Therapeutic Massage: it might not be what you thought it was!

There are many misconceptions surrounding massage therapy.  A commonly held one is that a very deep massage is necessary to relieve pain and tension.

Although deep massage is sometimes effective, it is not always indicated.  As outlined by David Lauterstein in his excellent article, To relieve tension, deeper is not always better[1], it is important to understand that tension release involves an intimate dialogue with the nervous system. For tension to be released from a muscle, the nervous system must cease sending signals telling it to contract. This can be accomplished by a therapeutic approach that combines presence, sensitivity, and an excellent understanding of anatomy.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a massage with firmer pressure!  Essentially the pressure of a massage is more about personal preference than its therapeutic effect.

So, what exactly is a therapeutic massage?

At Ovarium, we maintain that all our massages are therapeutic:  the focussed massage with mobilisation for a frozen shoulder- the gentle, enveloping massage that is much-needed when feeling anxious – the relaxing massage with firmer pressure and a focus on the lower back where your tension is held.

At Ovarium, massage IS therapeutic!

Consequently, on our treatment menu, massage is referred to as “Therapeutic Massage”.

If you are interested in a massage with very firm pressure, choose “Deep Massage”, also found on our treatment menu.  The price will be higher for this service as it is more demanding physically for our massage therapists.

Follow this link to learn more about our pricing.

[1]David Lauterstein, Massage Magazine, septembre 2018.