Deep Tissue Massage Versus Spa Massage

How Deep Tissue Massage Benefits to the body

Deep Tissue massage is so beneficial if you have experienced any stress on the body, strain or injury because that is the only way to get to the root of the problem. It is embedded deep under the surface where adhesions develop, causing pain and rigidity in muscles, tendons and ligaments. If left untreated adhesions to obstruct circulation in the affected areas to limit the blood flow, which leads to the pain, restricted movement and can lead to inflammation.

How Deep Tissue Massage works

If you apply firm pressure to the muscles, the Deep Tissue massage aims to break down those troublesome adhesions to restore proper blood circulation and full movement and heal the inflamed tissues. The therapists performing the Deep Tissue massage may use fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows and forearms during the therapy session and alternate them during the various stages. Clients are sometimes asked to take in deep breaths as the therapist dig deeply into a particularly tense area.

What Symptoms can Deep Tissue Massage support?

  • Chronic or acute pains

  • Diminished mobility or limited range of motion.

  • Healing areas after traumas or injuries caused by falls, sports injuries, whiplashes from car accidents, and so on.

  • Strains from repetitive motion such as the carpal tunnel syndrome.

  • Pains due to incorrect posturing of the body.

  • Pains from osteoarthritis. 

  • Fibromyalgia. Statistics have shown that Deep Tissue massage is more successful in easing symptoms of Fibromyalgia than any other available curative remedy.

  • Muscle tension, contractions or spasms.

 To flush out metabolic waste from the massaged tissues, clients should drink plenty of water after the Deep Tissue massage therapy and enjoy the fact that they are as good as new again.

 When Deep Tissue Massage is not suitable

Deep Tissue massage is somewhat intense, and in some cases, it should not be used if you have the the following:

  • Infectious skin disease, rashes, bruises, inflamed skin, tumours or open and unhealed wounds.

  • Immediately or soon after surgery or if you have had a recent fracture.

  • Osteoporosis patients, unless approved by your doctor.

  • Clients who are prone to blood clots. Heart disease patients, unless recommended by their doctor.

  • If you suffer from an abdominal hernia.

    The good news is that Deep Tissue massage really works, and you tend to experience the results very quickly. Often, clients will walk into a session with excruciating pain and walk out a couple of hours later with smiles of relief on their faces. However, depending on your tolerance level to pain, most clients experience it to one degree or another at a certain point during the session. Also, there is usually some measure of soreness immediately after the treatment.  

After a Deep Tissue Massage Treatment

Although, the pain of the Deep Tissue massage therapy and the lingering soreness afterwards is nothing compared to the pain before the treatment, and it comes with the knowledge that it will all be over very shortly.

Paulo, our Massage Therapist, may suggest applying an icepack to the sore area, but it is rarely severe enough to warrant it. To flush out metabolic waste from the massaged tissues, clients should drink plenty of water after the Deep Tissue massage therapy.

Spa Massage / Swedish massage

If you are looking for a more relaxing style of massage, then a Spa or Swedish massage is the most popular massage, and it's much more gentle. Since it started the early part of the 19th century, it has become one of the most widely used massage techniques, and it is the basis for several other massage therapies which include the Sports Massage, the Deep Tissue Massage and the Aromatherapy.

The massage involves long strokes of muscles and tissues with light or medium pressure. Spa massage is for pure relaxation and the therapist adjusts pressure to the individual preference and sensitivity.

The Benefits of a Spa Massage

There are many benefits related to massage and here’s are few listed below:

  • Reduce stress and tension and produce serotonin or endorphins, which are known to give people the feelings of wellbeing.

  • Helps you relax and improve sleep patterns which are essential to pain control.

  • Increases circulation.

  • It can promote better health by stimulating the lymphatic system to increase the flow of lymph, which is the secretion that carries disease-fighting cells through the body.

  • It can sometimes lower high blood pressure.

  • Can also be instrumental in effecting beneficial changes in the body by preventing fibrosis through the process of breaking up scar-like tissue.

    As mentioned earlier, it also increases endorphins; reduces anxiety, tension, depression and pain. Many additional studies confirm that massage therapy can reduce heart rates, relaxes stiffened and tense muscles while stimulating weak and inactive muscles to compensate for lack of movement due to an illness or an injury; speeds up the healing process.

    Paul Morrissey at the Osteopathic Clinic say “Massage therapy is a complimentary and effective treatment to our Osteopathic treatment along with our Clinical Pilates for building strength and preventing injury. I am delighted that we can offer a combination of these three treatments to our patients and I have witnessed many positive outcomes as a result.”

    So, is massage therapy beneficial? Yes! Massage therapy is helpful on, oh, so many levels and the outcomes are undeniable by anyone's standards.

    To book an appointment with Paola our Massage Therapist contact the clinic on 0208 662 1155