Whether it’s a tough workout or a rough day you’re recovering from, an ordinary massage just won’t cut it sometimes. And there’s actually a good reason why you might crave for an intense treatment like the deep tissue massage. So what makes it so therapeutic and downright satisfying? Learn more below.
What’s a deep tissue massage?
While based on Swedish massage techniques, it adds a lot more depth to it. Because it literally goes into the innermost layers of muscle tissue, giving you more specific results. And since it tends to push the limits of your own comfort, expect a good amount of communication involved.
Benefits of a deep tissue massage
It can be quite harder than what you’re used to, but you can actually feel better for it. Here are the main benefits of a deep tissue massage:
Faster recovery from muscle soreness
This usually happens in a couple of ways. What you might notice immediately is your muscle tension going away. That’s because they can be in places where only a deep tissue massage can reach – especially muscle knots.
Muscle knots feel like small painful lumps that can limit your movement and even your blood flow. And they’re usually caused by poor posture and overexertion.
Another problem that a deep tissue massage tackles so well is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It’s characterized by an aching, and sometimes burning, sensation in your muscles that begin on days after intense workouts. They’re caused by very small muscle tears that also occur after overexertion.
A deep tissue massage starts a chain reaction towards faster muscle recovery. It does so by boosting your blood flow, allowing more healing nutrients to reach your damaged muscles. In some cases, this process can even help recover from more serious conditions.
Faster recovery from certain injuries
With enough care and precaution, a deep tissue massage can also address symptoms of some joint injuries. In any case, massages aren’t supposed to target the injured area itself. Instead, it’s the muscles around the injury that’s taken care of.
In knee pains, for example, you can target the different knee flexor muscles. And for cases like tennis elbow and carpal tunnel pains, you’ll be looking after the muscles in your arms.
This does a couple of things: increase blood/nutrient flow, and condition the muscles that support the injured area. These put you in the best possible state for your recovery.
Better muscle performance in workouts
When your blood flow improves, it also increases the temperature around your muscles. This, along with the massage’s tendency to stretch your muscles, help you become more flexible. Having a deep tissue massage before your workout can also get rid of any muscle tightness that you’re carrying from the previous day. As a result, you get more benefits and less injury risks.
This makes for a good addition to your warm-up routine. That’s why many gym buffs use portable massage guns to get these benefits on the go. For such devices, you would need something with enough power and reliability, like the one made by Hydragun.
Better immune responses and metabolism
Muscle knots, as mentioned earlier, can also block any fluid vessel underneath them. And your lymphatic vessels are no exception. This can hold back your lymphatic system’s main functions: flush out toxins, and get your immune responses and metabolism going.
As the deep tissue massage untangles these muscle knots, it also stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluids. With this system working at full potential, it can help you fight off more infections and lose more weight.
Better sleep
It might not seem like it at first, but a deep tissue massage can actually be calming. It blocks the pain signals to your brain right away. Your stress levels go down and your brain shifts away from panic mode, as a result.
By eliminating muscle pains, a deep tissue massage also gives you less to be troubled about. Not only does this improve your sleep, it lowers your anxiety levels too.
Who can benefit from deep tissue massage then?
It won’t be for any occasion, but it can suit all sorts of lifestyles. If you experience any of the following, a deep tissue massage might be for you:
- Packed workout schedules
- Lack of muscle conditioning for physical activity
- Frequent bouts of post exercise muscle soreness
- Sore and stiff muscles from doing desk work all day
- Persistent muscle pain
- Joint injuries and conditions
- Lack of sleep due to muscle pain
Some do’s and don’ts when getting a deep tissue massage
Here are a few things you should keep in mind for every session.
Do: communicate with your therapist before and during the session
As mentioned earlier, a deep tissue massage can be borderline painful. That’s because of the depth and “drag” needed to stimulate the innermost layers of your muscle tissue and fascia. But it’s not supposed to be downright uncomfortable. So be sure to let your therapist know of any particular tender spots and give constant feedback on the pressure.
Don’t: ignore any severe pain before or during the session
Deep tissue massages may or may not be full-body treatments. In any case the massage would avoid direct contact with the injury. So it’s also important that your therapist knows of any injury/condition you might have. This also guides the massage to focus on helping recovery.
Do: follow a post-massage care routine
Treat your massage like a whole-day event. There are simple post-massage habits you can do to maximize the benefits you’re getting:
- Hydrate for optimum lymphatic flow
- Stretch off any pain/discomfort from the massage
- Further soothe your body with a warm bath
- Reflect on your physical and emotional responses to the massage
Don’t: ignore the after-effects
Pay attention to how you are after the massage versus how you were before it. Every massage has a side effect and people react differently. This information can help make your next massage a more fulfilling one.
Do: feel free to use devices that offer the same benefits
This is particularly helpful for when time isn’t a luxury for a traditional massage session. A massage gun is an increasingly popular tool for its power and portability. And you have to find the right kind of massage gun to really get what a deep tissue massage offers.
The Hydragun massage gun fits the bill in terms of depth and speed while being sturdy and particularly quiet. Because convenience and effectiveness are worth considering to get the best possible experience.
Don’t: use them without proper precaution
When using massage devices, the same precautionary measures apply when you’re preparing for a traditional massage. Other than avoiding joints, bones, injuries, and other sensitive areas, it’s also important not to overdo it. For a good massage gun, anywhere from 30 to 120 seconds per muscle group would suffice.