Deep tissue and sports massage
Deep tissue and sports massage are two of the most popular treatment techniques our therapists employ at Deserved Massage to help our clients relieve muscle tension and return to normality again. Today, we are going to take a closer look at the techniques to give you a better understanding of what happens during the treatment so that you can
1) Decide if it's right for you
2) Know what to expect.
The difference between them
There's a whole lot of confusion around these two types of treatment. Some people believe that they are the exact same thing. Others believe they are completely different. In reality, they are both massage techniques that use similar techniques to Swedish massage but differ a little in their application.
Deep Tissue massage is a little broader in terms of which muscles the pressure is applied to; whereas, during a sports massage, there is more of a focus on specific trigger points that need relief.
During your session, your therapist will often change between broad massage movements and more specific massage movements depending on what is required. Therefore, it's not uncommon to receive both types of massage during one session.
This is why we've not separately created two services: deep tissue and sports massage. When you book in, you'll get some of each and sometimes more one than the other.
Who might be interested?
Broadly speaking, these two treatments are often sought out by people who are looking for relief from:
- Muscular pain and tension
- Sporting injuries
Muscular pain and tension
This is one of the most common reasons our clients book in. Muscular pain and tension can be caused by:
- Office work and poor posture
- Manual labour
- Stress.
Office work and poor posture
If you work in an office (or spend a lot of time at a desk), chances are you suffer from poor posture. This is because we are not designed to sit for prolonged periods of time; our bodies were meant to move. When we do spend long hours sitting, it causes our muscles to tighten and can lead to pain.
Manual Labour
If your job involves a lot of manual labour, you will also be susceptible to muscular pain and tension. This is because repetitive movements often lead to strain injuries.
Stress
Stress is a huge factor in causing muscular pain and tension. When we are stressed, our muscles tense up as our body prepares for fight or flight. This can lead to all sorts of problems, including headaches, neck pain and back pain.
Sporting Injuries
This is another common reason our clients book in for treatment. Sporting injuries can be caused by:
- Overuse
- Sudden impact
- Poor technique
Overuse
If you play a lot of sports, you will likely suffer from overuse injuries at some point. This is because repetitive movements often lead to strain injuries.
Sudden impact
If you play a contact sport, you are also at risk of sustaining sudden impact injuries. These can be caused by collisions or falls and can lead to pain in the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Poor technique
If you don't have good technique when playing sport, you are more likely to sustain an injury. This is because you are putting unnecessary strain on your muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Our treatment process
Before your treatment
Here at Deserved Massage, we always start with a consultation. This is so we can understand your medical history and what you hope to achieve from the treatment. We will then walk you through what will happen during the treatment so that you know what to expect and after this, your therapist will leave the room and you will change into your underwear, lie on the massage table and cover yourself with the sheet provided.
During your treatment
Your massage therapist will then return to the room and begin your treatment. Over the session, they will familiarise themself with the muscle tension in your body and tailor your treatment to ensure that it is exactly what you need to help you reach the goal you set out towards at the beginning of your treatment. During the course of your treatment, you can let your massage therapist know if the treatment is too light or too hard so they can customise it further. However, most of the time, clients choose to just relax and let their therapist work their magic.
After your treatment
Once your treatment is finished, you will be given some time to get dressed and then your therapist will come back into the room and discuss aftercare with you. They will also give you a brief overview of what they worked on during the treatment so that you can be aware of any areas that might still need some more attention. If you wish, you can arrange another treatment with your therapist then and there or you can book it again online.
Leaving your massage
After your session, we recommend that you take it easy for the rest of the day and drink plenty of water to help your body flush out any toxins released during the massage.
Conclusion
So there you have it! That is everything you need to know about deep tissue and sports massage. If you a treatment could be helpful for you, book in with us today! We would be more than happy to help you achieve your goals.