Oooh this one has us nerdy about why we'd say that!
For reals though, more is not always better if you want lasting relief. Here's why.
1) We need to warm up the superficial tissues first. Or at least we do if you don't want to risk unnecessary tissue damage. If go deep right away it could trigger a reflex response (spasm) that could cause a micro injury to the tissues.
2) You could have decreased nerve response in the area, causing a lag in information getting from the tissues to the brain. A number of things could cause this: scar tissue in the area, fluid retention, chronic bracing patterns, mental/emotional detachment (you've checked out of the area), or even a medication side effect. The body has so many innate self protection mechanisms that it can be hard to know for sure sometimes.
3) Needing to feel a pain response can be a "bad habit" of sorts. Paula's mentor, John Barnes, once said, "Do you need to feel pain to heal, or do you need to feel pain because it's the quickest/easiest/only thing you know how to feel?" That hit home. There are soooo many beliefs around pain that can cause it to be our default thing. "No pain, no gain" mentality. You feel so detached from life, that pain is needed to snap you back home (into your body). You feel like you've been hurt so many times, that that's the only thing you think you know how to feel. Someone told you that you were "a pain" during an impressionable time and you took it on as an identity. Again, the list could be endless and unique to you. The good thing is, habits can be changed
4) The most effective techniques do not trigger a pain response. (The fun thing is, this is getting backed by research more and more. ) Our body has a very difficult time healing itself when it's in fight-or-flight mode (sympathetic dominance). When we can get it into rest-and-digest mode (parasympathetic dominance ) - this is when the magic happens. In order to stay away from a pain response, we need to stick with non-threatening stimuli. This, again, varies person to person since we are all unique.
In conclusion We do want to know your depth preferences for your massage session. Internal and external sensations are two different things, and sometimes we are unsure if we're at a good depth for you.We might not always be able to or want to apply more pressure, but an open line of communication is vital for session success. If you feel you want more pressure than the massage therapist is giving, you're allowed to ask why you're not getting it. Just like we're allowed to explain if and when more pressure isn't healthful or possible.
P.S. If you feel a bit bristly about something you read above, I'd invite you to go back to that part and sit with it a bit. You'd be surprised at how much growth can come from that practice. To pause and reflect before reacting. It's a beautiful thing.
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