There is a misconception that Deep Tissue Massage should hurt. That is absolutely not the case. Try and think about pressure in terms of sound and it’s volume. If you crank up the volume too much the message gets distorted and it can even hurt your ears, the same is true for pressure and massage. If you apply too much pressure the message will get distorted resulting is less effective bodywork and likely pain and discomfort. Massage is not a scenario where you should attempt for “no pain, no gain”. The amount of pressure should be communicated with your massage therapist so that the sensation feels helpful, comfortable and relevant to the issue. For some this means the sensation might feel somewhat intense, for others the opposite. The end goal is to connect with the issue in the tissues.
With regular massage work, your body should notice differences, resulting in better ease, range and quality of motion, less discomfort and more joy in your life.