Deep-tissue, Swedish, therapeutic—when you’re checking out one of the many spas in Tucson, massage menus can be rather dizzying. One of the most popular modalities is the deep-tissue massage, but is it really that different from the others?

Understanding Fascia

To really understand how deep-tissue massage works, you have to first understand the fascia. The fascia connects and covers all parts of the body, from organs to muscles to bones. This connective tissue tightens and tangles—some say affecting the body’s functions and processes—and sometimes becomes so twisted, it’s time to call in an expert.

In this case, that expert is a massage therapist, who’ll likely put their deep-tissue techniques to use. That’s exactly what happens at Tucson Touch Therapies, where massage is part of an alternative-therapy regimen that also includes reiki, acupuncture, and Thai massage.

How It Works

The therapist moves his or her fingers, thumbs, and even elbows along the body slowly and deliberately, applying pressure to penetrate through superficial muscle layers to break up the tension beneath. These strokes are more intense than that of Swedish massage and are designed to engender mild fascial relief, which warms up the tissue, releasing built-up toxins, primarily lactic acid.

These toxins are also why therapists always advise clients to drink a lot of water after sessions—it’ll help flush those just-released toxins out of the body. Otherwise, they might become reabsorbed, tightening the fascia back up and reversing the work the therapist has done for the last 90 or so minutes.