I'm tackling this subject as there seems to be misinformation circulating that only deep tissue massage therapy is the only form of therapeutic massage, and that "fluffy", relaxation massage is some how less than. I am going to come out and just say it, your massage doesn't need to hurt to be effective. Based on my experiences as a practitioner, I will also go as far as to say it shouldn’t.
It’s okay, I can take it.
The first goal of a massage is to affect change on the nervous system. Through warming up the tissues either with heat or through tissue manipulation, this starts to influence the nervous system to "let go" and relax. Firstly, this process allows for the therapist to treat deeper without you experiencing pain. Secondly, warming up the tissues will decrease the risk of potential tissue injury (ie bruising) which is what massage therapy tries to avoid. Using deep tissue massage past the muscles tenderness barrier causes a reaction, typically the muscles tense up and you (the client) may even hold your breath. Your body does this as a defence mechanism, if pain is being caused beyond the body’s comfort threshold it will tense up and activate it’s sympathetic reaction (fight or flight). You may not necessarily want to jump off the table and actually run but your muscles are fighting what the treatment is providing. The sympathetic reaction may cause your muscles to either move into a concentric or isometric contraction, which means that the microscopic cross bridges that are involved in muscle contractions are being activated. When cross bridges are firing they cause the muscle to feel like a brick wall, blocking any of the work that the therapist is trying to do. Which can either protect potential trigger points the therapist is trying to release or block them from moving to the level of deeper postural muscles.
As a client, saying “it's okay to deeper I can take it,'' while holding your breath and preparing to "take the pain" is really the opposite of an effective treatment method, and truthfully can make your therapists job a lot harder. When treatment is starting to hit the pain limit that you and your therapist discuss prior to treatment commencing, the best thing to do is let them know. This will alert them to where you are at and maybe the therapist can change their methods. Health Care Practitioners (including Massage Therapist) lean towards using the pain scale chart below, however it is only useful if our clients understand how the scale works. I’ll be sure to have a copy of this chart available for my clients to use as a visual cue when it comes to their physical, psychological and emotional pain levels.
I often suggest electing for a variety of massage treatment options to be implemented into your treatment plan. Mixing up your deep tissue and relaxation focused treatments may help prolong the positive effects of massage and move you from the rehab plateau. Also, sometimes your mental state is playing a role in your physical pain and you may not even realize it. Have you ever had those stressful, overwhelming weeks where you keep getting headaches, your neck hurts, and/or your back aches? You may benefit from a more relaxation focused massage during these times. Deep tissue to those areas at a time like this is like taking the lid off an over boiling pot. Sure it helps but it is not fixing the systemic issue of turning down the heat. During stressful times in your life having a relaxation focused massage may actually be addressing the root of the problem, or it can bring you to a place of calmness which can be more supportive through life’s stressors.
As your Massage Therapist, I build an initial plan with you based on your health and wellness goals, however every time I see you I ask how your body as well as your mind and heart are feeling. This gives me so much information on how full your container is and what type of treatment may be best for you that day. If you have only ever walked into a Massage Therapists clinic requesting deep tissue work only, I challenge you to make the next one relaxation focused and see how you feel at the end. I would love to hear your experiences.
