This morning I talked with a friend who said he had a "bone to pick" with "massage therapists".
He had a $25, "chop chop" foot massage that included a back massage. Apparently, whoever worked on him "pummeled" him and "worked him over pretty good" to the point that his back was "thrown out" and he ended up at the doctor's office.
There's a few lessons in this story.
1) You get what you pay for.
2) Make sure whoever is working on you is a licensed massage therapist.
3) Deep tissue is not for every body.
I'm not a fan of deep tissue massage. It is a myth that the massage must be deep and painful to do any good. There are clients who have had better results simply by my laying a hand on their back rather than grinding an elbow into their tissue bone deep.
What I've found over the years is that much of the result is up to the client/patient.
What do you believe? Do you believe that you have to be hurt to heal? Do you believe that the only good massage is a deep massage? Do you want to give up your pain?