What Are the Benefits of Deep Tissue Massage?

A stiff neck, aching back or irritable shoulder pain may make it hard to enjoy daily activities.

Moving your head makes it feel like someone is sticking needles into your neck.

Even simple tasks like stretching your hand to reach for your water bottle, your shoulders scream in pain. Or trying to stand up, the agonizing back pain you feel while your knees protest with creaking sounds.

But there is a remedy for this pain:

Deep tissue massage!

Here is how it can help you live a pain-free, comfortable and fulfilled life.

1. It May Reduce Lower Back Pain

Researchers did a study on 27 men suffering from ankylosing spondylitis arthritis (AS).

The researchers wanted to compare the effectiveness of managing AS using deep tissue and therapeutic massage.

The results showed that deep tissue massage was more effective than therapeutic massage in reducing pain among AS patients.

And the table below shows why deep tissue successfully reduced pain—lower back, shoulder, neck and knee—compared to therapeutic massage.

 

Aspect	Deep Tissue Massage	Therapeutic Massage
Focus	Targets deep layers of muscles and connective tissues.	Focuses on relaxing muscles and relieving tension.
Pressure	Uses firm and intense pressure to break up adhesions and knots.	Utilizes moderate pressure to promote relaxation and relief.
Technique	Uses slow strokes and deep finger pressure.	Utilizes various techniques, including Swedish, shiatsu, myofascial release, etc.
Posture Improvement	It can help improve posture by releasing tension in specific muscles.	It may contribute to better posture but is less targeted than deep tissue massage.

2. Works Wonders during Pregnancy

If you or a loved one is pregnant, you must schedule a few deep tissue massage sessions.

Deep tissue massage when pregnant will make you feel like you are not carrying any extra weight by releasing tension in the muscles and ligaments in your lower back.

This tension may come from excess weight gain and increased pressure on the spine as the uterus grows.

Deep tissue massage also aids in stress reduction by allowing you to relax and release endorphins. These are mood enhancers which will turn your gloomy mood into smiles before the session is over.

Additionally, scheduling frequent deep-tissue massage sessions will have you enjoying your pregnancy experience.

But make sure to remind your massage therapist to wake you up at the end of the session because the massage may knock you out completely!

However, ensure you use a trained masseuse for deep tissue massage when pregnant. Because pregnancy is a delicate journey, and anything done to your body should be safe for you and the baby. 

Also, remember to consult with your doctor first so that they can give you the green light to enjoy this relaxing and mood-boosting massage.

3. May Reduce Heart Rate

A study on 263 volunteers found that deep tissue massage may reduce the heart rate by an average of 10.8 beats per minute.

You can reduce your heart rate using deep tissue massage because:

1. Helps release muscle tension, releasing pressure on the heart and allowing it to circulate blood properly.
2. Elevate your mood by stimulating the release of endorphins. Endorphins make you feel happier, relaxed and calm, which helps in reducing your heart rate.
3. Releases tension in the chest and diaphragm muscles, making breathing more relaxed and efficient.

4. May Break Up Scar Tissue

Scar tissue is your body’s natural way of healing injuries by producing collagen, which eventually becomes normal tissue.

However, if collagen production occurs sporadically, especially during an injury where your body produces collagen cells randomly to heal the injury, this results in scar tissue formation.

Normally scar tissue is not painful but causes discomfort as it reduces mobility as the healing area may become very stiff, restricting movement.

It also causes compression by putting pressure on the nearby nerves resulting in pain, tingling or numbness in the affected area.

But by indulging in sessions of deep tissue massage and the massage therapist applying firm and targeted pressure on the scar, it helps to stretch and manipulate the muscle and connective tissues. 

With time the deep tissue massage restores a more organized and flexible tissue structure.

Schedule a Deep Tissue Massage Session in Langley, BC

If you want to experience these benefits or are just looking to reduce stress, muscle recovery, prevent injuries and improve the overall quality of life, you should have a deep tissue massage session.

And in Langley, Fluid Spa & Salon has expert massage therapists skilled in deep tissue massage.

They know how to set the mood right, with soft music playing in the background and a masterful touch to unlock the knots in your muscles and relieve the pain.

Schedule an appointment with Fluid Spa & Salon today to enjoy deep relaxation and pure rejuvenation.