RSM-DTM-S002
Written by Hironori Ikeda, MSc Sports Medicine
RSM International Academy · Chiang Mai, Thailand
Deep Tissue Massage clinical guides → Deep Tissue Posture Session: Assess, Treat & Reassess
A contact that the therapist cannot maintain comfortably needs adjustment before more force is added. Treat hand comfort and client feedback as practical constraints of the technique.
You will learn to compare table setup, stance and contact area one at a time, then judge the change using client tolerance and therapist effort without losing anatomical control.
In This Article
- In This Article
- 1. Table Setup, Stance and Contact Tolerance
- Check the Setup
- Review the Hand and Contact Area
- Practise a Brief Comparison
- Record and Review Repeated Discomfort
- 2. Reduce the Reach Before Comparing Contact
- 3. Re-check Client Tolerance and Therapist Control
- Related RSM Clinical Blogs
- Study Deep Tissue Massage at RSM
1. Table Setup, Stance and Contact Tolerance
Check the Setup
Position the table and your stance so you can reach the intended region without a prolonged awkward bend. Keep the client supported. Table height should suit the person, technique and task rather than a single universal measurement.
Review the Hand and Contact Area
Notice whether you are holding a strained wrist position or relying on sustained focal thumb pressure. Consider a broader contact or a different approach when it remains anatomically appropriate. Using a forearm is not automatically safer for every target.
Practise a Brief Comparison
Apply a short, comfortable contact and ask both partners about tolerance. Change table position, stance or contact area one at a time. Do not practise deeper pressure simply to demonstrate bodyweight transfer.
Record and Review Repeated Discomfort
Note which task produces therapist discomfort and discuss it with the instructor. Persistent pain deserves assessment and changes to workload. Efficient positioning is a skill to refine; it does not guarantee prevention of every occupational injury.
2. Reduce the Reach Before Comparing Contact
A therapist working across the table may sustain trunk flexion while the thumb continues a focal contact. Move to the accessible side, support the client’s limb and check whether the contact can be maintained without that reach. Then compare a brief contact with the original setup at a similar comfortable pressure.
3. Re-check Client Tolerance and Therapist Control
Judge the setup using both client feedback and therapist effort. A broader contact is useful only when it fits the intended tissue and gives adequate control; exchanging a strained thumb for uncontrolled forearm pressure does not solve the clinical problem.
Related RSM Clinical Blogs
▷ Deep Tissue Posture Session: Assess, Treat & Reassess — Deep Tissue Massage · Explore the full symptom assessment and treatment decisions.
▷ Why Is My Upper Trap Always Tight? Trigger Points & Neck Mechanics — Trigger Point Therapy · Compare a related clinical question from another assessment angle.
▷ Sports Massage Session: What Should You Assess and Treat? — Sports Massage · Connect the contact finding with movement and load.
Study Deep Tissue Massage at RSM
Develop the anatomical comparison, contact control and re-assessment skills behind this note. View Deep Tissue Massage course details. Explore the clinical guide. Check the official course schedule.
For the landmark and clinical palpation foundation, explore the Trigger Point Therapy course.
About the Author
Hironori Ikeda, MSc Sports Medicine is the lead instructor at RSM International Academy. His teaching connects functional anatomy, clinical palpation, treatment decisions and re-assessment.