There seems to be some misunderstanding around the difference between deep tissue and firm pressure, for massage therapy.  A lot of it is subjective.  Personally, here is the main difference, in my opinion and my personal massage business:

You can have a firm pressure Swedish massage, you can also have a firm pressure deep tissue massage.  However, deep tissue includes trigger point therapy, active/passive stretching, tender point release, myofascial therapy, cupping and any other modality where the muscles and tissues are worked on at a deeper level.

Knowing the human anatomy and kinesiology is a must, when trying to facilitate healing on a deeper level with clients.  Knowing energy balancing and reiki is also helpful, as we are all made of energy.  Disruptions in a client's energy field, can manifest into the physical body.  As any client of mine would tell you, as I have told them, everything is connected!

The goal of deep tissue work, is not to make you hurt for days after your massage appointment, but to help improve or reconnect your brain/muscle disconnection, thereby reducing the pain cycle.  You may have some discomfort during the massage, but you should all around feel better afterwards. If you are feeling pain in the session, you need to speak up during the session.  Don't assume the massage therapist knows best.  You know best, you know your body better than anyone else.  I like to describe the sensation of "hurts so good", as in a relief of the tight muscles.  No pain, no gain is NOT my motto!

I'd also like to reiterate here that massage therapists do not fix anything.  We are merely helpful facilitators in your body's own innate healing.  Sometimes it just needs a little help along the way of repair.

​Did you know that adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) can often be relieved, and often eliminated, with massage therapy? Most of the clients who present this condition on my table have had some sort of injury or rotator cuff surgery, and then are put into an arm sling and told not to move it, which often is the culprit to frozen shoulder. In some cases it is caused by a repetitive stress injury.

Frozen shoulder typically develops slowly in three stages.

• Freezing stage. Any movement of the shoulder causes pain, and the shoulder's ability to move becomes limited. This stage lasts from 2 to 9 months.
• Frozen stage. Pain might lessen during this stage. However, the shoulder becomes stiffer. Using it becomes more difficult. This stage lasts from 4 to 12 months.
• Thawing stage. The shoulder's ability to move begins to improve. This stage lasts from 5 to 24 months.

For some people, the pain worsens at night, sometimes disrupting sleep. (Mayo Clinic)

At any rate, working on the surrounding rotator cuff muscles, will bring much needed relief to the client.
Pec major is usually a culprit in this as well. If you come in to my office and present with this issue, I will be working all the muscles here, plus your pecs and maybe even serratus anterior (under the armpit on the side of the rib cage) and subscapularis.  Bottom line, you'll feel better after you have that shoulder worked on!

​Both cause debilitating pain!

True sciatica happens when a disc is bulging or herniated in your spine and is compressing the sciatic nerve, causing pain/tingling/numbness down into the buttocks, down the leg and sometimes into the foot.  It often affects one side of the body, only. (Mayo Clinic)  Massage can help relax the muscles around the spine that are working overtime to help stabilize the problem, however, it will not eliminate the pain.

Piriformis syndrome is a tight piriformis muscle that is compressing the sciatic nerve causing the same symptoms.  The sciatic nerve can run alongside or through the piriformis muscle, so when the muscle is tight, symptoms appear. (WebMD)
Often pifiromis syndrome symptoms can be helped or even eliminated through massage therapy and yoga/stretching.

I have had countless clients come in with this pain, and a small number of them actually have been diagnosed with sciatica, which is why I always ask if there has been a doctor diagnosis.

If you have a pain in the butt, I can probably help!

Both are painful, however, thoracic outlet syndrome could mimic carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

Carpal tunnel syndrome- Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve. The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway surrounded by bones and ligaments on the palm side of the hand. When the median nerve is compressed, symptoms can include numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and arm. (Per Mayo Clinic)

Thoracic outlet syndrome- Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a group of disorders that occur when blood vessels or nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib (thoracic outlet) are compressed. This can cause shoulder and neck pain and numbness in your fingers. (Per Mayo Clinic)

The good news is massage and/or cupping and magnets can help both of these issues with your tissues! If you’re suffering from these or other pain and injuries, let me know, I’ll be glad to help.