How To Massage Well: Gauging Pressure

Part of the difficulty in gauging massage pressure lies in its inherent subjective, intuitive nature. It is, more than any other, a skill you have to get the "feel" for. This requires practice and careful consideration of the way the muscles are responding to your touch. Yet despite these difficulties, there are some general guidelines you can follow ifGauging pressure when giving a massage is dependent on two factors: the part of the body being touched and the type of massage being performed.

The area of the body on which you are working will determine to some degree the amount of pressure you apply. In many cases common sense will dictate how much pressure you should use. For example, you would never use as much pressure to the side of the neck as you would the back. Areas of the body full of pressure points, such as the top of the feet, will require a more gentle approach than the shoulders and trapeziums. Parts of the body which recently suffered a contusion or is bruised do not require much pressure, if any. Muscles which are inflamed or torn should not be worked on at all.

The pressure you apply when giving a massage varies based on the type of massage you are giving. A myth exists that states "deeper is better," and "if it hurts it must be helping." This is not necessarily true. For example, in a basic relaxational massage, commonly known as a "Swedish" massage, you would use a relatively light touch. Not too light, as this may irritate the nerves beneath the skin, but light enough that you aren't causing a great deal of pain to the massage recipient. In a lymphatic drainage massage, extremely light pressure is applied, as the goal of the massage is to gently manipulate lymphatic fluid which has become blocked. In other types of work, such as deep-tissue massage or neuromuscular massage therapy, greater pressure is applied to achieve the desired goal, sometimes even causing what is known as "therapeutic pain."

What is "therapeutic pain?" Quite simply, it is pain that is aiding the therapy. Many people refer to it as "good pain." Surprisingly, people receiving massages often intuitively know the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain." Ultimately, the massage recipient is the judge of whether or not the pressure is correct, and for this reason, a good idea is to communicate with him or her regarding the pressure. Tell them to let you know if the pressure is too hard or too soft; explain to them the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain," and have them alert you if they feel any "bad pain." Sometimes the person receiving the massage does not want to feel any pain whatsoever, and may ask you to let up. Even though you may believe the pressure you are applying is therapeutically necessary, you should accede to the recipient's wishes.

Gauging pressure is one of the most difficult, subjective aspects of giving a massage. It requires a sensitivity to the recipient's response, a knowledge of the body, and an understanding of the goal at hand. Deeper is not necessarily better. Pain is not necessarily good, but is not always bad either. With an understanding of these principles, and lots of practice, you will soon be giving massages people tell their friends about.