More Pressure Is Not Always Necessary

Brittany Lee-Anderson 2 Minute Read Don’t get me wrong, pressure is great! Using pressure to relax tight muscles is a great tool for the right moment, for the right scenario, for the right time. When I am working on your muscles, I am working on living, intelligent tissue that holds the memory of your entire life; every thought, injury, motion, emotion, reaction etc. through time. Pushing harder into a substance that has such history, without conscious consideration of its intelligence and trying to out-do a lifetime of stress in one hour is not going to be helpful, but harmful. When your body is unresponsive to touch, then I have to consider two scenarios.

• Is the tissue overwhelmed by too much stress and is receiving too much stimulus?
• Have the signals from the brain been silenced from too much stimulus over too much time, therefore numbing the tissue?

Either way, stress is in the mind. How we effect the signals to and from the brain, will determine the outcome of perceived change. Believing that more pressure is better, may not be the right answer. Sometimes less is better, especially if your body lacks the sensitivity to be aware of significant pressure or if change is occurring. Don’t get me wrong, pressure is great, if your body is accepting of that pressure because the stimulus can create positive change, not negative change. Forced change can leave you feeling worse then you did before you came in. Ultimately, the main objective when you come through our door, is to relax and feel better. Let us help you the best way that we can, which is to be the artists that we are and let us coax the tissue into balance, not force the tissue into balance and possibly more pain.  I look forward to meeting with you to customize a session suited to your specific needs. To learn more about my practice and schedule check out my Bio Page.  If you’re interested in learning more about deep tissue massage, check out our other blog post: “What is a Deep Tissue Massage and who is it good for?”