Deep Tissue Massage – Relaxing Your Body to the Core

A good massage can truly help the mind and body relax. Deep tissue massage at the NRG Lab may bring other benefits to the body and is a good way of relaxing and de-stressing after a tough day at work.

Deep tissue massage involves a technique that focuses primarily on the deeper layers of muscles. Sometimes, this technique will involve the use of a firmer amount of pressure in order to reach key areas and get them to "un-knot" and release, which is why this particular massage technique is oftentimes recommended for people who are comfortable with a slightly heavier pressure. That said, deep tissue massages can also refer to gentle yet sustained pressure targeting the myofascial layer of the muscle. This can help relieve stress and tiredness as well as relax the body after heavy exertion.

A good deep tissue massage can help ease stress from the heavy demands of work, home, or both. This is important especially with today's busy and hectic lifestyle where unresolved stress can do major damage to a person's mental and physical health. An estimated 60 to 80 percent of doctor’s office visits are attributed to stress, as noted in a 2003 study in the Journal of the National Medical Association.

Deep tissue massage may also be used to lessen pain. Research published in an April 2014 issue of Manual Therapy concluded that deep tissue massage applied to the posterior calf muscles—along with some self-stretching exercises—helped reduce the research participants’ pain associated with plantar fasciitis. Deep tissue massage can also be used for other conditions, such as fibromyalgia, tennis elbows, or low-back pain, which can potentially provide some much-needed relief from the said conditions.

Another study published in 2008 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine involving 263 participants who reported cases of muscle spasm or strain. Each individual’s blood pressure and heart rate were monitored and recorded prior to a 45 to 60-minute deep tissue massage, and then again afterwards. The results show lower recorded systolic and diastolic pressure—as well as lower heart rates—after the massage.