Deep tissue
Deeper doesn’t
mean harder
Depth is which layer is being worked, not how much of their body weight someone puts through an elbow.
The myth
If you are bracing,
it is not working
The common misunderstanding is that it should hurt, and that more pain means more result. It does not. Reaching a deeper layer takes slower strokes, sustained pressure and often a forearm rather than thumbs.
If a muscle is being braced against, nothing is releasing — you are just having an argument with it. So the pressure sits at the edge of comfortable and stops there.
Suits
When it earns
its place
- Long-standing tightness that lighter work has not shifted
- Large, dense muscle groups — glutes, hamstrings, calves, upper back
- Postural tension built over months rather than days
- People who genuinely find lighter work unsatisfying
Does not suit
When to say so
before we start
An acute injury in the first day or two. An area that is hot and inflamed. Anyone who wants to leave feeling calm rather than worked over. Say so when you book and the appointment changes shape — booking the wrong thing is the most common reason people never come back.
What we treat
The six we
see most
Neck & shoulders
The one that starts at 3pm and is still there at bedtime.
Low back
Fine until you bend to put your shoes on.
Headaches
Starting at the base of the skull, not behind the eyes.
Tennis & golfer’s elbow
Six months of “it’ll settle”. It has not settled.
Desk and screen pain
Eight hours a day in one shape has consequences.
Sports injuries
The niggle you are still training on.
Practical
Before you call
Health funds
Claim it
on the spot
- Medibank
- Bupa
- HCF
- nib
- HBF
- Australian Unity
- ahm
HICAPS is on the desk, and it is connected to every private health insurer in Australia — not just the ones listed. Tap your card after the appointment, the rebate comes off on the spot, and you pay the gap rather than the lot.
What comes back depends on your level of extras cover, and myotherapy is not on every policy. The terminal tells you the exact number before you leave the room, so there is no invoice to chase and nothing to find out later.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
How sore will I be tomorrow?
Often mildly, for about a day. If you are still sore on day three, the pressure was too much and it gets dialled back next time.
Is it the same as remedial work?
Overlapping, not identical. Remedial is defined by being targeted at a problem; deep tissue is defined by the depth and pace of the technique. Plenty of treatment is both.
Should I drink water afterwards?
It will not flush toxins out of you — that idea is a myth. Drink water anyway, because you should.
How long do I need?
Forty minutes. This work does not rush.
Book the hands-on work
Forty minutes, most of it spent on the thing you came in about.