Treatment Review: Deep Tissue Back Massage

I chose the Deep Tissue Back Massage treatment as I have recently started going to the gym and my muscles are a bit sore after training sessions. And as I had a gym session booked the day before my spa treatment, it was perfectly logical choice to try out this massage therapy which is recommended for those who do sport.

I visited PURE Spa & Beauty in the Apex Hotel on Waterloo Place, Edinburgh. I have had relaxing massages in other spas before but this was my first deep tissue back massage and I was interested to see how I would feel after this one.

It was a bit tricky to find the spa within the hotel as there are no directions, so I asked to hotel receptionist where should I go. He directed me to the spa on the 3rd floor and off I went, with the excitement of trying out this new treatment. After being greeted by therapists at the spa, the receptionist gave me a robe and slippers and showed me the changing room.

I found it a bit unusual to walk back to the treatment room through a public corridor but it was only a few steps so didn’t matter too much. I was met by the therapist who was carrying out my treatment and shown to the treatment room. And so, my treatment began.

A small surprise for me was that at first I was asked to sit down in chair. As you would imagine, you need to lay down on a bed to have aback massage but instead to begin my treatment, I had a quick PURE foot ritual which involved a foot cleanse, scrub and moisturise. An unexpected but welcoming addition to my main treatment.

My therapist then asked me to lay down on the bed, take off the robe and relax. She left the room for a moment while I did this and when she came back in, made sure I was comfortable. All was good, and my deep tissue back massage started.

My therapist explained a bit more about the massage to me. She explained that pressure is applied during the massage but if at any point I found it unpleasant, just to let her know. She started by applying some essential oil on my back and began the massage. As I mentioned, I hadn’t had this kind of massage before so I didn’t know what to expect. There were Deep-Tissue-Back-Massage moments when I felt like someone was stepping on my back. But as soon as the pressure was taken off, it felt like I was born again. These two feelings continued throughout the duration of the treatment and I think that’s the key with deep tissue massage – you can feel a bit of uneasiness but a moment later you feel like you’re in heaven.

To conclude my massage, Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel was applied to my back and gave my body a breath of freshness. My therapist then left the room and gave me some time to relax just laying down. After a brief moment I got up feeling refreshed, put back on the robe and got into the slippers.

After a couple of hours, it occurred to me that my muscles weren’t sore anymore and I felt fantastic.

I would definitely recommend a deep tissue back massage for anyone who is going to gym, has any tension with back muscles or wants to relieve stress.