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Deep Muscle Therapy
A qualified deep muscle massage therapist performs deep muscle therapy in order to help release myofascial restrictions within the body. The theory behind this type of massage is that when chronic knots (also referred to as adhesions) exist within the deep muscle tissues, the body’s natural balance is thrown out off. Until the natural balance is restored, injured fibrous tissues can cause chronic joint and muscle pain, poor posture and coordination, as well as a multitude of other health ailments.
Deep muscle therapy aims to relieve the chronic tension throughout the muscles and fibrous tissues within the body. It’s known to greatly increase flexibility and range of motion, and its also known to greatly improve posture and restore the body’s natural harmony.
When a practitioner performs deep muscle therapy on a client they aim to encourage the lymphatic and circulatory systems (see Manual Lymph Drainage article). This promotes the release of hazardous toxins in the body, and it also encourages the body to repair any damaged cells. Deep muscle therapy has been known to help heal minor muscle strains and connective tissue injuries, in addition to helping soothe more serious muscle conditions - such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and even to lessen the symptoms associated with Muscular Dystrophy.
Although the techniques used by deep muscle therapy practitioners are very similar to Swedish massage, the strokes are applied with more pressure in order to stimulate the deeper muscles and surrounding tissues. A therapy such as deep tissue therapy depends largely on client-therapist trust. This is because deep tissue therapy is often uncomfortable, compared to a traditional relaxation style of massage (such as Swedish massage), and the therapist will only massage as deeply as the client is comfortable with. This means that the client must keep their massage therapist informed of their pain tolerance at all times during the session.
A deep muscle therapy session can range from 20-mintues to 1-hour. During the session the client will lay face up on the massage table. The therapist will typically not apply any massage oils or lotions to the area being deeply massaged, as they want to access the deep muscle tissues deep below the skins surface and not slide over the surface tissues. A deep muscle therapy session is not to be confused with Sports Massage, however deep muscle therapy may be used in Sports Massage.
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