Different people prefer different amounts of pressure, ranging from very firm to a very light touch. Most people are in the “medium firm” range – that’s a good range because it’s firm enough to be maximally therapeutic without approaching anything painful. But a lot of people come to me because they like very firm (“deep”) pressure, and I am happy to deliver it. I just make sure they know it’s not necessary to go so deep in order to be therapeutic. Even a light touch is therapeutic. A light touch massage is more about relaxation than combatting sore muscles.
When people say “deep tissue,” they usually mean “very firm pressure.” But deep tissue massage is actually a modality that involves massaging the deepest muscles with special techniques, not a reference to the amount of pressure applied. Some massage places charge more for a deep tissue massage, but my pricing revolves around the length of time the massage lasts. I typically incorporate both deep tissue and Swedish massage techniques into my massages. I also use other modalities, such as reflexology, and I always offer to do stretches. Stretching is primarily done in sports massage, but I always offer to do them because they’re very therapeutic and they feel good.
