The Pressure’s On
May 3, 2016
Pressure can be a tricky thing in a massage. It’s difficult to know what kind of pressure you like, and if what you like is what you need. When discussing pressure either before or during the massage, your RMT should be able to help you figure it out, but it’s important to know that it’s a subjective thing and you might have to keep in touch with your massage therapist as the massage progresses.
Most people tend to prefer their massage on the deeper side, but without causing pain, so that’s normally the pressure I use. It’s a good way to ‘get something done’, while still enjoying the massage. Some people have a ‘no pain, no gain’ mindset. This can be true for areas such as the ITBand, which isn’t a contractile tissue and therefore responds differently to other muscles. In general, however, I prefer to work at a level where my clients achieve that ‘good sore’ and leave feeling better than when they arrived.
A simple way to think about it is that if you’re in pain from the deeper pressure, you’re tensing against the massage, which means the muscles obviously aren’t relaxing. If you’re able to relax into the massage, the muscles will follow suit. For more information about pressure, talk to your RMT. Everybody is different and different parts of your body might need to be treated a different way. It might feel like a hassle to check in with your comfort level, but your RMT will appreciate being able to deliver a safe and effective treatment, while you get to lie back and enjoy!
Tags: deep, deep pressure, massage therapist, massage therapy, pain, pressure, RMT
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