Deep tissue.

When your problem is not skin deep.

This labour intensive technique targets chronic tension in muscles that lie far below the surface of your body.

For instance, in your back you have five layers of muscles. While Swedish massage may help the first couple of layers, it won't do much for the muscle underneath.

Deep muscle techniques usually involve slow strokes or friction movements across the grain of the muscles. Massage therapists will use their fingers, thumbs, extended hands or occasionally even elbows and forearms to apply the right amount of pressure.