The session
What a deep tissue session involves
The session starts the way every appointment here does, with a short intake conversation. You and your RMT agree on where the work will focus and how firm it should be. Deep tissue work is slower than a relaxation massage. Your therapist warms up the surface layers first, then works more specifically into the muscle underneath, usually concentrating on one or two regions rather than sweeping the whole body.
Firm does not mean painful. Good deep tissue work sits at a pressure you can breathe through, and your therapist checks in plainly as they go. Say the word and the pressure changes. That is not a courtesy, it is how the treatment is supposed to work.
Who books it
Who books deep tissue in Burlington
A lot of our deep tissue clients are commuters who spend two hours a day on the QEW or the 403 and feel it across the neck and shoulders. We also see trades and warehouse workers whose jobs load the same muscles all day, and gym regulars partway through a heavy training block who want specific work on the areas doing the most.
If you are not sure whether deep tissue is the right way to work, our post on picking between deep tissue and relaxation massage walks through the difference honestly. Many sessions end up blending both, and that is a normal thing to ask for. Training for something specific? Our sports massage sessions plan the work around your schedule, and if you are pregnant, prenatal massage is the better fit.
On the table
What to expect on the table
You undress to whatever level you are comfortable with, and your therapist leaves the room while you get on the table. Draping keeps you covered with a sheet and blanket the whole time, and only the area being worked on is uncovered. Nothing happens without your consent, and the check-ins on pressure continue for the length of the session.
If it is your first visit, arrive about ten minutes early to fill in the health history form, or complete it online when you book and arrive as usual. The clinic is at 1290 Brant St in downtown Burlington, a couple of minutes north of the City Hall block and about a ten minute drive from Burlington GO, with free parking in the lot behind the building. Afterward you get simple aftercare notes and your official receipt, and tipping is not expected. The menu price is the full price.