When Deep is too Deep

Have you ever had a spasm in your back that has prevented you from being on your feet or moving around? During a massage, many clients want their therapist to go as deep as possible. I personally have had people ask me to bruise them and make it hurt. The problem with this is that exceeding a pain level of roughly a 6 can cause damage to a muscle. Yes, while the muscle heals it will be sore and then feel better, but your therapist doesn’t need to damage the muscle to make you feel better. Muscles that are in a state of spasm just need to be deactivated. Think of it like this, your muscle is an elastic band and when that band is stretched too far, when it recoils it becomes tied in a knot. That knot prevents that band from being stretched to its full potential next time. A therapist can help untie, or “deactivate”, that knot by a treatment known as trigger point or tender point therapy. The protocol for this therapy has the therapist use pressure at a pain level of roughly a 6 and holds it for 30 to 60 seconds and releases it for 10 seconds. This is done 3 times. This type of treatment could have the client back on their feet and moving around after their session and does not require days for healing.