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What is it?
The development of deep connective tissue massage therapy is credited to the German, Elizabeth Dicke. She had a medical condition in her legs that caused them to stay cold and discolored, and develop gangrene. One day while doing stretches in her lower back, she noticed warmth and a tingling sensation in her legs. When she continued the stretches, her legs gradually improved over time. She began to develop a massage technique based on her observations with two medical doctors, Kohlrausch and Teirich-Leube. This technique eventually came to be called deep connective tissue massage.
Deep connective tissue massage treats the body as a whole instead of just focusing on individual areas at a time. In this manner, it can treat the problem areas in the body by massaging connective tissues. Connective tissues fill the spaces in the body between muscles and fibers, and form a layer around blood vessels to protect them. They are very delicate and do not take stress well, therefore they can become injured and painful quite easily. Deep connective tissue massage aims to release myofascial restrictions in the body by healing injured connective tissues and breaking up any restrictive scar tissue.
How does it work?
During a typical therapy session, the massage therapist will focus on releasing tension from the deeper tissue structures of the muscle and fascia with deep, intense strokes. Oil or lotion is not usually used in this form of massage therapy. Deep connective tissue massage therapy works by physically breaking down adhesions in muscles, tendons and ligaments. These adhesions occur due to chronic muscle tension or injury and can result in blocked circulation, pain, limited mobility and inflammation. Deep connective tissue massage therapy also restores the length and flexibility of connective tissue by normalizing it and by improving the strength and overall health of the entire connective tissue system.
What are its benefits?
Deep connective tissue massage helps in relieving chronic tension, increasing the body’s range of motion, improves posture and enhances the natural harmony of the entire body and mind. It is a very powerful remedial tool for recovery from sports-related injuries, repetitive strain injury, osteoarthritis pain, fibromyalgia and muscle spasms.
Precautions
Because deep connective tissue massage is a very intense form of massage therapy, do consult a medical practitioner before signing up for a therapy session. It is not recommended for people with infectious skin diseases, rashes or open wounds, people who are prone to blood clots, people who have just had surgery and pregnant women.
By: Sharon Hopkins -
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