The Back: More Than One Giant Muscle
“I need my back worked on.”
Absolutely.
But which back?
Under the skin is a layered landscape: trapezius, latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, erector spinae, multifidus, quadratus lumborum and numerous smaller stabilizers.
My approach usually begins with broad contact. This gives me information while giving your body time to acclimate.
From there, pressure can become progressively more specific.
I might use long Swedish-style strokes to warm an area, slower myofascial work to explore tissue mobility, compression for larger muscles, or focused trigger-point-style pressure when appropriate.
A satisfying back massage doesn’t require attacking every knot.
Sometimes the best session feels like slowly turning down the volume across an entire system.
And yes, sometimes there is that one spot beside the shoulder blade that you’ve been trying to reach against a doorway for three weeks.
We can talk about that one too.