Deep tissue massage
Slow, deliberate pressure into the layers underneath the ones a relaxation massage reaches. At the studio in Inverness, or for established clients in their own living room.
There are a few things worth checking first
What the hour actually looks like
We spend the first ten minutes finding the thing. Where it is, how long it has been there, what you have already tried, and what makes it worse. Then I work — slowly, because deep work done fast is just hard work, and you will brace against it.
Pressure is agreed between us and it changes the moment you say so. You should not be gripping the table. If you are, we are working too heavy and I would rather know at minute six than hear about it a week later.
Who tends to book it
People who stand, lift, drive or garden for a living or for love of it. People whose shoulders have been tight so long they have stopped noticing. People who have had a lot of pleasant massages and want someone to actually get into it.
Who it is not for
If you are on blood thinners, recently post-surgical, being treated for cancer, or have a clotting history, tell me on the phone before you book. Sometimes the answer is that we work lighter, sometimes it is that I want your doctor's say-so first, and occasionally it is that massage is not what you need right now. I will tell you which.
Questions
Is deep tissue massage supposed to hurt?
No. I work inside your comfort threshold and the pressure changes the moment you say so. Gritting your teeth through an hour is not something I ask anyone to do.
How sore will I be afterwards?
Some people feel worked-over for a day, the way you do after unfamiliar exercise. Drink water and take it easy that evening. If anything feels wrong rather than just sore, call me — I would rather hear from you than not.
60 or 90 minutes?
Sixty is enough for one region — a neck and shoulders, or a low back. If you want a full body at depth, or you have more than one thing going on, take the ninety. I would rather do less thoroughly than more in a hurry.