A few months ago I got given a gift voucher for an hour session of deep tissue massage. I put it off for weeks but finally made an appointment to see the bloke. It changed my life and workouts forever.
Deep Tissue Massage or Torture?
I waited around for the guy to arrive. I thought I was about to get a nice relaxing massage for the next hour. Boy was I wrong.
I entered into the room and filled out a few forms. What injuries did I have (chest and ankle) and did I have any serious health problems (nope). We had a chat about my body and anything that was giving me problems. Finally after a nice chat I stripped down and showed him a few exercises. While I was doing this he took notes on how my body moved; what was uneven, what was crooked and what was correct.
Then he got to work.
I lay on the table with my face to the floor and he started pressing points on the back of my legs. The pain was not bad at all. While he did this he talked to me about his other clients:
“Sometimes they scream or yell. Most people just giggle with the pain. I like these guys the best. Don’t be afraid to express yourself RT.”
But I was enjoying what he was doing. I didn’t feel any pain. The points he was rubbing on the back of my legs felt good.
And then it happened.
The massage he had been giving me was a precursor to what was about to happen. He started pressing the points deeply and moving them in very painful ways. And almost on cue I burst out laughing to deal with the pain.
I was a giggler.
So what does deep tissue massage do?
While I got my massage the guy talked to me a lot about what he was doing. I appreciated this because doctors and physios often don’t tell you what they are doing when they do it.
It turns out my body was WAY out of line. A chest injury I had sustained when I was 18 doing martial arts had forced me to “cradle” the pain and as such my back, neck and shoulder were very twisted. He asked me whether I had such and such a symptom and I had them all.
You see, when we have an injury on our body we tend to protect it. This protection causes us to walk or lift weights unevenly and then we start to make things worse. The goal of deep tissue massage is to re align your body and to get your movement functioning as it should.
My Ankle Injury Example
My regular readers will know that about six months ago I was playing soccer and I tripped and tore every single ligament on the outside of my ankle. There was a loud popping sound and the ankle went black and blue within a matter of minutes.
I went to the doctor and he said I needed to rest it completely for at least four months. That’s four months of no running, martial arts or squats. What the was he thinking?!
Anyway, during this time I started to limp. I didn’t want to walk too much on the ankle and as such I put more weight on the healthy ankle. This, within six short months, has made my lower back and hips way out of sink. One side of my back is now higher than the other. This is causing pain right up into my shoulders and neck.
Deep tissue massage to the rescue.
Why every athlete should get a deep tissue massage
Since I went to see this torture expert (it hurts!) I have realized how poorly I had been maintaining my body. Years of martial arts, bodybuilding and soccer had left me broken and twisted and it was affecting my health.
After a few sessions you can get your body back in line and you will be surprised how much better you feel. I am sleeping better, going to the toilet better and my hay fever has gone away. It turns out nerves in my neck were being pressed and this was causing my hay fever response to work overtime.
The reason all of you should go and get a massage is because we all lift poorly at times. We have all had injuries that we have “protected” and as such we probably are way out of line. We need to correct this to avoid a life time of back pain, neck pain, headaches and chronic injuries.
Has anyone here had one?
March 20th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I have been a firm believer in massage coupled with chiropractic for many years. Throughout my life they have allowed me to be active in softball, martial arts, and now weight training by helping me recover from injuries and illnesses more quickly and keeping my body aligned so that it can perform at its best - that includes all systems of the body musculoskeletal, nervous, immune, digestive…
March 20th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Brandi - They really have helped me more than anything else in my recent past. Its great how they do all the diet stuff as well. Love it.
RT
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:55 pm
I will fully agree that a regular or frequent massage therapy has kept me more active and injury free as a bodybuilder.
I’m so glad that somebody else agrees with this. I’ve told my clients and friends who lift to consider doing massage with occasional chiropractic care.
March 23rd, 2008 at 8:44 am
Marc - It really has changed my life.
RT
March 31st, 2008 at 7:43 am
RT, you are so right.
I remember when I damaged my pectoral minor and I had to visit a physio, I didn’t realise how unaligned my body was!
I didn’t realise the benefits of a deep tissue massage
These guys are really good at what they do! My physio was also a visiting lecturer at some University in France, so I’d end up hearing all these interesting stories and he wasn’t extortionate with his pricing - in comparison to the other quotes I received.
Don’t hesitate in visiting a physio if you have a problem creeping up, this is your body and you only have and will only have one!
March 31st, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Healthblogger - yep, changed my life too!
RT
April 5th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
An economical and practical approach to physiotherapy is to check whether there are physiotherapy schools near where you live. I’ve had an injury on the tip of my shoulder plate (the elevator) for 6 years now and before I started going in there, I was bent a good 10° from the neck up.
Going there is both cheap and interesting because, since it is a school and you are the ‘model’, you too get the whole lesson about the body part you need to heal. It was at least 4 times cheaper than the actual clinics, too, and you wouldn’t have quite as much supervision and cross-examinations if you paid 4 times the price.
Best investment in my life since I got a pro roadbike.
April 5th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Frank - that sounds like a good idea. I am starting a chinese medicine degree next year where it is all taught in a cheap clinic. The doctor is there the whole time but we do the work - sounds like a good idea to me!
RT