Another view of deep tissue massage

by Claude Ratliff
(Frankfort, Kentucky)

In 1995, I was treated for bilateral shoulder injuries by a wonderful PT. She was exceptional for several reasons and not the least was her knowledge and interest in coaching me to understand the myofascial pathology that led to my injuries. She loved working out trigger-points and did deep tissue stripping of my spinal erector muscles. As I already said, she was an exceptional PT. At the end of my treatments, she recommended that I find a Massage Therapist who was competent and skilled in doing this work, and my injuries may never reoccur. I did, and became a regular customer for almost nine years.

Those nine years was a learning and liberating experience that continued to build on the information she had shared with me. I learned that I could handle the discomfort of deep tissue and TrP work. I learned, ironic at the time, that the more it hurt me, the longer the positive effects lasted; sometimes as long as two to three weeks. I used to call it a very expensive aspirin.

As an LMT, my most rewarding work is in giving this relief of myofascial pain to customers. It is my perception that "pain is not necessary", but IS A GIVEN. Without going into the science of why pain occurs when you press into tissue that is adhered, burgeoning with trigger-points, etc., let's talk about the spectrum of pain. The ten point scale is useful in helping customers find their level of "therapeutic discomfort". In my experience the sweet zone of 4-5-6 is where the most optimal conditions are found for success. This is the discomfort range where the customer can "feel the pain" at a level that still allows room for conversation. This is the the range that "hurts but feels good". A number seven on the ten point pain scale is the "eye-squenching" reflex stage. In other words other tissue is involuntarially beginning to guard and contract. Number eight is the "gritting teeth" level. If we go above six and seven we approach a pain level of diminishing-return; no therapeutic effect will take place.

Pain will happen, if we engage pathological tissue, but it is how we engage and how we educate and prepare the customer, that will optimize our chances to help.

Please visit my site for another view of Deep Tissue, here http://claudemassage.net/home/deep_tissue_massage_a_simple_perspective

Claude Ratliff, LMT
www.claudemassage.net