The keywords in these two questions are ‘should’ or ‘could’. No rule says you have to have a deep-tissue massage. There is no saying you should have any massage treatment. Massage is optional. You can choose to receive a massage, and you may gain enormous benefits from massage therapy.
But what about the second question, how often could you have a deep tissue massage? The straightforward answer would be every day. However, that is not realistic for several reasons.
For example, deep tissue massage is a form of corrective massage; it can help ‘re-balance’ the body or particular muscle layer. This type of massage aims to produce an overall remedial effect. How getting into balance manifests itself in an individual is simply that individual. Each person has a different case history, including mental, physical, emotional, and medical aspects.
Each person has different requirements to achieve balance
Having a daily deep-tissue remedial massage is likely to have drawbacks. Muscles may become tender due to attention; generally, the body can become ‘overtreated’, which may create strong reactions as it tries to balance itself.
The type and strength of the reaction will vary from person to person, but may include nausea, headaches, and muscular tenderness. That is not really how you want to feel, and if you react this way, you are less likely to return for more massage sessions.
So, though deep tissue massage could be received daily (depending on the answers in the consultation), it is not recommended.
Other aspects not yet mentioned are cost and boredom. The second point sounds odd, but if you do the same thing every day, you risk becoming bored and missing out on the full benefits of massage therapy.
So, how often do you recommend a deep tissue massage?
The average is usually once per month. It may depend on whether we massage the clients at home or at the massage health centre, how often we visit the massage or clinics at home, how long the massage is, the client’s case history, etc. We offer our clients professional advice. Each case is different, so we must have knowledge, experience, and common sense.
How do you evaluate your deep tissue massage therapist?
Sometimes, it is easy to identify why you feel different, but there may be more than one reason. Some of those reasons could include the room you were in, the massage technique, the massage oils provided for the treatment, the empathy shown by the massage therapist, your expectations, and the massage routine. The list goes on.
Reasons, specifically about tissue massage
The massage room
We recently discussed making the treatment room inviting and relaxing. Some therapists like to apply a couple of drops of essential oils to a tissue. Be cautious about this, as not everyone will enjoy the aroma.
Different massage therapists
Massage is personal, and the choice of practitioner is generally a personal one. Those who regularly receive deep massages usually find someone who suits them and return to the same massage therapist.
Type of massage therapy
Different massage therapies may be available depending on the therapist’s qualifications (massage strokes: effleurage, petrissage, friction, tapotement, kneading, etc.). Sometimes, the client may have a preference but not know which style to choose. Different types of massage modalities include aromatherapy massage, Swedish massage, sports therapy, and kahuna massage.
Equipment for the deep tissue massage treatment
A massage therapist requires a massage table for a full-body massage. Many different makes of massage tables are now available. The massage clinic usually provides this equipment and should be adept at ensuring the adjustments are set correctly so that the client is comfortable throughout the massage.
Your expectations
The deep tissue massage therapist should establish this before you receive the treatment, particularly if you have never had this type of massage.
Therapist, empathy and deep tissue massage technique
This is extremely important. Clients should undoubtedly ascertain the qualifications, years of massage experience and level of insurance of practitioners before allowing them to book a massage. Experience is significant, though it varies from person to person.
However, just because a deep tissue massage therapist qualifies does not necessarily mean they are a good masseur. There are those in the field who simply ‘massage by numbers’. By that, I mean they follow the same massage routine every time, regardless of the client’s requirements.
For example, sports massage is a corrective form of massage. The session can be tailored to meet the client’s needs; the client can request that a specific body part, such as a frozen shoulder injury, receive particular attention.
The massage therapist should massage with ‘care’, i.e., listen to what the client wants from the massage and how they feel on that particular day, and adjust the massage technique accordingly.
The practitioner should build a relationship with each client to provide the best massage for that individual. This includes obtaining client feedback during and after the deep massage (try not to ask every 2 minutes!). The information can be noted, and the practitioner can refer to it the next time the clients come for a massage.
By remembering what was good/bad about massages from the feedback you have received, you can ensure that you incorporate the good stuff and leave out the bad! We never stop learning and improving, no matter how experienced we may be. The desire to be the best at what we do should always be there. What a boost to job satisfaction when our massage clients leave delighted and feel fantastic! Brilliant!
