The keywords in these two questions are ‘should’ or ‘could’. No rule says to have a deep tissue massage. There is no saying you ‘should’ have any massage treatment. Massage is optional. However, the benefits that may be gained from receiving massage therapy are enormous.
But what about the second question, how often could you have a DTM? 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 was designed to have 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 a drawback. Muscles may become tender from their attention; generally, the body can become ‘overtreated’, thus possibly creating strong reactions as the body tries to get into balance.
The type and the strength of reaction will vary from person to person but 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 may not get the full benefit of massage therapy.
So, how often do you recommend someone who has 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 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, a different practitioner carrying the massage, the massage technique, the massage oils provided for the treatment, your expectations, the empathy shown by the massage therapist, and the massage routine. The list goes on.
Reasons, specifically about tissue massage
The massage room
We recently discussed making the room required for the treatment 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 like the aroma.
Different massage therapist
Massage is personal, and the choice of practitioner is generally individual. Those who regularly have deep massages usually find someone who suits them and returns to the same professional massage therapist regularly.
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 table is required 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 this will vary 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 that they do the same massage routine in the same way 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 try to build a relationship with each client to provide the best massage possible for the individual. This includes obtaining feedback from the client during and after the deep massage (try not to ask every two minutes!). The information can be noted, and the practitioner has it to refer to 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 bed! 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. How great it is for job satisfaction when our massage clients go away extremely satisfied and feel fantastic… Brilliant!!!
