Deep Tissue on very thin clients

[slsk]

I am just restarting practicing massage after a extended sabbatical. It is exciting, fun and I love being back in the saddle. Something I have always had trouble with is doing deep tissue on very thin clients, especially ones who's tissue feels normal and quite relaxed. I had a new client yesterday who had requested deep tissue and I really felt very uncomfortable with the idea of using my elbow on her for two reasons. First, she was extremely thin and second her tissue didn't seem to need me to go deeper than I was already working at. Following my gut, I worked at a level she said she was okay with, but was very clear that she was fine with me going much deeper. I did what I could to make her happy, and what I was comfortable doing. Here's my main concern, how do you approach situations like this yourself? Do you tell the client upfront when they are very small if you are uncomfortable going deeper? It seems so many people think a deep massage equals a painful massage and I have worked hard at educating all of my clients; especially those who seem to sway to thinking. I'm looking for feedback, specifically if I need to be working on my comfort level in this area, or if I should stick with my gut feeling. What kinds of things do you say, or do if you are in this situation?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

[billyvnilly]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

I let clients know that I don't believe in the "no pain, no gain" concept upfront & that deep tissue should only be to the level of
"it hurts so good" for the most part. Typically unless you have a client with scar tissue, restrictions & injuries that truly need more of a therapeutic approach that may entail much deeper techniques, they'll do fine with the type of work you're providing.

You can apply the heel of the hand or do deeper forearm work which covers a wider area without digging into the body with your fingers, either one of which would feel less invasive to a client. I'm always more careful to check in with a client who is thin, or more fragile to see where their comfort level is & take it from there.

Sometimes it's a fine line, but you'll develop more of a feel for how best to work on this particular bodytype over time. Just remember that every client has a different idea of what Deep Tissue actually is & educating them is key.

 

[Lucy H]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

You might find this post helpful:

Discouraged- difficulties with deeper massage

 

[Anne K]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

I agree completely with what Riversinger said.

To elaborate a little more, you may be able to tweak what you're doing when you find out *exactly* what it is your client is looking for. Explaining that deep doesn't necessarily refer to the amount of pressure but rather to the level that you're working may help clear things up. If your client is seeking overall increased pressure, then forearms and other broader strokes applied slowly can help give that sensation. If that doesn't have exactly the effect they're looking for, then maybe it's not so much the pressure, but more specific work. Warming the area well, then getting really specific as you work through the layers of tissue can feel "deep" without necessarily digging.

 

[Easter Bunny]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

Well - that's why us skinny girls have a hard time finding a massage therapist...they are always afraid of "hurting" us.
Seriously - bodies are pretty sturdy...unless you are working with someone who has osteoporosis or osteopenia you don't have much to worry about. Living bone is not brittle it is flexible. The muscle tissue/adipose/fascia is the same - there is just less of it.

There is probably a physiological reason for this, but many/most thin people need a firmer touch than what they normally receive.
Maybe the proprioceptors are different or maybe MT's really do use different pressure unconsciously.

Just make good contact with the body and work slowly.
If you work thoroughly and with precision even a skinny person will feel the difference.

There have been a few threads on this...if I have time I will look...or you can try doing a search.

 

[Tristan K]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

I also have issues with many massage therapists who think they're going to break me or something. Our muscles get just as tight as anybody else's! That being said, a gentle touch is often more effective than a deeper one. Try working very firmly but at more of an angle so that you're not pushing straight down into bony bits.

Kat

 

[Maria G]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

LOL ..."bony bits" :

I think this is what un-nerves some MT's...to feel like they are working down to the bone.

good tip though...

 

[Cavs fan 4 life]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

LOL ..."bony bits"

I think this is what un-nerves some MT's...to feel like they are working down to the bone.

Funny palpation story:

When I was 16, I went for a routine checkup, and my doctor said he felt some kind of mass in my abdomen and sent me for x-rays. After looking at a couple of them, he started laughing. Apparently, the "mass" in my stomach was the anterior aspect of my spine. :roll:

Kat

 

[MusicFan44]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

I was working on someone that had very stretchy skin and was bony... I was afraid to use much pressure because I did not want to jam into bone. Additionally when I found a muscle and tried to apply pressure the skin stretched so much I had a hard time moving slowly over the muscle and not skidding off into a nearby bone. Does that make sense? Any suggestions?

 

[crazy4fun]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

Well, I can't answer for anybody else, but it doesn't actually hurt when you push on my bones. My bones poke into chairs, tables, pretty much everything around me, and it only starts to get uncomfortable if I'm sitting/lying/leaning for a long time. Is there a reason to avoid putting pressure on (healthy) bones, or do people just find it creepy?

Kat

 

[Sourkandy19]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

Mine hurt, but I think it's less the actual bones and more the fatty tissue that's getting pinched in between.

 

[matelotdougla1]

Deep Tissue on very thin clients

Thanks for the feedback ya'll. t006

 

[Unregistered]

lmp

I am a massage therapist and also a very thin person. I find it challenging to massage very thing clients due to the inevitable bone to bone contact that occurs during many of my usual techniques used on teh back and shoulders. My first reaction was to do research on the topic, which is what lead me here. But I have not found much in the way of online research. I have found it helpful to use my fingertips where I would normally use elbows, and palms where I would normally use forearms. It is basically the same massage, but on a smaller scale.