances between the two. Neuromuscular therapy enhances the function of joints and muscles, and speeds healing by facilitating the release of endorphins and reprogramming the proprioceptors in muscles to send a different message to the brain about the muscle being worked on (ex. This muscle wants to relax).

What the therapist does:
The therapist will find an area that is tight, typically working on small sections at a time. Using their fingers or thumbs they will do a sequence of strokes, repeating 2-3 times over the area, more when the area feels contracted or problematic. Each stroke lasts about 5-10 seconds. Therapists will use a light pressure - on a scale of 1-10 it is a 2-3 as too much force would actually cause the muscle to contract, which would encourage the nervous system to program the muscle to resist the work.

What you will feel: Clients often describe Neuromuscular to feel as if the therapist is gently combing the tangles out of the nervous and muscular system. It feels like a soothing, slow movement.

Trigger Point
What it is: A form of deep tissue therapy that provides clients with relief from chronic pain. Once the therapist finds a ‘trigger point’ – which is a somatic dysfunction (i.e.. a knot) found in muscles, ligaments and tendons -  static pressure is applied anywhere from 5 to 90 seconds that provides pain relief and muscular relaxation. The static pressure deprives oxygen to the tender area, which in turn helps to restore it to normal function. It is also believed that stimulating the pain receptors in the area through direct pressure releases endorphins, thereby decreasing pain.

What the therapist does: The therapist will use the information from your intake (complaints of pain, patterns of pain, repetitive motions done, etc.) along with feeling the muscle for tender areas to find the affected spot (sometimes it feels like a little hard ball). Once found they will use their fingers, knuckles, elbows or sometimes trigger point tools to apply a static pressure for a certain amount of time until the pain on the point starts to wane. They will then slowly decrease their pressure and release, and follow up with friction or a stretch to the affected area.

What you will feel: The truth is trigger points can be painful when pressure is applied to them. You will feel like the point of the pain you are experiencing is being pinpointed down, and remember – you can tell the therapist to stop at anytime. On a scale from 1 to 10 the level of pain should initially be a 6 or 7, but as they hold the trigger point, the pain will diminish. Once they have released the point and ‘reset’ the muscle, you will feel much loser, relaxed, and as if you have had the knots worked out.

Myofascial Release:
What it is: Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. This soft tissue can become restricted, affecting the muscles and connective tissue. Myofascial release is a very effective hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure into the Myofascial connective tissue restrictions to eliminate pain and restore motion.

What the therapist does: The therapist will gently stretch the fascia, with only a few grams of pressure, which allows the fascia to 'unwind' itself. The gentle traction applied to the restricted fascia will result in heat and increased blood flow in the area. This allows the body's inherent ability for self correction to return, thus eliminating pain and restoring the optimum performance of the body. There are quite a few techniques to myofascial release, ranging from a very light touch to stretching that feels like a little burn.

What you will feel: Anything from a light touch, a gentle stretch, gentle tugging to stretching that feels a little bit like a burn. You will feel your muscle instantly get to a relaxed place.