Deep Tissue Massage: Four Health Benefits And Risks (2024)

Deep tissue massage encompasses a variety of therapeutic techniques designed to reach and manipulate the layers of soft tissue beneath the skin’s surface. This approach to massage therapy is designed to relax and lengthen these tissues, promoting injury recovery, pain relief and the restoration of proper posture and body mechanics (how your body moves).

Muscles can become imbalanced because of injury or repetitive daily movements, such as sitting at a desk for extended periods, poor posture or playing a sport that utilizes one part of your body more than others. “You can get tight muscles on your shoulder, for instance, and that starts to pull on your neck [muscles],” explains David Abookire, a licensed massage therapist, sports injury specialist and owner of Boulder Therapeutics in Boulder, Colorado. “Receiving deeper work can help to unwind those patterns so that your biomechanics and movement patterns are reset.”

What’s the Difference Between Deep Tissue Massage and Other Massages?

The goal of deep tissue massage, as Abookire explains, is to rebalance the muscles. While providing pain relief is a key objective, this form of massage also aims to identify and address the underlying causes of discomfort.

It utilizes precise techniques that apply sustained pressure to targeted areas. Therapists may use their elbows, fists and varied amounts of their body weight to achieve a deeper pressure than that typically found in other massage types. However, the therapist will apply lighter pressure initially, and gradually increase as a way to warm up the body to access the deeper layers of tissue.

“Deep tissue massage strives to make changes in the body,” says Jaimi Jansen, a physical trainer, massage therapist and the founder and CEO of Santa Cruz CORE Fitness + Rehab in Santa Cruz, California. A deep tissue massage client may have tense muscles from prolonged sitting or from a strenuous activity such as recently completing a marathon. Either way, Jansen says a therapist must take a slow and steady approach to help the body unwind.

All types of massage therapy typically provide physical tension relief. Each form, however, has unique goals and techniques. Swedish massage, for example, is geared towards promoting muscle relaxation and enhancing blood circulation. It features long, flowing strokes across the body often accompanied by the use of lotions or oils. Deep tissue massage, on the other hand, targets small, specific regions and typically less oils are used.

Deep tissue massage may be incorporated into a several other modalities, including:

• Neuromuscular therapy, a technique that involves applying strokes with the finger or thumb, designed to alleviate pain or dysfunction
• Myofascial release, a type of manual therapy targeting the body’s connective tissue and is used to decrease pain and improve function, and uses sustained pressure techniques
• Trigger point therapy, which uses various manual techniques to apply pressure to tight and tender areas called “trigger points”

However, not every massage therapist who offers deep tissue massage will use all of those techniques, according to Abookire.

Jansen starts her own deep tissue sessions with broad, Swedish-style strokes to prepare the tissue for the more intense pressure to come. “The tissue has to welcome the pressure. Otherwise it can cause the muscles to spasm,” adds Jansen.

Both Jansen and Abookire emphasize that the objective of deep tissue massage is not simply to apply intense pressure. “We’re not just pushing hard to make it hurt; we’re pushing harder to access deeper muscles after we warm up the superficial ones,” explains Abookire. Multiple sessions may be required before those deeper layers can be safely reached. “We moderate [the pressure level] depending on the client,” he notes. “If your nervous system is telling us not to work deeply, we won’t.”

From promoting circulation to relaxing our system’s stress response, deep tissue massage can support the body’s health as well the mind. Its potential benefits include the following.

Pain Relief

Studies indicate that deep tissue massage can effectively relieve chronic neck^[1]Skillgate E, Pico-Espinosa OJ, Côté P, et al. Effectiveness of deep tissue massage therapy, and supervised strengthening and stretching exercises for subacute or persistent disabling neck pain. The Stockholm Neck (STONE) randomized controlled trial. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2020;45:102070. and lower back^[2]Majchrzycki M, Kocur P, Kotwicki T. Deep tissue massage and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for low back pain: a prospective randomized trial. Scientific World Journal. 2014;2014:287597. pain, and pain following a C-section^[3]Güney E, Uçar T. Effects of deep tissue massage on pain and comfort after cesarean: A randomized controlled trial. Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2021;43:101320. . Individuals with myofascial pain syndrome, a condition resulting in pain in the muscles and fascia, may also benefit from deep tissue work^[4]Bingölbali Ö, Taşkaya C, Alkan H, Altındağ Ö. The effectiveness of deep tissue massage on pain, trigger point, disability, range of motion and quality of life in individuals with myofascial pain syndrome. Somatosens Mot Res. 2023:1–7. .

Joint pain often stems from an imbalance in the muscles’ length-tension relationship, which is the relationship between the length of the muscle fiber and the force it can generate, says Jansen. “The analogy I like to use is each joint is the center of a bicycle wheel, and all the muscles around that joint are the spokes on the wheel,” she says. “If there is any imbalance in the muscles around the joint, or the spokes on the wheel, the bike is not going to move very well, and may even get into an accident.” By releasing tension in one part of the body, deep tissue massage can alleviate discomfort in another, offering relief for individuals with conditions like arthritis, adds Jansen.

Improved Range of Motion

Deep tissue massage can improve range of motion for many people. A 2023 study involving 41 participants aged 20 to 34 massage demonstrated that even a single session of deep tissue massage notably improved the range of motion in the cervical spine for up to two weeks after the intervention^[5]Kaczmarek T, Truszczyńska-Baszak A. The Impact of Suboccipital Muscle Release on Pain and Range of Motion in the Cervical Spine of Young Adults. Med Rehabil. 2023; 27(1):11–19. .

Current research also suggests deep-tissue massage may have respiratory benefits in healthy adults. One small 2023 study found that when deep tissue massage was performed in the chest area, it increased chest expansion and lung capacity^[6]Trybulec B, Macul B, Kościńska K, et al. The effect of deep tissue massage on respiratory parameters in healthy subjects-A non-randomised pilot study. Heliyon. 2023;9(4):e15242. .

Relief for Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Certain types of touch and massage have the potential to help relax the body’s stress response, according to Jansen. A review assessing the role of massage therapy in the treatment of several psychiatric disorders found that massage may be beneficial for individuals with depression, anxiety and insomnia, especially as a complementary therapy to other treatments^[7]Rapaport MH, Schettler PJ, Larson ER, et al. Massage Therapy for Psychiatric Disorders. Focus. 2018;16(1):24–31. .

Improved Body Awareness

Abookire emphasizes that deep tissue massage can help bring awareness to unrecognized or ignored tightness or discomfort in the body. This awareness increases a patient’s understanding of where in their body they hold tension. This is not only necessary for taking the mental and physical steps toward healing, but also for improving mind-body communication regarding the body’s current level of well-being. “You can consciously make efforts to either see physical therapists, go to the gym, practice yoga or receive further treatment,” he adds.

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

Partner Offers feature brands who paid Forbes Health to appear at the top of our list. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services

Vive Health Handheld Massager

• Easily relieve pain and tension in the shoulders, arms, hips, back and legs
• Includes six massage heads for shiatsu, deep tissue, joint, large areas and overall deep massage
• Cordless design is ideal for use at home or on the go
• Customize each massage session with one of five massage modes with adjustable intensity levels
• Long-lasting lithium-ion battery is rechargeable

Shop Now

On Vive Health's Website

While deep tissue massage is usually well-tolerated, it can occasionally lead to side effects, such as bruising and inflammation, typically due to the intense pressure or vigorous strokes used during a session. Cases of post-massage side effects, though rare, have been reported^[8]Sharma I, Joseph D, Kirton O. Traumatic complications of inpatient massage therapy: Case report and literature review. Trauma Case Rep. 2018;18:1–4. .

Jansen advises individuals with joint hypermobility (a range of motion that exceeds what’s deemed normal for their age and sex), to approach deep tissue massage with caution, focusing on specific areas of the body. Overstretching hypermobile regions with deep tissue massage can cause spasms in tight areas. She suggests that such individuals might also benefit from complementary strengthening exercises, as well as massage. Jansen underscores the importance of clear communication with your therapist, whether that means requesting softer or firmer pressure or speaking up about any negative effects you experience.

Deep tissue massage is performed by trained massage therapists and sports medicine practitioners, such as physical therapists or athletic trainers.

Each state has different regulations governing the practice of massage therapy. In California, for example, regulations can vary significantly from one county to another, with some county governments imposing stricter rules than those mandated by the state. In some cases, states require therapists to have a license to practice while others offer a voluntary certification. Both can be obtained through a combination of skills and knowledge testing, as well as logged hours. Massage therapists can also obtain a National Board Certification in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork, which complements but does not replace state and county requirements.

Individuals seeking deep tissue massage should inquire about the training, experience, and any relevant certification of a massage therapist before booking a session. While deep tissue massage may be offered in spa and clinical settings, both Jansen and Abookire recommend that people who are interested in deep tissue massage for therapeutic purposes to select a sports medicine clinic rather than a spa. Sports medicine practitioners typically specialize in anatomy and focus on creating lasting physical change rather than providing temporary relief.

How Much Does Deep Tissue Massage Cost?

The price of deep tissue massage depends on geography and often reflects the cost of living in an area. One can expect to pay between $70 to $150 per hour-long session, depending on location and a therapist’s experience level.

When working with an injury or a chronic condition, multiple deep tissue massage sessions may be necessary, so costs should be discussed upfront. In the beginning, Abookire says he recommends weekly treatments, then slowly tapers sessions down according to the client’s recovery progress. Once the original concerns are addressed, he tells his clients the frequency is up to them. “You can come in every five weeks, you can wait a couple of months,” he says. “Just don’t wait until it’s so bad that we’re back to repairing the original issue.”