Over time our muscles and fascia (connective tissue) can become tense. Muscle tension is when our muscles stay partially contracted for a period of time. When this happens blood and oxygen circulation can be blocked, leading to inflammation which in turn can build up toxins. At first tense muscles and tissues feel stiff, long-term they can be chronically painful.
Another source of pain can be scar tissue. After an injury or surgery scar tissue can develop. Scar tissue is not the same as skin tissue; it is less elastic and may lead to tightness, restricted movement, and pain.
A specific example of muscle tension is a muscle “knot”, often found in our back and shoulders. They can occur when a muscle has been irritated by a repetitive motion, or when a muscle has been in an agitated position for a while (e.g. sitting at a computer all day). Muscle knots are stiff bands of muscle which have a hard centre. Because knots have reduced blood flow and circulation, toxins can get trapped. Over time the toxins can solidify in the muscle as hard “crystals”.
Deep tissue massage uses slow strokes combined with sustained firm pressure to compress and stretch deep layers of muscle and fascia. By gliding along the length of muscle fibres and also cross-fibering them (i.e. against the muscle grain), muscle fibres are lengthened, fascia tissue is loosened and scar tissue is broken down.
In this way, tension is reduced or removed from the muscles and fascia. So there is a decrease in pain, a release of toxins from the muscles and improved blood/oxygen circulation.
Although deep tissue massage is an intense massage technique, it should not be painful. Muscles and tissue are always warmed up using lighter strokes before applying deeper pressure. And therapist and client work together to find the client's “pressure threshold” (as every client is different); application of pressure is always within this threshold.
24th October 2022
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