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Deep tissue massage uses a variety of techniques (including direct myofascial release, frictioning, positional release and trigger point work) to lengthen, loosen and unstick stiff and painful areas, such as the low back or shoulders. A structurally-based strategy is used to discover the problem patterns "written" in the muscles and fascia, and create improvement through hands on work and facilitating body awareness.
Pain is often a result of imbalance between overactive and weakened muscles, an imbalance created by posture and repetitive activity or injury. When we engage in repetitive activities counter to the design of a body intended to be running through the savanna (e.g. sitting motionless for hours in chairs staring at screens and driving cars), some muscles become overactive and shortened, while others weaken and begin to atrophy.
The weak muscles are unable to "fight back" effectively against the pull of the overactive muscles, and will knot in self-defense. The fascia wrapping and interpenetrating the distressed muscles shortens and becomes stickier causing nearby muscles to be drawn into the disfunction.
 
It is very important to work with a plan and not just randomly release knots. As an example, we'll oversimplify the problem to a simple pair of muscles (even though most people have an entire complex that is in disfunction by the time they decide to come in for massage). Unfortunately, the overactive muscle in the pair (the cause) is not usually perceived to be in pain - instead pain is typically experienced on the side of the weakened muscle (the symptom). Anatomical knowledge and experience with disfunction patterns is needed to direct work where it will improve rather than exacerbate the situation,
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 The body is a continuous tension network, a tensegrity structure, that suspends floating compression elements (bones) in a geometric relationship to each other. The
word "tensegrity," coined by Buckminster Fuller, means that the integrity depends on the
balance between tension and compression, between "push" and "pull." Unlike rigid
frameworks, tensegrity structures are extremely lightweight, resilient, and designed to
withstand stress by distributing strain evenly to all parts of the structure simultaneously.
 Fascia is the organ that does this. It is in essence an organ of pattern. The fascial network is what gives the body its three-dimensional shape and
determines its boundaries. A change in one part is distributed throughout. Disturb any part of the pattern and whole pattern can change (for good or ill).
Myofascial release is a used to release tension stored in the fascia. Fascia is literally one piece of connective tissue that lines the body cavities, and surrounds all the muscles, organs, bones, vessels, and nerves, somewhat like a large piece of shrinkwrap. Where the fascia wrapping a muscle attaches to the bone, it is called a tendon. Fascia that simply connects two bones together is called a ligament. Because fascia tightens and shortens in response to trauma, repetitive stress and
lack of movement, it can painfully restrict joint movement and blood flow. Repeated
trauma can create adhesions where the fascia become stuck together, thereby creating
further restriction. The techniques used in myofascial release break up fascial adhesions and change tension relationships.
I wrote an article about fascia for the Lotus Resource Guide.
There's also an excellent article describing the different flavors of myofascial release.
Finally, if you are a geek like me, you'll like this article by T.E. Flemons The Geometry of Anatomy – the Bones of Tensegrity
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Positional Release
Sometimes known as "fold and hold" or strain/counterstrain, in this technique, pain is relieved by passively putting the joint in the position of greatest comfort, leaving it there for 90 seconds, and then passively and slowly returning it to its normal position. Putting the joint in the exact opposite position from the one that causes pain will relax the contractive force that is causing the pain. The technique is very gentle and effective
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 Definition: "A myofascial trigger point is defined as "a hyperirritable spot, usually within a taut band of skeletal muscle or in the muscle fascia, that is painful on compression and that can give rise to characteristic referred pain, tenderness, and autonomic phenomena." It is an area of local ischemia (restriction in blood supply).
Less technically, trigger points are "knots" and are responsible for lot of pain. As Paul Ingraham states, "That small patch of knotted muscle is stagnant and swampy, literally clenching off its own blood supply, a vicious cycle called 'metabolic crisis.'". When the trigger points are released, the muscle is able to elongate to its proper length and pain is relieved. The "knot" is often not where the pain is felt, so it is important for the therapist to understand "referral patterns" to know where to look for the trigger points. They can be caused by a variety of factors including accidents, over-use or under-use of muscles, ergonomic imbalances in the home or workplace, or structural imbalances in the body.
The technique used to release a trigger point is known as ischemic compression. Basically it means that when the point is found, it is pressed for approximately 8 seconds during which time it releases, with a sensation akin to melting. The technique is briefly painful during the compression, but never excruciating. It should always be a "good hurt".
General Information about Myofascial Pain
Encyclopedic Sites describing conditions
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Tendon/Ligament Issues - Frictioning Work
Trouble does not only occur in muscles. It can also occur in the tendon where the muscle attaches to the bone. For overuse conditions such as tendinosis (collagen degeneration resulting from excessive load on collagen), taking the load off is important. Trigger point work may be indirect, but to the extent that taut bands are shortening the muscle, releasing those knots will help reduce the load on the tendon. In addition, cross-fiber frictioning and myofascial spreading strokes break up collagen cross-linking and reduce fibrosis.
  
[From left to right: what a tendon is supposed to look like; one with tendinitis; one with tendinosis. For more info, see Jen Sinkler] Directly stimulating the tendon can be done through cross-fiber frictioning begins the process of activating its fibroblasts and synthesizing significant quantities of new collagen fibers. While it might seem that rest would give an injured tendon an opportunity to heal, it might also give a tendon suffering from tendonosis a chance to degenerate further. For more information, see this article from Running Research News.
 Tendon and ligament injuries take much longer to heal than muscle injuries. If icing and rest have not improved things after two weeks, tendinosis is a reasonable bet. While most injuries occur where muscles and tendons join (the musculotendinous complex), and respond well to massage, if you have an injury that is not healing on its own, it might be a good idea to get a sports medicine physician involved, as other conditions might be involved. For instance, although it's rare, it is possible for muscles and tendons to actually tear away from the bone (called an avulsion).
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What about Deep Tissue Massage?
I've described this style of massage as "Deep Tissue Massage" because its a term that people use when they are looking for something other than stress management and relaxation from their massage. Unfortunately, this term has so many different meanings between different massage therapists, it is effectively meaningless (its most accepted meaning today is that it costs $10 more at a spa). So just to be sure we're on the same page, here's my interpretation of the term.
 In your body, muscles are built up in layers, some of which are superficial and some of which are deep. For instance in the area of your rear pelvis, you have superficial gluteus maximus, and deep piriformis. Deep Tissue could mean massage that is intended to obtain tissue lengthening and release in a deep layer of muscle, requiring deep pressure in that one spot. Frictioning tendinous insertions of muscles is also perceived by most clients as deep work. These forms of deep tissue I do. I use the amount of pressure required to achieve the desired therapeutic effect. I prefer precision over force. I do tend to enter deeper layers very slowly and at an oblique angle to minimize pain and frequently use myofascial lifting strokes in addition to compressive and frictioning strokes. Historically, use of the term seems to have arisen when some massage therapists at Esalen began studying Rolfing (a modality that uses direct myofascial release).
Art Riggs wrote a wonderful 3 part article (from a therapist's perspective) on deep tissue:
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This style of massage tends to be slower and less concerned with maintaining a rhythm than massage dedicated to relaxation. It is generally not possible to fully treat the entire body in a 60 minute session. Typically work is devoted to particular painful areas that are causing you distress. Engaging a knot and breaking an adhesion can be painful, so if your greatest need is to escape the pressure cooker for an hour by being handled gently, you should choose relaxation work, not deep tissue massage.
If your body is not accustomed to massage or strenuous exercise, it is better to start with a shorter session of 30 minutes and work up to longer sessions. Be aware that the body tends to receive deep bodywork similarly to exercise, and just as a new weight lifting program can lead to delayed onset muscle soreness, your body might react in the same way to deep tissue massage. If sustained frictioning is necessary, be aware that it might result in bruising, and you should ice afterwards to minimize this possibility. I always try to remind you of these points during the session so you can choose how aggressively you wish to proceed, but please feel free to tell me your preferences in advance.
The Studio Helix Approach
Finally, if you have a chronic pain condition, realize that massage on its own is a passive modality. It can be very effective in immediately reducing pain, but for lasting results, weakened muscles need to be strengthened, and repetitive activities that are causing imbalance need to be addressed. Studio Helix, where I work, specializes in designing customized programs based on sound anatomical engineering practice that include massage where it will be optimally effective, and exercise where it will be most effective.
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