Although the focus of most deep-tissue massage therapy tends to be more therapeutic than relaxing, if the techniques are applied in a rhythmic and coordinated fashion, relaxation is often a side benefit. The speed of the massage strokes, length, style and pressure can all be coordinated into a specific rhythmic pattern that facilitates relaxation. While therapists often play background music during a massage session to help patients relax, this music can also help guide the therapist in a consistent rhythm during their treatment.
Step 1
Review the patient's medical history and reason for seeking deep-tissue therapy to determine the best rhythm in each case. Provide a more rapid and energetic rhythm for athletes who utilize deep-tissue work as a warm up prior to workouts--approximately 36 beats per minute for a stroke of moderate length. Select a slower rhythm for patients who wish to employ deep-tissue massage to break up adhesions and to move sluggish circulation and lymph flow. Steven Fowler, sports massage and rehabilitative therapist owner of Total Contrast Health and Fitness near London, advises the use of stimulating massage in pre-event situations and more calming, slower paced massage for post-event patients.
Step 2
Use external devices--such as music with the correct tempo, the tick of an audible clock, or even a metronome--to set a steady pace if you have trouble maintaining the proper rhythm. Mask this tempo aid with white noise or quiet music if the patient finds the sound bothersome. Use a visual timing device that you can see on your computer screen during your massage sessions if audible ones provide too much distraction for you or your patient.
Step 3
Standardize your approach for each patient if your desire is to provide rhythmic massage by identifying the proper pressure, stroke length and timing at the beginning of the massage session. Dr. Patricia Benjamin, American Massage Therapy Association board member and private sports educator and coach in Chicago, says that sports-massage specialists commonly develop specific rhythms for treatment sessions. Maintain those basic standards throughout the entire massage to create an even, relaxing rhythm. Vary these standards to provide additional intensity to one section of the patient's body or to increase nervous stimulation or sedation at a particular point in the massage.
Step 4
Incorporate symmetry in your deep-tissue massage work so that the patient will feel as though his body is receiving balanced attention. Provide equal pressure, stroke length and quantity of massage on both the right and the left sides of the body. Extend this symmetry to include the front and back of the body as well as the upper and lower body.
Step 5
Consider the amount of table time you have available with each patient and manage your time carefully. Maintain a mental flow chart in your head, dividing up the areas of the body to receive work and further dividing the areas into symmetrical portions. Do not allow a patient's change of mind to cause you to rush your tempo and hurry through the remaining portion of the massage. Explain to the patient that if you linger to provide additional focus on one particular area, you will be unable to provide the full coverage you originally discussed. Allow the patient to decide whether he would prefer to revise his expectations or to stick with the original plan and schedule additional time for more specific work.
Tips and Warnings
- Seek specialized training for deep-tissue massage to ensure that your work enhances healing and does not cause additional damage to fragile internal structures. Remind patients to use cold therapy after deep-tissue work to reduce any edema response and to drink plenty of water to maintain the highest level of hydration possible.
- Always consult with the patient's physician prior to working with anyone known to have a circulatory condition or problems with any organ associated with circulation, lymph flow or processing to determine that the deep-tissue work will not create additional difficulties.
Things You'll Need
- Massage table
- Massage oil or lotion, if desired
- Sound system for playing music
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