Remedial vs Deep Tissue Massage
Sitting at my desk all day long is a real pain—literally. I tend to be a typical office worker when it comes to posture. I focus on it for a while, and then I take the low road and settle into a slouching position again.
Soon, the ever present muscle tension creeps in. At first, I ignore it, and then it becomes chronic pain in the lower back and neck pain, followed by tightness in the whole body until I can’t stand it anymore.
It’s at times like these, when I’ve chosen bad habits over health, that I feel it most and start to think about pain relief. It’s wrong, but the pressure of getting through tasks forces me to compromise. Am I really the only one doing this?
But lately I’ve been thinking about getting this sorted out and began investigating massage therapy - a trusted friend swears by it. “It’s awesome mate, you’ll be happy as Larry in no time”. He tells me this while using his favourite pain relief gadget - his new massage gun - on my tight back muscles to prove his point. I have to agree with him - my back feels much better.
So, now I’m diving into the endless rabbit hole that is remedial and deep tissue massage, along with massage guns and myofascial release. I want to get permanent relief before I start looking like the hunchback of Notre Dame. Wanna join me?
What is remedial massage therapy?
Remedial massage therapy is a targeted treatment designed to address musculoskeletal pain, injuries, and chronic tension. The primary goal of this therapy is to promote the body’s natural healing processes by improving circulation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing flexibility.
A massage therapist will assess your condition to determine the best techniques, which may include relaxation massage (for stress and tense muscles - that’s me), trigger point therapy to release knots (also me), or whole body massage for healing and pain relief (again, me). Anyone with me in this?
They say these methods relieve muscle tightness and correct postural issues while alleviating pain caused by injuries and even conditions like sciatica. Remedial massage is often recommended for office workers, athletes, and individuals recovering from injuries or surgery.
The remedial therapist starts slowly applying gentle pressure by kneading and stretching the skin to address underlying muscle tightness. Once the muscles are loosened up a bit, they begin applying firmer pressure with deeper flowing strokes to work through knots and ease tension.
This kind of massage feels intense for some people who don’t have a high pain tolerance, but the sensation is generally described as ‘good pain,’ which helps you feel relaxed and calm. If you experience unbearable pain during the treatment, don’t suffer in silence. Your remedial massage therapist won’t mind if you ask them to ease up on the pressure a bit.
When my friend heard I wanted to go for a remedial massage, he took it up as a challenge. Out came the massage gun again with accompanying attachments.
“Let’s start off with the soft silicone head so we can get your muscles used to it”, he said as he ran the massage gun over my aching back muscles in smooth strokes. It was kind of a weird feeling as the massage gun vibrated over my skin. It instantly relieved the deep ache of my tired, overworked muscles. Apparently this is called percussion therapy and provides a real work over for deeper tissue structures.
“Now let’s use this flat head attachment, that will give you an even better result”, he said. I swear, who is this guy? I feel like a test dummy but I have no resistance against it. Each new attachment seemed to get right into the soft tissues and deeper layers of muscle and I couldn’t talk, much less complain.
I guess you could say I had a good experience with that massage gun. As for my friend, he’s getting a bit too enthusiastic. I’ll buy my own and that’ll be the end of feeling like his guinea pig. If you want to join me, let’s make our first purchase together. This brand comes with 4-6 attachments, and has a 100 day money back guarantee.
What is a deep tissue massage?
Let’s move on speedily to deep tissue massages. This kind of massage has great therapeutic benefits and focuses on targeting the deeper layers of muscle and connective tissue. Think Swedish massage or Sports massage, where the therapist applies really firm pressure.
The massage techniques involve applying slow, deep pressure using fingers, thumbs, elbows, or, you guessed it - a massage gun - to release tension from the fascia. The fascia is the connective tissue surrounding major muscle groups.
Deep tissue massage therapies treat areas that are prone to stiffness or overuse, such as the back, shoulders, and legs. It can also help to break down scar tissue, improve circulation, and reduce chronic muscle pain caused by poor posture or repetitive strain.
There are also a number of mental health benefits put forward by fans of deep tissue massage, including a good ole’ cry. Massage treatments can be intense and legend has it that part of the healing process is about releasing memories stored in the muscle memory. But that’s a story for another time.
By the time I was deeply into understanding remedial massage vs deep tissue massage, my own massage gun had arrived, and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
I felt boldly empowered by the enthusiasm of my friend, and got stuck right into it. It takes a bit of getting used to when you’re using it by yourself.
Things got much better after watching a couple of YouTube videos and applying the techniques demonstrated by remedial massage therapists, chiropractors, and physiotherapists. The one thing that seemed to be important is the way you use the massage gun. Sometimes to ‘strengthen’ one set of muscles, and other times to ‘weaken’ another set and thereby releasing tension in all the right spots. Pretty quickly I had the hang of it, and now I’m well on my way in the recovery process.
Final Thoughts
Right, so this has been fun. What started off as a pain in the neck (and elsewhere) has turned into a positive experience that has given me a lot to work with in finding an effective treatment for pain relief from muscle tension and overuse.
Using the massage gun to get into really deep layers has been revolutionary. I’m able to use it whenever necessary to relieve those pesky (and painful) knots. When I’ve had a really bad time of it, sitting in front of my laptop for up to 10 hours, I’ve been able to work through the muscle spasms and find almost immediate relief.
For more targeted treatment, and when I’m looking for a calm and serene whole body experience, then I book myself an appointment with a massage therapist. So, overall this little dive into remedial and deep tissue massage has been rewarding and best of all - pain relieving!
If you want to get rid of chronic pain and give yourself the benefits of a deep tissue massage in the comfort of your home (or office), you could invest in a massage gun. After reading hundreds of comments on YouTube videos, it seems like there’s a whole lotta people out there with this great gadget. Who knew?
Why not join a growing community of obsessed fans and get yours today? The Bang Massage Gun has a 100 day money back guarantee, the longest lasting battery on the market, and is as quiet as a whisper. Go for it!